Unique F1 simulator puts Magna visitors in the hot seat

Visitors to Magna Science Adventure Centre have a chance to experience what it is like to be a Formula 1 driver thanks to a local entrepreneur.

 

Adam Tinsley, who runs Rotherham-based F1 Showcars, is setting up his unique racing simulator at the Templeborough attraction during the Easter holidays.

 

The machine, once used by the now-defunct Arrows F1 team, is usually hired out for Grand Prix and corporate events.

  

Adam bought the simulator on trading website Ebay three years ago and repaired and adapted it. 

 

It is the only three-seat F1 simulator currently operating in the world. A virtual reality headset, pedals and steering wheel plus vibrating seats give ‘drivers’ a chance to do three laps of a Grand Prix race circuit, experiencing virtual speeds of up to 220 mph.

 

Adam, 24, who lives in Maltby, said: “The software is similar to that which F1 teams use and it’s probably the closest you can get to experiencing driving an F1 car without actually doing it. It really gives people an appreciation of just how challenging the sport is.”

 

Magna’s marketing manager Karen Staniforth added: “We’re really pleased to be adding a bit of F1 excitement to the host of attractions at Magna. It’s great to also be supporting such an exciting local enterprise.”   

 

Adam’s company also hires out a full-size F1 showcar replica, a MotoGp motorbike simulator and a wheel change game.

 

Magna, which is run as a charity, is based in former steelworks on Sheffield Road, Templeborough, and aims to inspire interest in science and preserve the history of the area’s steel industry.

 

Its four pavilions are on a theme of earth, air, fire and water, and visitors can see the works’ original arc furnace roar to life through dramatic special effects.

 

The attraction also has an outdoor adventure play area, Sci-Tek, and a water splash area Aqua-Tek, which is now open for the summer.  

 

The F1 simulator will be at Magna every day, from 10am to 5pm, from April 9 to 13. Rides cost £2. Height restrictions apply. 

 

For more information about Magna, visit www.visitmagna.co.uk or call 01709 720002.

 

 

Photographers and reporters are welcome to attend. Reporters are invited to try the simulator for themselves.

 

Pictures available on request from Deborah Wain or Kate Betts.

 

Magna is housed in the former Templeborough steelworks, which were once the biggest in the world and employed 10,000 people. The works were built during World War One and shut in 1993. They remained derelict until being transformed into an award-winning visitor attraction in 2001. 

 

Magna has four pavilions on a theme of air, earth,fire and water, which house over 100 interactive exhibits, and it also boasts outdoor and water play areas. The centrepiece Big Melt uses stunning pyrotechnic and audio techniques to recreate steel-making using a huge original electric arc furnace. Magna is open daily, from 10am to 5pm with last entry at 4pm. 

 

Magna also plays host to events and exhibitions and offers a range of corporate and party facilities.

 

For more information about the F1 attraction, contact Adam Tinsley on 0794 6368947.

 

For more media information about Magna, contact marketing manager Karen Staniforth on 01709 820092 or email kstaniforth@magnatrust.co.uk. Alternatively, contact marketing assistant Anna Holdsworth on 01709 723139 or email aholdsworth@magnatrust.co.uk

  

Additional media contacts: Deborah Wain on 07903 466228 or at deborah@katebettsmedia.co.uk or Kate Betts on 01226 766900 or 07792 764891 or at