NASCAR’s economic impact extends far beyond race weekends.
Across North Carolina, entrepreneurs continue finding ways to build businesses around motorsports culture, technology, and fan experiences. One example is Victory Sim Experience, a Hickory-based company founded by Casey Mahoney that sits at the intersection of racing, simulation technology, and experiential entertainment.
In a recent episode of The Long Game, host Mitch Long spoke with Mahoney about his journey from working around NASCAR race teams to building a business designed around one simple idea: people don’t just want to watch racing anymore—they want to experience it.
Mahoney’s background began where many careers in motorsports do: around local race teams and NASCAR garages. Growing up a fan of Bill Elliott and immersed in racing culture, he worked around teams before eventually navigating a career transition following the housing downturn and economic changes of the late 2000s.
That shift led him into information technology, where he developed the technical skills that would ultimately become the foundation of Victory Sim.
The company initially focused on building racing simulators for customers and businesses. But as technology improved and demand evolved—particularly during and after the pandemic—Mahoney recognized another opportunity: creating experiences rather than simply selling equipment.
Today, Victory Sim Experience operates a public simulation center in Hickory while also bringing racing simulators to trade shows, corporate events, and experiential activations. The business reflects a broader trend occurring across sports and entertainment: experiences increasingly create more value than products alone.
For sports business professionals, several trends stand out.
First, fans continue seeking more immersive and participatory experiences. Second, sponsors remain heavily invested in experiential marketing opportunities that create memorable interactions. Third, advances in simulation technology continue opening entirely new business categories that didn’t exist a generation ago.
Perhaps most importantly, Victory Sim demonstrates how specialized expertise can become a durable competitive advantage. Mahoney combined a background in motorsports, technical skills, and entrepreneurial adaptability to build a business that serves consumers, events, and brands alike.
Its location is also no coincidence.
The greater Charlotte region remains the center of the NASCAR ecosystem, home to race teams, suppliers, sponsors, media companies, and generations of motorsports expertise. Businesses built around racing continue to benefit from that concentration of knowledge, relationships, and passion.
As sports continue evolving toward experience-driven business models, companies like Victory Sim suggest that some of the biggest opportunities in sports may exist beyond the competition itself.
Listen to the full conversation with Casey Mahoney on The Long Game below.
This episode originally appeared on QuietLoud Studios’ The Long Game podcast and is embedded here as part of SportsEpreneur’s coverage of sports business, motorsports, and experiential entertainment.
Related from SportsEpreneur:
- 19 Years, 730 Races, and What Came Next: A NASCAR Pit Crew Story
- NASCAR: A New Era of Fandom
- 5 Lessons from NASCAR
Work in NASCAR or know someone who does?
We’re expanding our NASCAR coverage at SportsEpreneur — the people, the careers, the business behind the sport that doesn’t always make the headlines. If you’ve built a career on or around pit road, in a race shop, or in the broader Charlotte motorsports ecosystem and want to share your story, we’d like to talk. > Reach out
Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.
Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.
His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.