Speedworld at the Sahara Hotel and Casino

Speedworld at the Sahara Hotel and Casino is a heaven for high-tech entertainment lovers. The Speedworld includes a variety of virtual reality rides such as 3D theaters and motion simulators. The Sahara Hotel and Casino also includes an arcade with over 100 game machines, perfect to occupy the kids.

One of Speeworld's main attractions is the Cyber Raceway at the NASCAR Cafe. There you'll get the chance to go on a wild 8-minute simulated drive inside of a 7/8 size model of a stock car. You can drive on the famous Las Vegas Motor Speedway racetrack, or on a course through the Las Vegas strip.

The simulator achieves a most realistic and thrilling experience using a hydraulic motion platform, a 20-foot wrap-around screen, detailed computer graphics, and powerful sounds. Each driver can also customize 10 vehicle parameters including tire pressure, spoiler angles, horsepower, braking response, transmission torque, and suspension.

The most significant choice you'll face at the beginning of a race is between an automatic and a standard transmission. A standard transmission car can be fun if you know how to drive one, but driving a stick shift in a simulator is more difficult than in real life, so you might want to consider going with the automatic anyway.

The car simulators are linked together so that several drivers can enter the same race and compete with each other. Every car is marked with a number that's identifiable in the race, so if you're racing with a friend take note of his/her car number.

The Speedworld center also has 3D motion theaters for a more passive virtual reality experiences.

The Sahara Hotel includes one more trick up its sleeve to top off your Speedworld experience, and that's "Speed: The Ride". Added to the Sahara arsenal in the year 2000, this roller coaster will bring you up a track that's 90 degrees off the horizontal, and then let you drop back down. Quite a thrill!

Location: 2535 Las Vegas Boulevard South (North Strip at the Sahara Hotel and Casino). Phone: (702)737-2111.