Turbo Time Pinball: Built Like a Racetrack, Played Like a Racing Game
Turbo Time Update! Check out the progress of Nicklaus Morand's Turbo Time at Texas Pinball Festival 2026.
He shares a fun chat with Jeff Dodson from Dirty Pool Pinball, talking all about how to build a homebrew game based around your passions.
Turbo Time Pinball: Built Like a Racetrack, Played Like a Racing Game (with a V8 Pinball Engine)
Sometimes a homebrew pinball story starts with code.
Sometimes it starts with art.
And sometimes it starts with a simple, passion-driven idea:
What if a pinball machine felt like a 90s and early-2000s racing game?
That’s the heartbeat behind Turbo Time, built by Nicklaus Morand (aka MooglyMoog)—an automotive engineer, CAD designer, and lifelong car person who decided that if he was going to build a pinball machine, it had to be a car theme.
Racetrack Rules You Can Feel
Turbo Time’s concept is simple and satisfying: every major shot is a turn on a racetrack.
Left ramp = left turn
Right ramp = right turn
Orbits = big NASCAR-style sweepers
Loop = hairpin
Upper flipper cross-shot = chicane
Nicklaus picked 15 famous tracks across America and translated their layouts into the shots needed to complete each track mode.
You’re not just making shots.
You’re driving laps.
Hardware That Changes How You Play
The centerpiece is unforgettable: a custom V8 “pinball engine” assembly built into the machine.
It’s designed to rev, shake, and give the game a physical “engine-on” feel.
But the real flex is how much of Turbo Time is player-driven.
As Nicklaus explains: “All the buttons work simultaneously. But if you use the steering wheel, there's more buttons on the steering wheel, and it lights up shots that you can make.”
The steering wheel isn’t a gimmick.
It’s a control layer—especially with the planned rally mode, where the wheel’s lights move with your steering so you can mark (and commit to) the next shot.
Gameplay Tech (Quick Hit)
Turbo Time’s rules are built around routing and decision-making.
Orbit diverter flow control: hit the diverter from different sides to change where the ball goes, effectively letting you “steer” into different turns and features.
Pit stop vs. gas lanes: the same routing decision can send you toward different awards.
Track mode clarity: inserts show how many turns you still need to complete the lap.
Lap times, not just points: Nicklaus is building lap-time tracking so players can chase best runs on individual tracks.
Slot Cars, Homebrew Collaboration, and the Trident Discord On-Ramp
Nicklaus is also building in a very real piece of slot-car joy.
In Nicklaus’ words: “Whenever you make a shot or whenever you finish a lap, I'm going to have a little slot car do like a victory burnout, like, donut box thing.”
Turbo Time also shows how homebrew games get finished: through other builders.
Nicklaus traded skills with another homebrewer—helping with programming in exchange for help finishing the art package.
And for anyone wondering how people actually get into this world, Nicklaus pointed to the Trident Pinball / Ernie Silverberg orbit.
Nicklaus bought a starter kit through Ernie, joined the Discord group around it, and described it as an ongoing support network where builders troubleshoot, share fixes, and keep each other moving.
🎥 Watch the full interview to see Turbo Time in action and hear Nicklaus break down the track modes, the steering wheel control, and what it takes to build a game from scratch.
Learn more about the Turbo Time build here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/turbo-a-pinball-racing-homebrew
We preserve the past, power the present, and play toward the future. Let’s keep the silverball spinning.
Want to build your own game? Check out this blog post for more info on how and where to get started: https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts-blog/homebrew-loot-crates