Kings Island Central - Attractions

Adventure Express
Backlot Stunt Coaster
DiamondBack
Fairly Odd Coaster
FireHawk
Flight Deck
Flight of Fear
Invertigo
Little Bills Giggle Coaster
Rugrat's Runaway Reptar
Son of Beast
The Racer
The Beast
Vortex

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.:.The Racer

In 1972, Kings Island opened with great accolades being heaped on a very special ride, The Racer.

Now, 30 years later, this classic wooden coaster is still flying through the tracks, giving riders a chance to experience the coaster two different ways - backwards or forwards. The Racer charges through its 3400 ft. course at speeds up to 55 mph, topping the speeds of many of the newer steel coasters in the park. A basic out-and-back woodie, you'll experience plenty of airtime - or the feeling of weightlessness - throughout the circuit of this Coney-style classic.

Central Tip: For the best "airtime," ride in the very last car of the rear-facing train.

oaster Type: Wooden, twin, out and back
Seating Arrangement: 2-abreast, 28-passenger
Designer: John Allen
Manufacturer: Philadelphia Toboggan
Opened to Public: April 29, 1972
.:.Statistics
Length: 3415 feet
Height: 88 feet
Drop: 80 feet
Inversions: 0
Max Speed: 53.3 mph
Duration: 2:30
Angle of Descent: 45 degrees
Capacity: 1320 pph
.:.Additional Info
Average Wait: 5-10 minutes
Cost: $1.2 Million

.:.Statistics

Coaster Type	Wooden, twin, out and back
Seating Arrangement	2-abreast, 28-passengers
Designer	John Allen
Manufacturer	Philadelphia Toboggan
Opened to Public	April 29, 1972

Length	3415 feet
Height	88 feet
Drop	80 feet
Inversions	0
Speed	53.3 mph
Duration	2 minutes, 30 seconds
Capacity	1320 pph

Average Wait	5-10 Minutes
Cost	1.2 million

Comments

Tubaman :

Posted 1109 days ago

The Racer is one of my favorite woodies ever. I make several trips to it everytime I visit. Ain't nothing like a John Allen coaster.

Randall Cook :

Posted 1052 days ago

A classic! The Racer is Awesome!

daniel :

Posted 1025 days ago

this ride is awsome

Kristen :

Posted 1021 days ago

This ride is the worst wooden coaster i've ever rode... was sooo rough... gave and my boy friend the biggest headache ever! Was the worst ride kings island has... even rougher then son of the beast was.

odettekitrigiselle :

Posted 1019 days ago

John Allen ruled! The Racer is and always will be a classic! It's one of the most photogenic coasters around.

derrike :

Posted 1016 days ago

Kristen you are a wimp and your boyfriend is to

c.m. :

Posted 989 days ago

The RACER! I rode it back in the day, and I've been riding it ever since. And when I say back in the day, I mean when it first came out! This ride is more than just a classic. IT IS THE HISTORY OF KINGS ISLAND!! Happy 35th Birthday Racer. Hope you make it another 35!!

angryemobeaver :

Posted 987 days ago

The Racer is an ACE coaster.
Better yet, a landmark.
It's awsome.
=]

lol :

Posted 982 days ago

every time i go there i ride it about 10 times 1 of the best wood rides

dustin :

Posted 977 days ago

a great woodie never a long wait but dont waste your time in the forward line head to the beackwards its a lot better and a different experience

trace :

Posted 970 days ago

An oldie but goodie! The Racer rocks

Mike :

Posted 944 days ago

I think the racer is a great Roller Coaster! I road it Both Forwards and Backwards, and I had an Awesome time!

abbey :

Posted 943 days ago

Okay forwards, HORRIBLE backwards! While the feeling of not knowing when the next hill is is pretty awesome, the headache afterwards is NOT worth it. Me and my boyfriend got beaten up pretty badly. It made me not want to ride other wooden coasters, but ride the Beast, its not rough until the helixes!

John :

Posted 777 days ago

Great coaster. Backwards in the very back seat is, by far, the best. The smoothest wooden coaster I've experienced as well. I don't understand when people complain about it being "too rough". It's nothing compared to the Beast duo.

Nick :

Posted 747 days ago

I have never been a coaster that runs backwards before. That makes me want to go on this ride a lot + It will be my sixth ACE Landmark coaster.

