If you could re-design/ change That Racer, Would you change, add, or remove? Or would you leave it the same? Is there any roller coaster features that you would've liked to see in it?

I'd like a striking red, white, and blue color scheme, an extra dip right before the brake run, a non-enclosed tunnel at the brake run, and a trim brake free turnaround please.

Don't mess with this coaster - it is sacred!

If you could re-design/ change That Racer, Would you change, add, or remove? Or would you leave it the same? Is there any roller coaster features that you would've liked to see in it?

In compliance with the ToS:

No.

^^

The Racer has already been "touched" and in some's opinion "messed up" quite a bit since its 1972 debut...the trains were lengthened, the paint was changed and allowed to fade & chip into its current state, the tunnels at the end were not always there, it originally had 4 car trains with no headrests and buzz bars instead of 5 car trains, each side had one red & blue train each (instead of the matching colors of today), and it had one side turned backwards...then forwards again. This ride has gone through a LOT of changes since its opening in 1972...oh, and Beast has too, if anyone was wondering about that...

As for what I'd do...hehehe...bring back Racer V1.0 ('72 edition)...buzz bars and epic airtime, here we come... ...and the 4-car trains won't be such a problem for capacity anymore because there are now lots and lots of high-capacity coasters in the park that draw attention away from Racer, which was NOT the case in the early 1970s, when Racer was the ONLY big coaster at Kings Island (there were 2 others- what is now Woodstock Express, a "kiddie" wooden coaster, and a tiny steel coaster named Bavarian Beetle, but neither were "full-sized" coasters for intense thrill seekers, which is what Racer was back in 1972)...but, if you aren't restoring it, don't touch it any more...it's been changed enough...

Granted, I was not alive to ride The Racer in its early years, and while I did ride it in 2000 (did it still have buzz bars in 2000? I'm not sure...), I don't recall much except being scared for my life because of the airtime...when I returned in 2009, the "current" version was in place...while I'm told the ride isn't what it used to be, I did have an excellent ride on it on May 5th this year...(First Train O' Day, Front Seat, Red Racer, Great Floater Air, and Super-Smooth...the first ride I ever held my hands up on for the whole ride! )

Just some comments on this ride and topic...

Also ditch the high density polyurethane foam and bring back the highly cushioned posh leather.

I would bring the backwards trains back.

Don't mess with this coaster - it is sacred!

Hank, you gave me inspiration for this meme... I only wish for the original paint.

I would also like to see The Racer return its original form. Why did the park get rid of the buzz bars? You think with seat belts they could me brought back.

Just painting the ride would do wonders.

I would love to see the backwards racer back, but I dont think I can trust racer that much.

I would like to have the first hill taller and a third bunny hill after the 1st drop. It would be cool for it to be painted royal blue too.

I would also like to see The Racer return its original form. Why did the park get rid of the buzz bars? You think with seat belts they could me brought back.

It was a manufacturer's recommendation, as were the seat belts. Other PTC's with buzz bars, such as Rolling Thunder and Cornball Express, have seat belts.

The Racer went to five cars per train in 1973. The walls were added in the area coming back into the station in 1984 to keep the skid brakes from getting wet when it rained which allowed the ride to operate with four trains in inclement weather. Prior to the walls, you'd see the ride crew going out in the pouring rain to remove a train from each side only to have to put them back on 15-20 minutes later after such weather had passed.

Since the ride no longer has skid bakes why not just remove the walls. There is nothing but gum and spit on them anyway.

The Racer went to five cars per train in 1973. The walls were added in the area coming back into the station in 1984 to keep the skid brakes from getting wet when it rained which allowed the ride to operate with four trains in inclement weather. Prior to the walls, you'd see the ride crew going out in the pouring rain to remove a train from each side only to have to put them back on 15-20 minutes later after such weather had passed.

See, posts like this are what's cool about the park interacting on these forums. Don's got a ton of info, especially about The Racer. As always, thank you for sharing! Makes sense about why they'd add protection for the skids...

Since the ride no longer has skid bakes why not just remove the walls. There is nothing but gum and spit on them anyway.

...but I gotta agree with this. I'd imagine there are liability concerns with people on the brake run throwing something at the people crossing beneath, but it would be nice to have an open-air brake run instead of the walls now that the skid brakes are gone. Then again, Beast has the same possibilities on its brake run, and that seems to work out mostly well.

Out of curiosity, Don--happen to know when the skid brakes were removed? Was it at the same time as Beast?

Since the ride no longer has skid bakes why not just remove the walls. There is nothing but gum and spit on them anyway.

Good point

I have to ask you all this, would having the walls on the brake run removed really make any difference in your ride experience on Racer?

Yes cause then I wouldn't have to stare at spit and gum for 3 minutes.

People on other fan sites moan about Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom losing their Sky Rides.

And when the parks had their Sky Rides, people complained that they allowed views of the rooftops and ruined the "magic!"

In other words, there's always something to complain about if you choose to look hard enough.

I would love to see the backwards racer back, but I dont think I can trust racer that much.

How can you not trust a ride that's inspected all the time.

^ For the sake of fairness: Son of Beast was inspected all the time, too.

I have to ask you all this, would having the walls on the brake run removed really make any difference in your ride experience on Racer?

In the ride experience? Nah, not really. It would just be a nice touch.

Out of curiosity, Don--happen to know when the skid brakes were removed? Was it at the same time as Beast?

After the 1990 season, along with the buzz bars and the red, white and blue color scheme. In the fall of 1990, they tested the individual lap bars in one car of the trains on the now-blue racing side.

The brake run was shorter on The Racer than it is now when the walls were installed versus the length for The Beast for those that were inquiring as to why walls weren't added on that ride, too.

Wow Don, you have studied!

Now that magnetic brakes are able to be used I would love to see The Racers final dip restored, along with the walls on the sides removed (as has been said several times). On another note, I would love to see it get painted and perhaps get some new chaser lights, much like those on the Blue Streak and the Hershey Park woodies. Some track work would be nice too! Has anyone else noticed the 4x4s nailed to the bottom of the red Racers track as it leaves the station? I must say that it is not a reassuring sight as you prepare to board the 40 year old coaster.

I would love to see buzz bars installed back on the ride and the trains put in their original state, however I am about 100% sure that will never happen.

Realistically, just a new paint job and maybe some new padding in the seats, they can be a little uncomfortable at times. The Racer is a classic that is fine just the way it is though.

Maybe some new padding in the seats, they can be a little uncomfortable at times.

I feel the same way about the seats. I don't have a lot of "padding" on my backside so it can be quite uncomfortable

As much as I would love to see buzz bars back for the less restrictive seating, I can recall people standing up to ride when I was a kid with the buzz bars. I always thought when seeing someone do that, one of them would be seriously hurt when we got back to the station.

As far as the paint job, it would be nice for it to get some TLC in that department. As others have stated though, does that change the ride experience? For me, no.

Mabey I'm not visiting on the right days or somthing... but I have never seen the line past two rows of bars for The Racer... I wonder what the general public thinks, and not just us enthusiests.

and not just us enthusiests.

Enthusiests? You do know not everyone on KIC is some sort of enthusiast material to KI.