The STL company in Windeck
We build the racing simulator because we are passionate about motorsport.
We feel just as much at home on the racetrack, in a real vehicle, as we do in sim racing. Thorsten Lingnau is an active racing driver himself and knows what a racing simulator must be able to do so that the safe learning effect comes closest to reality.
How did the idea of developing a full-motion simulator come about?
This idea was born out of the motorsport hobby. Thorsten’s enthusiasm for motorsport was already present as a child. It all started with “video games” on the TV at home, but this soon no longer satisfied our needs.
The next step was a kart and hours of driving on various kart tracks in Germany. When he came of age and bought a motorcycle, Thorsten was able to continue demonstrating his skills at various track days. Then came the Nordschleife and, for safety reasons, the switch to the car, with long years of “tourist driving”.
At the same time, the topic of virtual motorsport and virtual reality was never ignored. With his own IT company, Thorsten was already focusing on VR glasses at the end of the 1990s. At that time, he had already built a prototype that is still fully functional today. This DNA gave rise to the company STL in Windeck.
The connected network of sim racing centers is constantly being expanded and is the largest network in Germany.
Motorsport enthusiasm and inventive spirit
Unfortunately, the technology was not yet ready to realize Thorsten’s visions at that time, so the VR topic was put on hold indefinitely. However, virtual motorsport continued to accompany him. Initially, he screwed a steering wheel to the desk, but this was soon replaced by a fixed seat with a steering wheel and pedals.
However, Thorsten missed the “real” driving feeling that he experienced on his countless laps of the Nordschleife.
Thus began his journey into the world of motion simulators. However, after initial tests of the systems available at the time, it quickly became clear that none of them offered the intense driving experience that Thorsten had in mind. The solution: develop and implement his own concept. This is how the ACTORACER® simulator was born. Around ten years later, after continuous further development of hardware and software, the ACTORACER® is now one of the most popular full-motion simulators on the market.