HAYDEN SCHUNK :

Posted 738 days ago

I LIKE THE RACER THEY ARE FUN TOO RIDE AT KINGS ISLAND

Ash :

Posted 735 days ago

Is it true that they are making both of them forwards ?

Jackson :

Posted 716 days ago

Ash:
According to John Pagel of Kings Dominion, both sides of Rebel Yell at Kings Dominion, Thunder Road at Carowinds, and RACER AT KINGS ISLAND, will OPERATE FORWARDS.
So yes, The Backwards Racer is By Bye!

sammy :

Posted 714 days ago

they should make them both go backwards.
nobody ever gets on the forwards version.
and they are renaming them racer north and racer south
why not just rename it waist of time so nobody rides it.

Jackson :

Posted 706 days ago

sammy:
Over the past 5 years or so the Forwards Racer has had increaseingly more ridership. Making them both go backwards would greatly take away from the ride.

M. :

Posted 680 days ago

When I went they we're both forwards and they were just Red and Blue Racer. Oh and Blue Racer middle seats hurt but it rules! I rode on the very front on red! It rocked!

austin stump kentucky :

Posted 676 days ago

i love the racer. i wash one of them went backwards agen. it was one of my frist rides i rode

emily :

Posted 671 days ago

ha really like this ride!
i really like talking to the people going backwards up the hill
last time some one told me going backwards was a great idea

Drake :

Posted 664 days ago

I benn on the racer(forewards) I kinda Liked it

Josh :

Posted 660 days ago

i wish that they were still opposite facing.
:| ill miss the great airtime in the last car of the backwards train.
but back to the past!

Graham :

Posted 650 days ago

It's a great coaster no matter what. It kinda stinks that they're both going forwards now, but that doesn't make it a bad ride. I don't see how the people get beaten up on it considering the Beast and Son of Beast are way worse, but still fun.

Mark :

Posted 648 days ago

it was pretty cool but i did have a problem with the fact that my seatbelt unbuckeled and my lapbar was very loose. it was kinda unnerving

DRake :

Posted 647 days ago

I loved the racer I want to go on it again

epsteinfan :

Posted 643 days ago

One of my favorite coasters in the park! I do wish it still rode backwards though.

coasterjunkie :

Posted 641 days ago

In 1974 when I was five I rode the front seat with my 14 year old brother. I cried in the line and giggled the whole way down the first hill and have been hooked ever since. To get me in the front seat he promised he would buy me a frozen chocolate and nut covered banana, I wish they still had those.

candy :

Posted 621 days ago

"classic..-
must ride coaster!!"

Whale Person :

Posted 613 days ago

Really scary for me. You like lift out of your seat

coaster freak :

Posted 601 days ago

The Racer may be old but its really good. Ilove the small dips because u lift out of your seat. I love the first drop to.

mr. weird :

Posted 601 days ago

why did they switch back to front

Elissa Marie :

Posted 593 days ago

this ride was the first roller coaster i ever rode and i was so afraid of it i cried the whole way through the line after i got buckled in i was fine and i screamed like an idiot and i hopped the rail and got back in line!!!! this ride is a classsic no matter if you get on pissed you'll get off happy!

Sara :

Posted 586 days ago

i miss the backwards one so much!!!!!!!

nick berry :

Posted 579 days ago

i sooo want to ride it im going to ride it the next time i go

MForceRider4life :

Posted 574 days ago

The backward Racer was a unique experience, and it was that way for 11 out of the 12 years I've been visiting the park. Then they turned it forward, like they're trying to mimic the Gemini at CP.. well, they failed miserably. They ruined a classic when they turned the backward Racer forward.

chimpy2000 :

Posted 573 days ago

Whoever thought this ride hurt... WIMP!!!!
(pardon me.)

Justin :

Posted 568 days ago

love this ride! the drops are great...classic. i rode it for the first time like two weeks ago...i rode it twice and won twice! GO BLUE!

