Choose How
You Want To Race
Racing disciplines are genuinely different from one another. Some are about aerodynamics and precision, some about managing a car that will not stop sliding, some about reacting to a road you have never seen. This is a plain description of each one so you can pick on something better than the name.
The Disciplines
Our library runs iRacing and Assetto Corsa, which between them cover more than 170 cars across more than 140 circuits. These are the categories people usually ask for.
GT3
Racing versions of road-going sports cars, built to a shared rulebook. Aerodynamic downforce, slick tires, sequential paddle-shift gearboxes, and unusually for this level of motorsport they retain ABS and traction control.
GT3 SIMULATOR TAMPA →Formula & open-wheel
Single-seaters with exposed wheels, very low weight and high aerodynamic grip. No driver aids in most classes, so inputs have to be precise. Braking and direction changes are typically sharper than in heavier categories, though high-downforce prototypes are comparable.
FORMULA SIMULATOR TAMPA →Stock car
Heavy, powerful, and comparatively low on downforce, which means the car moves around under you. On ovals the difficulty is sustaining a consistent line lap after lap rather than any single corner.
STOCK CAR SIMULATOR TAMPA →Endurance & prototype
Closed-cockpit cars with substantially more aerodynamic grip than GT3, usually raced over long stints. The emphasis falls on consistency, fuel and tire management rather than a single fast lap.
ENDURANCE SIMULATOR TAMPA →Drift
Deliberately breaking rear traction and sustaining a slide with steering and throttle. Judged on angle and line rather than lap time, and it is a genuinely difficult skill that takes most people several attempts to begin to hold.
DRIFT SIMULATOR TAMPA →Rally
Loose or mixed surfaces, one car at a time, on roads that are narrow and unfamiliar. Grip changes constantly, which makes it a very different exercise from circuit racing.
RALLY SIMULATOR TAMPA →Manual / H-pattern
Four of our rigs are fitted with a six-speed H-pattern shifter and a handbrake, so gear changes are made through a gate rather than on paddles. Suits anyone who wants shifting to be part of the driving.
Classic & historic
Older racing cars, typically with narrower tires, little aerodynamic downforce and no electronic aids. Historic machinery varies enormously, from gentle to genuinely quick and abrupt, but the common thread is that nothing electronic is helping you.
These are general descriptions of each category. Academy Sim Racing is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed by any racing series, sanctioning body or car manufacturer. Which specific cars and circuits are available depends on the simulator software in use.
Which Simulator You Will Be On
The eight racing rigs are not identical. One pairs a motion platform with triple screens, direct drive steering, active pedals and a real cockpit. Others run triple or single screens with direct drive wheels and load-cell or active pedals. Four are fitted with a six-speed H-pattern shifter and handbrake.
If a particular configuration matters to you, motion, triple screens, or a manual shifter, mention it when you book.
Booking
Sessions start at $40 an hour and no experience is required. Coaching is available as an optional add-on: Basic Coaching ($40) puts an instructor beside you for the whole session, and Advanced Coaching ($60) adds telemetry review for drivers who already have pace.
Walk-ins are welcome Friday and Saturday, 2–10 PM. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday are by appointment. The lounge is closed to the public on Tuesdays.
Simulator time is practice and preparation. It is not a substitute for real-world driving instruction.
Two Ways To Put In The Laps
Drive At Our Tampa Lounge
1421 Massaro Blvd, Tampa FL 33619. Eight professional simulators, sessions from $40 an hour.
BOOK A SESSION →Build One For Home
Academy also builds custom simulators, from single screen to full motion. Try the rigs in Tampa first.
EXPLORE BUILDS →Preparing for a real track weekend? See our track guides.
Want to use a real gearbox? See manual transmission sessions.
Not sure which class suits you? Compare the car classes.
New to sim racing entirely? See what a first visit looks like.
Want to see what is in the library? Browse cars and tracks.
Need simulators brought to a corporate day, party or team event? See Academy Events.