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Could backwards blue racer be making a return next year?


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1 minute ago, russell_dale said:

I too saw this at the annoucement, and had the oppurtunity to ask Don Helbig about it.  His response was "no that's not happening".

Who wants to bet that the next rendering video they make, they'll have redone the digital rendering of Racer? After having 150 people ask him about recaR last night, Don probably called everyone in charge of it and made it known!! LOL

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Times change, management changes, standards change.  While the PTC of old did not have a problem with one side running backwards, the PTC of 2008 (when the backwards train was turned around) changed course and recommended that both sides run forwards.  If the park ever ordered new trains, they could conceivably order ones that have the capability of running backwards.  Until then, chalk this up to a small oversight.  As noted above, other announcement videos featured park elements that were either outdated, or non-existent.

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  • 1 month later...

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately and I think I might have the pieces of the puzzle put together. Is it possible that Kings Island is bringing back backwards Racer to compensate for Vortex leaving? Just like they did for all the troubles of the original Bat in 1982.


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On 9/27/2019 at 11:21 PM, pianoman said:

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately and I think I might have the pieces of the puzzle put together. Is it possible that Kings Island is bringing back backwards Racer to compensate for Vortex leaving? Just like they did for all the troubles of the original Bat in 1982.


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No. It would be unwise for them to do so. PTC has said they don't want their trains being run backwards. That may not have been the reason for flipping them back to both be forward (the park denies this and claims the reason was to restore the ride to its original experience) however, with that in mind, it opens the door for possible litigation if any incident, related or otherwise, were to happen on Racer. If a rider were to be hurt on Racer and their lawyer found out the ride was being operated outside of the manufacturer's recommendation, that is the kind of thing that any competent lawyer would jump on.

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4 hours ago, TheRickster said:

Has anyone actually found where this was apparently said by PTC?

It has never been stated publicly, and probably never will be.  If it were, there would be no benefit for Kings Island.  It would make them look like they ignored the manufacturer's advice and potentially operated a ride unsafely.    

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On 9/27/2019 at 11:21 PM, pianoman said:

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately and I think I might have the pieces of the puzzle put together. Is it possible that Kings Island is bringing back backwards Racer to compensate for Vortex leaving? Just like they did for all the troubles of the original Bat in 1982.


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You're not alone in thinking this

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I mean racer going backwards in the promo was a mistake(according to the guy who made the animation) so I wouldn’t really look much into it... while it definitely is a neat idea that Id go backwards due to Vortex’s removal I just don’t see it happening, Orion will certainly be enough to compensate for its removal. 

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10 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

That seems like a pretty big mistake though. That mistake is now on concept posters on the fence. It just seems odd

Apparently the animator wasn’t aware of the change according to Sean Flaharty who’s friends with the animator. Considering how many projects the guy works on I definitely could see something like that flying under the radar. Also the waterpark is on the wrong side of the park... I wouldn’t look to much into this.

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57 minutes ago, Ben43065 said:

Orion will certainly be enough to compensate for its removal.

WIll it though?  For some, sure.  For others, perhaps not.  

Either way,  the backwards Racer could potentially help to alleviate some of the pain that some folks may be suffering due to loss of the nostalgia  that Vortex will be taking with it after it has given its last ride.  

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9 minutes ago, WhatTheBlazes said:

WIll it though?  For some, sure.  For others, perhaps not.  

Either way,  the backwards Racer could potentially help to alleviate some of the pain that some folks may be suffering due to loss of the nostalgia  that Vortex will be taking with it after it has given its last ride.  

I mean this is likely going to become the best coaster in the park for many and is a kind of rollercoaster that draws people from around the world to ride it so yes, I do think it will be enough to compensate for a 33 year old rollercoaster many do not enjoy riding. I’m not happy about Vortex leaving but I’d say the large majority will feel this new coaster is enough.

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10 hours ago, WhatTheBlazes said:

WIll it though?  For some, sure.  For others, perhaps not.  

Either way,  the backwards Racer could potentially help to alleviate some of the pain that some folks may be suffering due to loss of the nostalgia  that Vortex will be taking with it after it has given its last ride.  

The ironic part is one side of The Racer was turned backward to kind of “compensate” for the original Bat’s downtime - a ride that sat on the exact same plot of land where Vortex sits now.

The reaction has been interesting. It seems like the older you are, the sadder you are, at least as a reaction to social media posts from local news outlets. I guess when you’ve had rides like Diamondback growing up you have less of a connection to the ride since the attitude seems to be that it was too rough and past its prime to a lot of the younger people. Very few people seem actually angry, more nostalgic. 

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6 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

The reaction has been interesting. It seems like the older you are, the sadder you are, at least as a reaction to social media posts from local news outlets. I guess when you’ve had rides like Diamondback growing up you have less of a connection to the ride since the attitude seems to be that it was too rough and past its prime to a lot of the younger people. Very few people seem actually angry, more nostalgic. 

I think it hits hard for those of us who are about as old as Vortex. For us, it's had a major presence at the park for our entire lives and seeing it go is like a losing a piece of the park. I know there are people out there who are like "meh, whatever," but losing it is a big deal. It's not the first major coaster at KI to go, but the others weren't at the park for 30+ years.

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10 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

The ironic part is one side of The Racer was turned backward to kind of “compensate” for the original Bat’s downtime - a ride that sat on the exact same plot of land where Vortex sits now.

It would be an interesting "full circle" turn of events if the current red side is turned backwards again, for this very reason.  And to your point of people being sad instead of angry, I am in total agreement.  Before rides like Banshee and Diamondback, Vortex was the Big Dog for many of us. 

I have a lot of deep feelings for Vortex, and since the announcement, am remembering so many park visits with various friends, or various groups that I had come with and watching new riders freak out going up the hill for the first time. And looking over and having the look on my face like "see told ya it was awesome"

I believe it is a nostalgia thing for many of us and a sadness.  Not that we don't understand that these things happen.  And I also agree with @Ben43065 that most are really looking forward to Orion.  I am one of them for sure and can't wait to ride it.  But Orion does not have its place in my childhood, or my 34 year history of visiting the park and therefore is not in my heart  the way Vortex is.  

Bringing back another bit of nostalgia like Backwards Racer could be just the thing to take away some of the bite for some of us I think.  

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