BoddaH1994

Probably today.

The color of the track doesn't make a big difference.

I think the cool thing about it is how they're putting the different colored trains on each side of the track. I always thought it looked kind of dumb when they'd race two blue or two red trains. Weren't they supposed to be on the same team? ha ha Plus, now it's going to be a RACE. Having the forward Racer race the Backward Racer was like having the Reds play the Bengals in hockey. It just didn't really make any sense as far as a racer was concerned.

Here's a photo of the testing of the Red Racer:

I always put up an article and the actual press release, but you do make a valid point. I'm going to go ahead and close this, so you can still read it, but please make any comments in the link below. This is necessary because I imagine this will become a very discussed topic. http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?...mp;#entry206678

Something Old Is New Again At Kings Island Trains on backward Racer side to run forward again in 2008 Kings Island, Ohio – Something old is new again at Kings Island, as the backward traveling trains on The Racer roller coaster will run forward again when the park opens for the 2008 season on Sunday, April 20 at 10:00 a.m. The decision to run both sides of The Racer forward again after 26 years with one side facing backward was made in an effort to be consistent with other Cedar Fair parks. The Red Racer trains will be on the former backward side, with the Blue Racer trains on the other side. The Racer has been a mainstay at Kings Island, and with good reason. A lot of facts and figures have been bandied about concerning the coaster – top height is 88 feet, the course is three-fifths of a mile long, speed is 53.3 miles an hour and the angle of the first drop is 50 degrees. And if all that means nothing, The Racer is credited for re-igniting the coaster building boom in the early 1970’s, thus beginning the second golden age of the roller coaster. More than 91,000,000 guests have taken a ride on The Racer since it opened in 1972 with the park. In addition to being considered an important part of the coaster renaissance of the 1970’s, The Racer was the site of several world record riding attempts and is notable for its appearance in the Cincinnati Kids episode of the Brady Bunch, filmed at the park in 1973. On May 28, 1982, it became the first racing coaster to ever run trains backwards on one side of its tracks. In 2007, the American Coaster Enthusiasts named the ride an “ACE Roller Coaster Landmark,” making it one of only 14 roller coasters in the world with landmark status. Kings Island is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded partnership that is listed for trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FUN.” In addition to Kings Island, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, six water parks, one indoor water park resort and five hotels. Cedar Fair also owns and operates Star Trek: The Experience, an interactive adventure located in Las Vegas, and operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, Calif. under a management contract.

