Nascar Silicon Speedway - closing

If these SMS "racing centers" are anything like the one I saw (and drove) at the "NASCAR Cafe" in Las Vegas last year....they should have closed a long time ago. The cars and racing theme decor looked great. The "high-tech" equipment looked great.....but the "driving experience" was a complete and total joke! The "motion" of the cars didn't match what was happening on the screen. Controlling the cars was more luck than skill.....and the rear-projection screen graphics were really bad. The picture was not in proportion to the "view" out the window.....so I felt like I was sitting in a very expensive...bobbing up and down, left and right..... theater seat....watching a washed-out version of NASCAR 1.....and that is probably being too kind. If you had never driven an automobile in your entire life, you might have been slightly impressed. If you had ever driven even a decent PC-based racing simulation, you wouldn't have been impressed at all, as we weren't. (I was at the NASCAR Cafe in Las Vegas for the SEMA show last year, with several guys who were all online sim racers....we all had exactly the same opinion). By the way, one of the "locals" in our group was friends with one of the "shift managers" who offered to let us run all we wanted "after hours" one night. We didn't take him up on the offer, but thanked him for it. We ended up having some "burgers" at the NASCAR Cafe....and dropped a few million quarters into one of the "arcade" racing games.....to pass the time. Just to make sure, I went to the SMS website just now.......as far as I can see, it looks exactly like the one I'm talking about at the NASCAR Cafe in Las Vegas (but that location is not listed on the SMS website....perhaps because the NASCAR Cafe's unit is owned by NASCAR...who knows?). Tom Pabst

I've never seen it, but I watched the video, and they *barely* showed the in-game graphics... ('cept for the ones on the cars!) Tom Pabst wrote:

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> If these SMS "racing centers" are anything like the one I saw (and drove) at > the "NASCAR Cafe" in Las Vegas last year....they should have closed a long > time ago. The cars and racing theme decor looked great. The "high-tech" > equipment looked great.....but the "driving experience" was a complete and > total joke! The "motion" of the cars didn't match what was happening on the > screen. Controlling the cars was more luck than skill.....and the > rear-projection screen graphics were really bad. The picture was not in > proportion to the "view" out the window.....so I felt like I was sitting in > a very expensive...bobbing up and down, left and right..... theater > seat....watching a washed-out version of NASCAR 1.....and that is probably > being too kind. If you had never driven an automobile in your entire life, > you might have been slightly impressed. If you had ever driven even a > decent PC-based racing simulation, you wouldn't have been impressed at all, > as we weren't. > > (I was at the NASCAR Cafe in Las Vegas for the SEMA show last year, with > several guys who were all online sim racers....we all had exactly the same > opinion). > > By the way, one of the "locals" in our group was friends with one of the > "shift managers" who offered to let us run all we wanted "after hours" one > night. We didn't take him up on the offer, but thanked him for it. We > ended up having some "burgers" at the NASCAR Cafe....and dropped a few > million quarters into one of the "arcade" racing games.....to pass the time. > > Just to make sure, I went to the SMS website just now.......as far as I can > see, it looks exactly like the one I'm talking about at the NASCAR Cafe in > Las Vegas (but that location is not listed on the SMS website....perhaps > because the NASCAR Cafe's unit is owned by NASCAR...who knows?). > > Tom Pabst

Not the sane Tom, I've been to both and SMS blows Nascar Cafe out of the water. It really is a shame to see them go. -- Michael Grandy NSCSE "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:bcZD6.10974$[email hidden]... > If these SMS "racing centers" are anything like the one I saw (and drove) at > the "NASCAR Cafe" in Las Vegas last year....they should have closed a long > time ago. The cars and racing theme decor looked great. The "high-tech" > equipment looked great.....but the "driving experience" was a complete and > total joke! The "motion" of the cars didn't match what was happening on the > screen. Controlling the cars was more luck than skill.....and the > rear-projection screen graphics were really bad. The picture was not in > proportion to the "view" out the window.....so I felt like I was sitting in > a very expensive...bobbing up and down, left and right..... theater > seat....watching a washed-out version of NASCAR 1.....and that is probably > being too kind. If you had never driven an automobile in your entire life, > you might have been slightly impressed. If you had ever driven even a > decent PC-based racing simulation, you wouldn't have been impressed at all, > as we weren't. > > (I was at the NASCAR Cafe in Las Vegas for the SEMA show last year, with > several guys who were all online sim racers....we all had exactly the same > opinion). > > By the way, one of the "locals" in our group was friends with one of the > "shift managers" who offered to let us run all we wanted "after hours" one > night. We didn't take him up on the offer, but thanked him for it. We > ended up having some "burgers" at the NASCAR Cafe....and dropped a few > million quarters into one of the "arcade" racing games.....to pass the time. > > Just to make sure, I went to the SMS website just now.......as far as I can > see, it looks exactly like the one I'm talking about at the NASCAR Cafe in > Las Vegas (but that location is not listed on the SMS website....perhaps > because the NASCAR Cafe's unit is owned by NASCAR...who knows?). > > Tom Pabst > >

I thought there was one in Dallas but they had already closed that one. -- Michael Grandy NSCSE "Todd Walker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Hmm....their map only shows one in Houston (Katy actually.) I guess > the one I went to in Dallas wasn't a Silicon Speedway after all. > Anybody know what it is? > > -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- > Todd Walker > http://twalker.d2g.com > Nikon Coolpix 950 > http://twalker.d2g.com/galleries.htm > DIGITAL CAMERA REVIEW SITES: > http://www.dpreview.com > http://www.steves-digicams.com > http://www.imaging-resource.com > -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- > > > > On Fri, 20 Apr 2001 00:17:49 -0500, "JoeZ" <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >http://www.lbet.com/ > > >

