BUSINESS STORY: JTM race Room
JTM Race Room offers the thrill of speed for its customers with electronic rally simulators. Entrepreneur Jan Talso opened the Race Room premises in Kirri, Jyväskylä in 2022, after having brewed the idea of simulator venue over the pandemic years. The goal of Race Room is to serve as a meeting place for all kinds of sim racing drivers.
From idea to business
Having spent twenty years in the world of sim racing, Talso jokingly describes himself as a “long-time motorsport enthusiast,” whose journey as a simulator entrepreneur began by chance in 2017 – his own e-rally hobby needed some financial leverage, and lending out the rally simulators for events sparked interest, not only from Talso himself but also from the potential customers.
Talso brought his self-built rally simulators to festivals, public events, and sauna evenings for about three years until the beginning of the global pandemic. Despite the world going quiet for several years, the idea of establishing simulator operations in the form of a rally room began to take shape. As the world reopened, Talso had prepared the business plan for JTM Race Room and took care of all other necessary elements to start his operations.
The target audience of Race Room varies from families to groups of friends and businesses. According to Talso, the range of simulated racing disciplines is so extensive that there’s enjoyable and engaging entertainment for everyone, from toddlers to grandparents. For example, there’s lighter demolition derby racing available for children and beginners, while for serious enthusiasts, there are highly personalized e-rally simulations, where the details and feel of the cars can be brought close to an authentic driving experience.
Even though enthusiasts who own their own simulator setups represent only the tip of the iceberg in Race Room’s customer base, they still come to compete live with friends. Talso points out that spending time together and the people around add their own excitement to the sim racing hobby.
”Nothing is as frustrating as having the friend who drives 2 seconds faster on the simulator next to you.”
-Jan Talso
At Race Room, alongside top-tier virtual drivers, there are also Finnish Championship-level drifters who use the simulator to practice driving skills for physical track competitions. Speaking of combining the digital training to real-life practising, Talso is pointing out the meaning of esports: “Nearly all sports can now be pursued virtually, allowing the development of athlete’s skill level.”
While the focus and global visibility in esports often lean towards FPS games and massive prize pools, Talso emphasizes that motorsport has been a part of the scene since the early days of modern esports. Additionally, the number of enthusiasts and manufacturers involved in the field is growing, as the potential of the sport is increasingly recognized within the gaming world.
Cooperation is the key
E-rally has been a solid part of Talso’s life for decades, and he is a well-known, active figure within the sim racing community. Talso has been involved in organizing events such as the e-rally cup, for which he was awarded the Motorsport Achievement of the Year in 2020. His solid experience in organizing competitions has sparked thoughts about larger-scale event management as well, but the entrepreneur also highlights the issue of time management – currently Race Room’s operations rely heavily on Talso’s efforts. Keeping up the business alongside his day job leaves only a little time for additional endeavors.
Despite his busy schedule, Talso has a strong desire to continuously develop the rally simulators and make the sim driving experience as realistic as possible. The next vision is to improve the feeling of an actual rally car via physical sensations – the most authentic driving experience is achievable with a simulator equipped with a motion platform, which can simulate bumps, jumps, and potholes on the track.
Although there’s a lot of factory-made simulator setups available for business, he has always believed that with skill and willingness, it’s possible to create a more tailored driving experience that surpasses the ready-made simulators.
”If I come up with a silly idea, I can fortunately ask a friend whether the idea is even possible to implement.”
-Jan Talso
In the world of electronic rally simulation, technical expertise, understanding of IT, and experience from racing go hand in hand. Talso is a professional electrician, so tinkering with simulators comes naturally to him. However, he refers to himself as a perfectionist who wants everything to feel and look top-notch. In addition to his own skills, Olli Kauppinen assists in the technical and IT aspects of simulator development.
Talso praises his technician partner highly: “Collaboration pays off because it’s difficult for one person to know everything. It’s easier to have a buddy like Olli, who understands IT and other engineering stuff alongside.”
“Sitting around the same table brings entirely new perspectives to the conversation.”
JTM Race Room’s involvement in the CoEsports network has brought forth fresh ideas regarding the expansion of the company’s service offerings. Through networking, people’s areas of expertise and innovations have interconnected in surprising ways, and there has been demand for Talso’s simulator expertise even from outside the rally world.
As an example of innovative thinking, Talso highlights a meeting where a customer, completely unrelated to e-rally or gaming, suggested using rally simulators as tools for employee well-being in larger companies. The entrepreneur admits that this idea had never crossed his mind, as his focus had solely been on racing.
Talso also encourages other small business owners, regardless of the industry, to explore esports and boldly experiment with out-of-the-box thinking to integrate gaming into existing business models: “Esports and gaming, in general, are such attractive products, especially for young people and young adults. Even a simple gaming activity usually grabs someone’s attention and makes them interested in the operator, so I don’t see why one wouldn’t invest in something like this.”
He also sees untapped potential in his own rally simulator business, which he believes he can leverage with the help of the CoEsports network or student assignments. Talso also hints at a completely new concept that has already been cooking up for a while. He doesn’t reveal much more about it yet – It may be that something new is on the horizon in the future.
Explore JTM Race Room’s services from this link!
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