Jackson :

Posted 513 days ago

MForceRider4life: They hardly ruined a classic. The Racer ran with both sides forwards for 10 years untill in 1983 they turned one side as a gimmick for better attendence.

bob 3 :

Posted 498 days ago

DUDE!TOTALLYAWESOME!

chimpy2000 :

Posted 470 days ago

I've ridden this at least 6 times this season. I love the air in my face, and all of the air time. This ride is really cool.

katie T. :

Posted 367 days ago

The first time I rode this ride I loved it and I rode the blue train. The second time I rode the red train. I will never stop riding this ride. I will ride the trains in this pattern.

Vortex Rider :

Posted 353 days ago

It stinks what KI did it i really wanted to ride it backwards.Now that they took out the backwards train this rides gonna be one of the bottom rides on my list.I mean really come on they dont even run both trains at the same time so why do they call it the racer.

Vortex Rider :

Posted 353 days ago

It stinks what KI did to it i really wanted to ride it backwards.Now that they took out the backwards train this rides gonna be one of the bottom rides on my list.I mean really come on they dont even run both trains at the same time so why do they call it the racer.

Vortex Rider :

Posted 353 days ago

Sorry I have my comment added twice but if you read them carefully youll see why

beast rider :

Posted 320 days ago

Vortex riderThis is a historical ride. it may not get many riders, but it started up the second coaster age. They cant get rid of it. I agree, it would've been cool with the backwards train anyway.

Slimy102 :

Posted 284 days ago

AWESOME RIDE GO ON THE BACK SEATS IT MAKES YOU JUMP OUT OF YOUR SEAT ITS AWESOME!!

kat :

Posted 282 days ago

best ride yet

Beast Rider :

Posted 272 days ago

It's rly bumpy in the back, but your in the air so much you can hardly tell.

someone who rode D-Back 21 times in a row :

Posted 271 days ago

i hate that they took out the backword rider =( not fun anymor but the one im on always wins ^_-

stephen :

Posted 265 days ago

One of my family members said he wants to cover it up in gasoline and burn it down. But I think it's awesome!!!

Coaster :

Posted 260 days ago

Well the ride is a big part to kings island. THough i feel that the ride should retire and be demolished. I like the ride but a "top thrill dragster" would be a great addition to the park in that area.

kat66 :

Posted 240 days ago

Racer is da best and never will be bad!!!!!!!!!!!

Timmy :

Posted 232 days ago

I went to KI with my cousins and they told me it would be really rough but I rode it and it wasnt. Still, that was a year ago, before they took out the backwards Racer.

tyler harmon :

Posted 223 days ago

the racer is too rough for me.it gives me bad headaches!

ilovediamondback :

Posted 220 days ago

I love the racer its a very fun ride they should have kept the backwards edition though. I like the blue racer better its a lot nicer even though it always loses to the red racer lol. the red racer is a lot rougher. both are very fun.

diamondbacklover :

Posted 217 days ago

the racer is a very cool 'woodie'buti think it's a little rough. however, that may be because i sat over one of the rear wheels. as you probably know, that is one of the roughest spots to sit. but otherwise, the racer is a classic and i love riding it!! :-)

diamondbacklover :

Posted 188 days ago

i forgot one more thing i really wanted it to run backwards again... i have never ridden a backwards coaster

jimmy :

Posted 148 days ago

the racer is the best "classic woddie" coaster. I rode the racer for 3 hours over the summer. I loved sitting in the front seat the whole time.

jimmy :

Posted 148 days ago

to mr.weird, the racer goes foward again because back in the old days of kings island it went foward and Don Helbig says the park is going back to the old days. Don Helbig is the manager at King's Island.

Kings island freak :

Posted 116 days ago

i went on it on p@g day 2009 and it beat me up!

chelsea :

Posted 61 days ago

that is the oldest roller coaster their and it is great me and my freinds rode it 9 times straight it was really fun they dont need to get rid of it thats a ride i have always loved!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KI Kid :

Posted 50 days ago

Im a All Time Kings Island Lover I Live 30 minutes away So I Get Passes every year So I Have To Say This Is My Favorite Ride In The Whole Park

ki lover! :

Posted 43 days ago

I love KI

kat :

Posted 13 days ago

ick........ i hate that coaster it jerks me around wayyyyy 2 much. i needed a barf-bag after that.

coolangatta :

Posted 11 days ago

I might stir some haters up with this one but The Racer just doesn't really do it for me. She's a good old coaster but a sleeper when it it comes to The Beast.

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