Didn't read that far down, I was at the same one during a trade show last year in Vegas and it was horrible, nothing compared to SMS. > Just to make sure, I went to the SMS website just now.......as far as Ican > see, it looks exactly like the one I'm talking about at the NASCAR Cafe in > Las Vegas (but that location is not listed on the SMS website....perhaps > because the NASCAR Cafe's unit is owned by NASCAR...who know-- Michael Grandy NSCSE "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:bcZD6.10974$[email hidden]... > If these SMS "racing centers" are anything like the one I saw (and drove) at > the "NASCAR Cafe" in Las Vegas last year....they should have closed a long > time ago. The cars and racing theme decor looked great. The "high-tech" > equipment looked great.....but the "driving experience" was a complete and > total joke! The "motion" of the cars didn't match what was happening on the > screen. Controlling the cars was more luck than skill.....and the > rear-projection screen graphics were really bad. The picture was not in > proportion to the "view" out the window.....so I felt like I was sitting in > a very expensive...bobbing up and down, left and right..... theater > seat....watching a washed-out version of NASCAR 1.....and that is probably > being too kind. If you had never driven an automobile in your entire life, > you might have been slightly impressed. If you had ever driven even a > decent PC-based racing simulation, you wouldn't have been impressed at all, > as we weren't. > > (I was at the NASCAR Cafe in Las Vegas for the SEMA show last year, with > several guys who were all online sim racers....we all had exactly the same > opinion). > > By the way, one of the "locals" in our group was friends with one of the > "shift managers" who offered to let us run all we wanted "after hours" one > night. We didn't take him up on the offer, but thanked him for it. We > ended up having some "burgers" at the NASCAR Cafe....and dropped a few > million quarters into one of the "arcade" racing games.....to pass the time. > > Just to make sure, I went to the SMS website just now.......as far as I can > see, it looks exactly like the one I'm talking about at the NASCAR Cafe in > Las Vegas (but that location is not listed on the SMS website....perhaps > because the NASCAR Cafe's unit is owned by NASCAR...who knows?). > > Tom Pabst > >

>If these SMS "racing centers" are anything like the one I saw (and drove) at >the "NASCAR Cafe" in Las Vegas last year....they should have closed a long >time ago. I haven't been to a NASCAR Cafe, but I must say, SMS was the best simulation I've ever run by a longshot. Todd Wasson --- Performance Simulations Drag Racing and Top Speed Prediction Software http://PerformanceSimulations.Com

I wonder what they will be doing with all the units they have aquired? I wouldn't mind having one. Anyone know of any plans to sell the cars? "JoeZ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:dHPD6.879$[email hidden]... > http://www.lbet.com/ > >

They have had two inquires, both declined From what IM hearing it sounds like theyre trying to recoop some losses File that under never :) carzman3 <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3j3E6.2074$[email hidden]... > I wonder what they will be doing with all the units they have aquired? > I wouldn't mind having one. > Anyone know of any plans to sell the cars?

On Fri, 20 Apr 2001 16:10:47 GMT, "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>If these SMS "racing centers" are anything like the one I saw (and drove) at >the "NASCAR Cafe" in Las Vegas last year....they should have closed a long >time ago. The cars and racing theme decor looked great. The "high-tech" >equipment looked great.....but the "driving experience" was a complete and >total joke! The "motion" of the cars didn't match what was happening on the >screen. Controlling the cars was more luck than skill.....and the >rear-projection screen graphics were really bad. The picture was not in >proportion to the "view" out the window.....so I felt like I was sitting in >a very expensive...bobbing up and down, left and right..... theater >seat....watching a washed-out version of NASCAR 1.....and that is probably >being too kind.

Hmmm......not sure if you saw the exact same thing Tom. I'm not surprised they're closing either, but not because of the experience, but more the dollars and cents of the operation. I could never understand how they could run enough people through per hour to pay the huge overhead you have at such malls as Woodfield in Schaumburg, IL. Sure, it wasn't the Petty driving experience....but it beat the hell out of Daytona USA. ;-)

On Sat, 21 Apr 2001 05:32:51 GMT, [email hidden] (T. Wortman) wrote:

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>On Fri, 20 Apr 2001 16:10:47 GMT, "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> >wrote: > >>If these SMS "racing centers" are anything like the one I saw (and drove) at >>the "NASCAR Cafe" in Las Vegas last year....they should have closed a long >>time ago. The cars and racing theme decor looked great. The "high-tech" >>equipment looked great.....but the "driving experience" was a complete and >>total joke! The "motion" of the cars didn't match what was happening on the >>screen. Controlling the cars was more luck than skill.....and the >>rear-projection screen graphics were really bad. The picture was not in >>proportion to the "view" out the window.....so I felt like I was sitting in >>a very expensive...bobbing up and down, left and right..... theater >>seat....watching a washed-out version of NASCAR 1.....and that is probably >>being too kind.

I've driven both. SMS was MUCH better. The car physics and racing were much more realistic at SMS than at the NASCAR Cafe. (Kind of like Nascar 4 to Nascar 3). You didn't even need a seatbelt at the Cafe, at SMS, if you don't have one you'd get thrown all over the place.

Up until December I wouldve agreed Tim But did you run that new drafting model? Even Lowes and Atlanta had a way-overkill draft And Richmond, my favorite of the SMS tracks, was turned into a dirt track with the sling shotting you had to use