Is The Racer underappreciated?

[Dj325]

I apologize if someone has already posted a topic similar to this. I just felt that what this topic addresses, isn't addressed enough. So again, I apologize if someone has already posted something similar to this.

If you were to ask me if I think The Racer is underappreciated, I would probably instantly say "Absolutely!" The Racer opened with the park in the year 1972, and at the time was the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster. It was pretty popular at that time! Nowadays I feel that the ride is very underappreciated. When you look at The Beast, it gains its popularity from being the world's longest wooden roller coaster for now over 40 years. It's also well-known for its famous ride through the woods, especially at night! 

So, what's keeping The Racer from getting acknowledged more?

In this topic, I would like you guys to comment on why you think the ride isn't getting the attention it needs, and what you think the park could do to help it receive the love and attention it needs, while staying true to the nostalgia of the ride of course.

I can't wait to see what ideas you guys come up with for this classic Kings Island attraction!

[BoddaH1994]

I think it certainly has benefits and downfalls.

The fact that much of the ride has been modernized kind of kills the nostalgic feel of the ride. It’s not like The Jackrabbit at Kennywood, which is like stepping back in time.  Also, years of wear causes “just another rough old coaster” feel for those who don’t care about its history. 

With that being said, I think the track work has really given the ride a second life. You can actually feel the airtime without that feeling that the train “crashes” at the bottom of the hill. I’ve said all along that The Racer will be painted its old colors for the 50th. That’s my personal prediction.  That may create a whole new appreciation for the ride. 

 

[BlondyRidesOn]

I find it's in the middle. For people like me, and other Kings Island history buffs, Racer is extremely integral in the park's lineup and in coaster history and that it should be preserved. It also seems to be very popular. The park concedes that it has gotten over 1 million riders each season since 1972, and that only Mystic Timbers, Banshee and Diamondback get more riders annually (which may change with Orion). 

However, for many years, I have heard people complain about the roughness. I find that most younger people don't have the appreciation for it. The track work and reprofiling this past offseason by Gravity Group and the park's wood coaster maintenance team seems to have paid off and it seems like it's making a comeback. I also really like the LED uplighting on the white structure and how it is incorporated into the fireworks show. 

In my opinion, Gravity Group should continue retracking it until the entire course is reprofiled and smoothed out. I threw out the suggestion on here of changing one of the hills coming back in and adding a double down to mix it up a bit and add more pops of airtime, but that's unlikely to ever happen. And like how BoddaH said above, bring back the red white and blue paint on the structure. 

[super7]

It’s a good ride but flawed.   The re tracking  has made it ride great.    Racing coasters bare rare and we are lucky to have one.    
 

But it doesn’t race well.  One lift hill runs slightly faster and one of the turnaround trim brakes slows the train more than the other.   
 

The wierd Y design after the third hill is also odd. You lose view of the other train.  And then there’s the long flat run at then end where the final drop was removed. 

Not perfect but still a treasure for the park.  Even on busy days the lines are short because of 4 trains.    Thank goodness CF is renovating it instead of what they did to Thunder Road. 

They didn’t paint the new track this year.  Will it end up ugly and gray as they replace wood?   
 

[Dj325]

On 6/23/2021 at 2:51 PM, BlondyRidesOn said:

I threw out the suggestion on here of changing one of the hills coming back in and adding a double down to mix it up a bit and add more pops of airtime, but that's unlikely to ever happen.

I think there actually used to be one more final drop right where the entrance to what is now Area 72 is. They removed it to make way for the entrance to Flight of Fear in 1996.

 

9 hours ago, super7 said:

But it doesn’t race well.  One lift hill runs slightly faster and one of the turnaround trim brakes slows the train more than the other.  

To me, I think it races pretty well. Just as long as it doesn't get to the point where it's like what I've heard about Twisted Colossus at Magic Mountain. I hope the park doesn't have RMC do what they did with Colossus at Magic Mountain where they combine the two tracks into one single continuous track.

[super7]

4 minutes ago, Dj325 said:

I think there actually used to be one more final drop right where the entrance to what is now Area 72 is. They removed it to make way for the entrance to Flight of Fear in 1996.

 

To me, I think it races pretty well. Just as long as it doesn't get to the point where it's like what I've heard about Twisted Colossus at Magic Mountain. I hope the park doesn't have RMC do what they did with Colossus at Magic Mountain where they combine the two tracks into one single continuous track.

I give the park huge credit in operating it as a racing coaster.   Both sides are open every day and they dispatch the two trains together.  Unlike American Eagle at Six Flags GA that they refuse to race because they haven’t maintained the structure.  
 

I was just saying do you racing on racer isn’t very even because of the lift hill and far turn around.   
 

Racers cousin at Kings Dominion Is the perfect racing roller coaster. A couple years ago they put a computer synchronize lift Hill on the coaster.   As Long as the trains are dispatched within about 20 seconds of each other, they always leave the top of the lift hill at the same time.  The chain lift speeds adjust to accomplish that.  

[BlondyRidesOn]

2 hours ago, super7 said:

Racers cousin at Kings Dominion Is the perfect racing roller coaster. A couple years ago they put a computer synchronize lift Hill on the coaster.   As Long as the trains are dispatched within about 20 seconds of each other, they always leave the top of the lift hill at the same time.  The chain lift speeds adjust to accomplish that.  

On my visit a couple weeks ago, the ride operators on Racer would dispatch Blue Racer first and then Red Racer about a second after. This way Red slowly catches up with Blue on the lift and they disengage from the lift chain at the same time. My brother and I saw it while waiting in line for The Beast just how even the trains were up until they spit off.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't RMC do the electrical work on Rebel Yell/ Racer 75 in 2019 to incorporate the jockeying up the lift? I thought I heard someone say that in the past.