Cedar Point announces Top Thrill Dragster (1/9/2003 5:48:29 AM)

Cedar Point announced this morning Top Thrill Dragster, the tallest, fastest roller coaster in the world.


The Intamin "rocket coaster," which has been under construction for months, is 420 feet tall and launches riders 120 mph in four seconds.

Top Thrill Dragster

Dragster is the latest entry by Cedar Point for the record books. Once again, the park manages to have the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, a trend that started way back when Gemini opened in 1978. It was followed up by Magnum in 1989, and Millennium Force in 2000. Now, just three years later, the height record reaches 420 feet, in this, what Cedar Point calls a "strata-coaster."

In 2002, sister park Knott's Berry Farm opened Xcelerator, the first "rocket coaster" built by Intamin. The train was launched using a hydraulic mechanism that pulled a cable along the track, which in turn hooked to the train. The track went straight up, twisted 90 degrees, crested a "top hat" element over 200 feet in the air, then went straight down, twisting 90 degrees and finishing the course. Dragster takes that concept and doubles the height to 420 feet, launching riders to about 120 mph in about four seconds.

With six trains, the ride will reach a staggering capacity of 1,500 people per hour, launching a train every 40 seconds or less.

One of the unique features of this ride is that the trip down after the top hat will involve a 270-degree twist, spiralling riders clockwise, face to the ground. Critics may dismiss the ride as a one-trick pony, but you have to ask, isn't this one amazing trick?