What are the boards between the rails (parallel to the rails) used for? i see they showed up last season.

My guess is they are there to try and help keep things in proper alignment. I believe The Racer got similar rails in parts of its course as well last season.

I asked this same question about Mean Streak and Blue Streak. They are fall protection for maintenance. Apparently Ohio safety inspectors were not happy with the large gaps that maintenance workers could fall through when inspecting the track daily, etc. So, the boards were added to close the gap and add a layer of safety for maintenance workers.

That kind of makes sense. But keep in mind that when maintenance workers are walking the track of wooden coasters, they are tied off. So in the event that they do slip, their safety harness is going to catch them and prevent any serious injuries.

Unfortunately, the government doesn't always think logically...