An old rumor about the Racer

[odettekitrigisele]

I hope I am not asking a question that has already been posted ( sorry if that's the case) However, years ago ( maybe the mid 80's) I was told that The Racer was added on to.

I was told that it was shut down for a while and the tracks were made much longer. Then it was re-opened with longer tracks.

The person that told me this is NOT a reliable source, by any means.

I just wondered if anyone else ever heard that, and if so is there any bit of truth to it?

I would love any information that someone out there might have, and also I would like to add I only heard this once, so I figured it was not true. But there are other things that I have heard about KI and they ended up to be true.

Thank you for any information on this rumor. I also thank you for your time!

Sincerely, Odette. ( Try not to laugh to hard at me!) LOL!!!!!! Take care everyone!

[Snake Attack!]

The Racer was not added to in the 80's but correct me if I am wrong didn't The Racer lose one of its bunny hills when the walkway was added to FOF in '96

[The Interpreter]

gamesguy08 is correct, except each side lost its last bunny hill, forwards one year, then backwards the next; and it was not the same year that Outer Limits: Flight of Fear was installed. Flight of Fear ran quite successfully while those hills were still there.

[Ed Pickles]

They did, however, reverse one side to make the backwards Racer in the early 80's.

ed.

[jondrewfoo]

yes, it was 1982 i beleive, because of the bats mechanical problems they hyped up the people perturbed at The Bat being closed that they decided to have one racer car backwards for one season... which obviously wasnt the case because of popularity.

[WooferBearATL]

yes, it was 1982 i beleive, because of the bats mechanical problems they hyped up the people perturbed at The Bat being closed that they decided to have one racer car backwards for one season... which obviously wasnt the case because of popularity.

Actually it was changed to backwards quite unceremoniously.

There was no advertisement and no publicity at all regarding the change.

The only way you knew was when you came up to the que saw the backwards side.

[KIBeast]

gamesguy08 is correct, except each side lost its last bunny hill, forwards one year, then backwards the next; and it was not the same year that Outer Limits: Flight of Fear was installed. Flight of Fear ran quite successfully while those hills were still there.

Just out of curiousity, then, why did they remove the bunny hops if it wasn't interfering with FOF?

Thanks,

KIBeast

[Shaggy]

When The Racer had one side turned backwards in 1982, the park put a banner on the side of the lift hill advertising the change.

I used to have a picture of it... not sure if I still do. It said something to the effect of "Ride The Racer BACKWARD!"

Racer lost it's final bunny hills in the early-mid 1990's. Here's a pic circa 1992 or so when The Racer still had it's final bunny hops. As you will see, the pathway that was, and is, used for the entrance to the FOF/Firehawk plaza was already in existance... however it was used only by maintenance at the time of this pic.

http://rcdb.com/ig69.htm?picture=1

I have always been told that the change to Racer was made for two reasons. Two trains "bumped' and thus the final brake run was extended and the skid brakes replaced with pinch. Second, the pathway under the coaster to the FOF area was widened for construction vehicles (that could not traverse the back paths of the park) so that they could access the area for FOF construction.

Shaggy

[screamslikeagirl]

I really think it was changed because someone died.

Seriously though, I didn't realize, or else I had forgotten about The Racer's final bunny hills.

[DeLorean Rider]

When The Racer had one side turned backwards in 1982, the park put a banner on the side of the lift hill advertising the change.

I used to have a picture of it... not sure if I still do. It said something to the effect of "Ride The Racer BACKWARD!"

Racer lost it's final bunny hills in the early-mid 1990's. Here's a pic circa 1992 or so when The Racer still had it's final bunny hops. As you will see, the pathway that was, and is, used for the entrance to the FOF/Firehawk plaza was already in existance... however it was used only by maintenance at the time of this pic.

http://rcdb.com/ig69.htm?picture=1

I have always been told that the change to Racer was made for two reasons. Two trains "bumped' and thus the final brake run was extended and the skid brakes replaced with pinch. Second, the pathway under the coaster to the FOF area was widened for construction vehicles (that could not traverse the back paths of the park) so that they could access the area for FOF construction.

Shaggy

So the bunny hill was removed before Flight of Fear was built correct?

[CoastersNSich]

The forward side had its bunny hill removed in 1996 when Flight of Fear opened... however, the backward side still had its final bunny hilll then. It would also be removed a year later.

[The Interpreter]

No. The coaster operated with both final bunny hops when Flight of Fear opened (with the widened access road underneath). First the forwards side lost its bunny hill, then the backwards the following off-season.

Of this I am certain.

[WooferBearATL]

No. The coaster operated with both final bunny hops when Flight of Fear opened (with the widened access road underneath). First the forwards side lost its bunny hill, then the backwards the following off-season.

Of this I am certain.

You are correct.

[PKIVortex]

I don't exactly remember the year, but I do remember when forwards lost the bunny hill, will backwards still had it. I remember thinking to myself while riding forwards racer, and thinking something wasn't right. Then when I rode backwards I figured it out. And then the next year it was gone, on backwards.

I could have sworn as well it was 1996 when the forwards disappeared and 1997 when the backwards disappeared.

[jondrewfoo]

yes, it was 1982 i beleive, because of the bats mechanical problems they hyped up the people perturbed at The Bat being closed that they decided to have one racer car backwards for one season... which obviously wasnt the case because of popularity.

well i read this on a very reputable website, about The Bat. i wish i had saved it, as it had info i had never heard before, like that fact, i think that they didnt announce it too much, because of the fact who announces when a rides closed, but it did give people a change of mind, more of an indirect thing to pick up the day if The Bat was closed... it also mentioned that in the cincinnati enquirer they had a The Bat secton where the current status of the ride was posted everyday, with updates... can anyone verify this?