For the past 26 years, The Racer has been modified in a manner that was a unique concept of the time: one side ran forwards, while the other side ran backwards. Recently, the decision has been made to return The Racer to its former glory by reigniting the rivalry between the Red Racer vs. the Blue Racer, both sides running forward, in a head-to-head competition to the finish line. Since the one side of the track had been modified with backward trains, the red and the blue alternated, but now the Backward Racer will be known as the Red Racer and will be home to the forward-facing red trains while the former Forward Racer will be called the Blue Racer and will be home to the blue trains. Credited for ushering in the second golden age for roller coasters, The Racer at Kings Island has been a stable attraction since the park’s inception in 1972. This legendary ride has been featured on shows such as The Brady Bunch in the episode The Cincinnati Kids and has received the distinction of being an “ACE Roller Coaster Landmark” by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. The Racer was designed by the legendary roller coaster designer John Allen, and was constructed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Its double out-and-back design reaches a maximum height of 88ft and reaches speeds of 53.3 mph. There's entertainment everywhere at Kings Island in 2008! From the return of the amazing ice skating spectacular, Endless Summer on Ice to some new favorites paying tribute to some of the best country songs to top the charts or even a flashback to the 80s, with six shows Kings Island has something for everybody in 2008! Click here for more information about the 2008 entertainment lineup at Kings Island! Kings Island Central is proud to announce a new service that we are currently testing. You can now have the latest Kings Island info sent directly to your phone as a text message! Whether you're at home, work, school, or even at the park itself, you can now receive the latest Kings Island news and information without even having to be near a computer. Click here for more information on KICentral.com's official mobile club! Mark your calendars! Sunday, April 20, 2008, will be Kings Island's opening day for the 2008 season! New for 2008! Kings Island will be open FRIDAYS in May! Click here to view Kings Island's 2008 operating schedule and remember to save the date, April 20, 2008! Did you know that Kings Island has a new option for season passes? New for 2008! Kings Island offers the Cedar Fair Platinum Pass. With the new Platinum Pass, not only do you get a summer of fun at Kings Island but you get FREE admission and FREE parking to all Cedar Fair parks, including but not limited to, Kings Island, Cedar Point, Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom, Dorney Park, Knott's Berry Farm, Kings Dominion and Carowinds! Click here for more information and to order your 2008 Kings Island Season Pass or Cedar Fair Platinum Pass! Still haven't processed your 2008 season pass? Kings Island invites you to avoid the lines and have your season pass processed before the park opens to the public! The season pass processing center will be open at Kings Island from 4pm to 8pm on weekdays starting April 1st, and 11am to 8pm weekends until April 18th. If you have a voucher for a free Cedar Fair VIP jacket it may be redeemed during the days listed above. Are you an avid Kings Island fan or do you casually visit once a year? It doesn't matter! KICentral.com is the site for you. Why not register on the forums of KICentral and tell us about your thoughts and experiences involving Kings Island! Registration is fast, FREE, and easy. Don't forget to keep checking KICentral.com for the latest news, rumors and information about Kings Island amusement park! Regards, Ryan

Then there is this near the bottom of the post: Are there 2 different Gold Pass parking lots this year...or is it that a Gold Pass gets you free parking but NOT in the Gold Pass parking area unless you pay extra? (I could not find were the asterisk was in the post.) Nah, same process as always. That was just bad diction.

I really think that in their effort to completely remove Paramount, they would have rethemed Nick U along with everything else this year if they didn't intend to stick with it.

I believe you'll meet near the Kings Island Theatre. :::Paging Brian Neal.... Brian Neal, are you available?:::

I'm NOT SURE about this, but I think I remember last year that you HAD to have your pass processed the same day that you used your e-ticket to get into the park.

I'd wait for the next update and see if you get the text for it. Responding to texts is something you can do, but we'll likely never utilize that part of the service, so as long as you're getting the texts, you're fine.

Disney eventually makes its way to every school...

Kind of... Screamin' Demon was in the general vicinity of what we now call Action Zone.

VisitKingsIsland.com doesn't mention whether or not one side will go backwards.

Either show up at 9am or around noon. But GET YOUR PASS PROCESSED EARLY! The line for that only gets worse as the day rolls on.

I'll have to chalk Dollywood up on my "to do" list. Then again, the only two parks that were on that list that I've made it out to were Kennywood and Cedar Point.

Is it common for stuff like that to open late since opening day comes so early?

Walk back or not, you still have to go through the parking tolls and make it through security and the gate. That's where the problem was last year. Not so much getting to a ride itself. Again, since you guys are some of the more well-informed KI patrons, I'm going to warn you that the earlier is the better on opening day. Especially if you can make it through the parking tolls before 10am.

P&G typically purchases two consecutive sellout dates in September. It's not them. I heard the name of the company, but I don't remember who it is.

Park sellout days are somewhat rare, but when they do happen, they're noted on the park schedule. As stated above, a company purchased the park for the day, so it is not open to regular admission or season passholders. Coaster groups, including ACE, will never have special access to these days unless they specifically bought out the day.

First Coaster: Little Dipper, Americana/Lesourdsville Lake Amusement Park

Ten years or so, I'd guess.

This is KICentral, not the lottery. There are no winners here... we just hope to do a little better each time.

You might be a KI Addict if you show up at the park at 5am to do a television filming at KI... in Nick Universe. Guilty parties: Me SOB_Tom Dirty Steve Don Helbig (pre-employment at KI)