A business in the Irvine Spectrum Center is hoping corporate types take to a simulated version of NASCAR racing as a way to boost worker camaraderie.
NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway, a 5,500-square-foot facility where racing wannabes can jump into a stock car and race on a computer-simulated track, is looking to attract more corporate business.
Business team-building events represent about a quarter of Silicon Motor Speedway’s business, according to John Ehlenfeldt, regional director of sales at Silicon Entertainment Inc., the site’s operator. The bulk of visitors are families, walk-in groups and individuals.
Units of Nestle Corp., BP Amoco PLC and Corsair Communications Inc. are among the businesses that held events at Silicon Motor Speedway, Ehlenfeldt said.
But will NASCAR,a sport that grew out of bootleggers efforts to outrun the law,catch on with corporate types?
“All members of the team thoroughly enjoyed themselves,” said John Murphy, a Nestle spokesman.
The site features cars that are 80% replicas of the real speedsters. Employees pair off and race against coworkers on a computerized track.
A typical team-building session has a practice run, a preliminary heat, a qualifying heat and a championship race that provides competition in a team-oriented environment, according to Ehlenfeldt.
The speedway closes operations to the public during group events, allowing the companies to cater events and provide bar service.
A tutorial video with NASCAR legends such as Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon helps new racers with the operations of the simulators. Upon completion of the race, a print-out is supplied to each team, listing its placement, lap times, top speed, average speed and more.
Each car is a full-motion machine with hydraulic mounts, making sure that passengers feel swerves, spins, banks and bumps. A wrap-around video screen provides a first-person visual. n