[WooferBearATL]

yes, it was 1982 i beleive, because of the bats mechanical problems they hyped up the people perturbed at The Bat being closed that they decided to have one racer car backwards for one season... which obviously wasnt the case because of popularity.

well i read this on a very reputable website, about The Bat. i wish i had saved it, as it had info i had never heard before, like that fact, i think that they didnt announce it too much, because of the fact who announces when a rides closed, but it did give people a change of mind, more of an indirect thing to pick up the day if The Bat was closed... it also mentioned that in the cincinnati enquirer they had a The Bat secton where the current status of the ride was posted everyday, with updates... can anyone verify this?

False

[jondrewfoo]

hmm... i guess that website was just full of it, but it had so many pictures, and whatnot that noone else had. and info noone else had, but i guess info was baloney then... as i go off to search for more info, and memorablilia for The Bat...

[Guest kwindshawne]

When The Racer had one side turned backwards in 1982, the park put a banner on the side of the lift hill advertising the change.

I used to have a picture of it... not sure if I still do. It said something to the effect of "Ride The Racer BACKWARD!"

Racer lost it's final bunny hills in the early-mid 1990's. Here's a pic circa 1992 or so when The Racer still had it's final bunny hops. As you will see, the pathway that was, and is, used for the entrance to the FOF/Firehawk plaza was already in existance... however it was used only by maintenance at the time of this pic.

http://rcdb.com/ig69.htm?picture=1

I have always been told that the change to Racer was made for two reasons. Two trains "bumped' and thus the final brake run was extended and the skid brakes replaced with pinch. Second, the pathway under the coaster to the FOF area was widened for construction vehicles (that could not traverse the back paths of the park) so that they could access the area for FOF construction.

Shaggy

I'm not crazy!! I knew something was different about racer when I returned to ohio..I still couldn't figure out what it was...well now it makes sense!!

[Tassels]

Awwww, i actually remember this too...

let alone flight comander(in the picture)... if you're an associate.. the old.. ermmm q-lines are still down there makes me cry cause I loved that thing they need to look into making THAT something for fear fest one year.. haha

[Dvo]

^Yeah, it'll be really scary when someone else dies.

For the record, though, I miss it a lot too. Flight Commander was fun.

[odettekitrigisele]

When The Racer had one side turned backwards in 1982, the park put a banner on the side of the lift hill advertising the change.

I used to have a picture of it... not sure if I still do. It said something to the effect of "Ride The Racer BACKWARD!"

Racer lost it's final bunny hills in the early-mid 1990's. Here's a pic circa 1992 or so when The Racer still had it's final bunny hops. As you will see, the pathway that was, and is, used for the entrance to the FOF/Firehawk plaza was already in existance... however it was used only by maintenance at the time of this pic.

http://rcdb.com/ig69.htm?picture=1

I have always been told that the change to Racer was made for two reasons. Two trains "bumped' and thus the final brake run was extended and the skid brakes replaced with pinch. Second, the pathway under the coaster to the FOF area was widened for construction vehicles (that could not traverse the back paths of the park) so that they could access the area for FOF construction.

Shaggy

Dear Shaggy,

That is a great picture of The Racer! I miss those final bunny hops. I think they restrain too much on The Racer now. The air time I remember from the 80's while riding The Racer was phenomenal!

I guess they thought it was not safe to have those old lap bars anymore. Aawww, the 70's & 80's @ KI were GOOD TIMES!!!

Again, thanks for sharing the picture! ( I still enjoy it now, it's just a little different).

[raptor]

While were on the topic of The Racer, Old Coney Island was before my time, but I've notice any footage I've seen of the shooting star kind of reminds me of the forward racer, I always wandered if The Racer was inspired by the shooting star to remake the popular ride at the new park, being that it is in the coney mall section. Any thoughts?

[DeLorean Rider]

You could say that The Racer was loosley based on the shooting star.

[flightoffear1996]

I heard that The Racer opened up without any type of lapbar. Is this rumor have any thruth to it?

[The Interpreter]

No. There is not. It had the same flip down bars as on the coaster trains at Coney Island..two of the trains came from The Shooting Star. Rolling Thunder, Cornball Express, the Camden Park Big Dipper, the Geauga Lake Big Dipper and many other coasters still have those flip down bars.

[WooferBearATL]

I actually like the old flip down bars better.

Actually let ya move around more.

But then the hand breaks were pretty cool too.

[The Interpreter]

I suppose I should also add the trains originally had soft, lush padding, no seat dividers, and of course no seatbelts. Society was different back then. Vandals seldom abused park property, riders did not have to be physically restrained to protect them from their own stupidity, etc.

[WooferBearATL]

I suppose I should also add the trains originally had soft, lush padding, no seat dividers, and of course no seatbelts. Society was different back then. Vandals seldom abused park property, riders did not have to be physically restrained to protect them from their own stupidity, etc.

Remember when you road alone you could slide from side to side?

[The Interpreter]

Yep. This was even more the case on The Screechin Eagle at Americana/LeSourdsville Lake! True today on the Thunderbolt at Kennywood, too!

[stewwill]

Yep. This was even more the case on The Screechin Eagle at Americana/LeSourdsville Lake! True today on the Thunderbolt at Kennywood, too!

Other than the bunny hops and reversing one side, The Racer was not made longer. Having rode the Shooting Star, other than being an out and back, it's not like the SS. FYI...when the planning started for The Beast, it was discussed to duplicate the Shooting Star. I don't know is was to be an exact copy or a larger version, but The Beast was a far better choice. For it's time the SS was really a great coaster, 92 feet high, smooth, great river views and good air time.