Twelve full-motion racing simulators now line a space tucked behind Encinitas's Coast Highway bar scene, complete with seatbelts that tighten under braking, surround sound, and screens wrapping around each driver's seat. Turn Zero Sim Racing opened in June, giving locals a place to race wheel-to-wheel or solo without ever touching a real racetrack.
The venue sits at 687 S. Coast Hwy 101, Suite 151, directly behind Bier Garden and the main strip of bars and restaurants in downtown Encinitas, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. Co-owner John Reikes said Turn Zero received strong support from the Encinitas community and other businesses since opening, according to the same report. Reikes and co-owner Sarah Masterson designed the space to serve as much more than a garage full of racing gear — it's built as an in-person social hub that connects people who might otherwise be racing alone.
From Solo Setups to a Shared Track
Reikes noticed that everyday people had few opportunities to try sim racing in Encinitas before he and Masterson opened the doors, the Union-Tribune reported. Home sim rigs can feel solitary for users, which was part of what pushed the founders toward building a communal space instead of another single-player setup. The equipment at Turn Zero is standardized across all twelve stations, so hardcore car enthusiasts and first-time racers use identical gear whether they're chasing lap times or just trying the sport for the first time.
The rigs themselves are built to blur the line between video game and racetrack. Each station is equipped with wraparound video displays, active belt tensioners that pull tight under heavy braking, and direct-drive force-feedback steering wheels engineered to transmit bumps, curbs, and traction limits directly to the driver, according to The Coast News. The setup provides an authentic on-track racing experience and tracks lap times and data that racers can use to prep for future sessions, per the Union-Tribune's reporting.
A Software Fix Born From the Founder's Day Job
Behind the scenes, Reikes drew on his software background to build custom proprietary code to manage the simulator hardware, aiming to streamline onboarding and cut down on technical glitches, The Coast News reported from an opening interview. Reikes, a Leucadia resident, previously played lead guitar for the Encinitas rock band The Thieves About, which formed in late 2017, according to the San Diego Reader. The business itself, Turn Zero Motorsports LLC, was registered with the California Secretary of State on April 25, 2025, listing Reikes and Masterson as company managers, per Bizprofile records.
Filling a Gap in San Diego's Racing Scene
The timing lines up with a broader gap in local motorsports access. San Diego County's real-world racing and karting scene leans heavily on indoor electric go-kart tracks like K1 Speed's locations in Carlsbad, Downtown San Diego and Chula Vista, plus a single quarter-mile clay oval at Barona Speedway in Ramona, according to Axios San Diego. That leaves the region with few accessible racetracks overall, and in-person racing carries its own barriers, since it can be expensive and dangerous for newcomers who just want a taste of the sport.
That gap is part of a much larger trend. The global racing simulator market is projected to grow from roughly $0.5 billion to $0.6 billion in 2024 to somewhere between $1.1 billion and $3.0 billion by the early 2030s, expanding at a 15% to 16% annual clip, per Fortune Business Insights. Sim racing technology itself advanced notably after COVID, and commercial lounges nationwide now typically charge between $25 and $45 per 30-minute session while layering in memberships, corporate events and organized leagues, according to a startup guide from Sim Racing Center.
Car Clubs Already Booking the Rigs
Local car clubs have wasted no time adopting the space. The Porsche Club of America San Diego Region partnered with Turn Zero to host a competitive driving event in August, offering structured virtual races and track time for a $75 entry fee. The San Diego chapter of the BMW Car Club of America has also scheduled a free, members-only sim-racing challenge at the venue on August 30.
Turn Zero serves a wide mix of visitors beyond organized car clubs — hardcore car enthusiasts, restaurant and bar patrons wandering over from the Coast Highway strip, first-time racers, and families with children all show up at the twelve rigs. The venue guides participants with no racing experience through the same pro-level equipment used by more serious drivers, letting everyone compete against each other or race solo against the clock.
Hours and What's Next
Turn Zero is open Tuesday through Thursday from 2 PM to 9 PM, Fridays from noon to 10 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM to 10 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM to 8 PM. The venue is closed on Mondays. More information is available at turnzerosimracing.com or by phone at (760) 615-3083.
Reikes and Masterson say the business is already expanding within the Encinitas community, though further details on that growth have not yet been made public. For now, the venue's bet is that a full-motion rig, a seatbelt that tugs back under braking, and a crowd of fellow racers can do something a home setup alone never could.
