TESTING TIME FOR THE NEW RIDES ON WESTON’S GRAND PIER

Grand Pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael have begun testing out the rides.

The first two rides to be ready for testing are the Side Winder and the F1 simulators. 

The Michaels’ travelled the world seeking out the best rides for the new Pier and these rides were bought at a trade show in Florida . 

Michelle has looked at 52 Piers and Kerry 25.

The two Formula One simulators are exactly the same machines that are used by F1 teams for driver training.

They were manufactured in Holland and cost £355,000 each.

The machines can be used individually or to race each other.

Drivers can choose which race track they’d like to drive around, including Zandvoort, and they can even choose the driving conditions – like a night race or a wet track.

The simulators take two passengers each and both have a sports car and rally sprint mode.

Kerry Michael said: “I defy any man not to get excited when they see the Formula One simulators in action. When I saw them I had to have them.

"The simulators are one of the Grand Pier’s major attractions which we expect will be popular among the ‘arrive and drive’ tourist market, frequent visitor driving enthusiasts and particularly the corporate market which will appreciate the serious professional credentials of the equipment”.

The Side Winder holds eight passengers, strapped onto a rotating disc which hangs on the bottom of a giant pendulum.

The ride spins and swings passengers from the first floor of the building right out into the void of the Pavilion.

The Side Winder was manufactured in Italy and cost over £300,000.