

Both trains are sitting next to each other as the go through the lift hill, as well as the several subsequent hills.

The Racer begins with both the red and blue trains departing from their loading stations and doing a U-turn to approach the lift hill. In 2021, the original sign at the entrance and Red/Blue Racer logos on the trains returned.ĭuring the 2021-2022 off season the ride got repainted for the parks 50th anniversary celebration. In particular, track on the turning segments of the coaster was replaced. The Racer actually managed to be vital in returning popularity to coasters, resulting in the construction of other wood coasters at sister parks such as Kings Dominion and Carowinds.ĭuring the 2018-2021 off-seasons, Kings Island announced that they had been performing extensive refurbishments on the coaster to replace older planks of wood, in order to keep the coaster functioning safely for guests, and to provide a safer and smoother ride experience. During its construction, amusement parks were struggling with the fact that many guests had lost interest in roller coasters. The Racer is one of the oldest rides in the park, as it opened with the park in 1972 and continues operation more than fifty years later. However, the cars were later reverted to their original position in 2008, shortly after Cedar Fair assumed control of the park. For a significant period of time, one of the coaster cars were set to travel backwards.

The ride gets its name from the dual tracks that are marked by sets of red or blue cars.

It is one of the few rides in the park that has remained open since it debuted with the park in 1972, especially when regarding rides that have simply been rethemed like Woodstock Express. In the past, the solution has been to trim the speed of the ride to prevent the trains from tearing the aging structures apart, which typically diminishes the popularity of a ride already experiencing waning ridership.Philadelphia Toboggan Company The Racer is a set of dueling wooden coasters located in the Coney Mall section of Kings Island. Wooden coasters are a particular challenge for parks, with annual maintenance costs typically rising with each passing season. Next door in Anaheim, Disneyland has become a master at making the old seem nostalgically new again, building extensive marketing campaigns around the makeovers of Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World. Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park has spent millions over the past two years renovating the 1960s-era Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Train with new animatronics and show elements but has been hesitant to market the revitalized classic attractions as new experiences. The difficulty with any rehab is the return on investment and the ability to market the makeover as a "new" ride. The quandary any park faces with an aging ride is whether to invest in rehabilitation or cut their losses with a demolition to make room for a new attraction. Nonetheless, a record-setting Colossus could set a mark that stands for the ages – especially with the increasingly high cost of building materials. Of course, any modifications or additions to Colossus could shorten the overall length of the combined tracks.
