In the rearview mirrors I can see my rival speeding towards me. I step on the gas pedal, pushing it all the way to the floor, desperately trying to keep ahead.

Until now, I've never really felt the need for speed. But as my odometer climbs, taking me past 200 km/h, I can't help but feel a rush as the car behind me shrinks into the distance.

Before I get the chance to get too comfortable, the track winds quickly to the left. I slam on the brakes and grab the wheel even tighter, trying to turn. Physics defy me. I skid off the track, sliding into a giant sandpit, spinning and losing control of the car before finally slamming into a wall. My on-track nemesis passes me.

I'm sitting in a small, open cockpit that feels completely authentic to a Formula One racecar, equipped with comfy racing seat. But I'm also in a cocoon of complete darkness with only the track -- displayed on a high-def television screen -- to focus on. It's like playing a video game in an isolation tank.

Light suddenly floods my virtual world, along with the noises from the busy arcade, as someone lifts up the back panel of my racing pod.

A voice breaks the immersive spell of the racing simulator, offering help:

"You have to brake, then turn. Not both at the same time," explains Christian Sepulveda, who's been outside watching me attempt to race on a television screen.

It's all part of the experience that Sepulveda engineered and has dubbed VF1, or Virtual Formula One.

While the actual game software was developed overseas, Sepulveda crafted everything else; from building the cockpit to networking head-to-head racing matches.

The Chilean native, who moved to Canada last year, is armed with IT experience, graphic design knowledge, computer programming, and also happens to be a skilled builder. He's hoping the two prototype racing simulators set up at Rush Arcade (4351 No 3 Rd.) are the beginning of something bigger.

Tired of playing video games that seemed like a solitary experience, Sepulveda is aiming to create a social network of sorts via a virtual racetrack. It's been officially operating for over a month, and there's already a website set up where racers can keep track of their best laps, as well as keep their eye on the current champions (vf1motorsports.com).

He's even developed an application, so racers can keep track of VF1 events on their phone.

While the space at Rush Arcade is currently home, Sepulveda imagines a lounge of sorts, with 30 racing pods set up and couches where people can play watch each race from giant screens.

He was part of something similar in Chile, leaving behind his "legacy" of 12 cockpits. A typical race costs $20, and includes a practice qualifying round in a Mini, before the official 10-lap race starts in a Formula One car. The experience can last half-hour, and is much cheaper (and safer) than finding a track of your own.