The Racer

Opened:  1972 (Construction began on Sept 16th, 1970.)

Cost: $1.2 million

Type: Wood, twin racing tracks

Track Length: 3.415 feet

Lift Height: 88 feet     Angle of first drop: 50 degrees

Maximum Speed: 53.3 miles per hour

Designed by: John Allen, president of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company

Area ride covers: 5 acres

Hourly Capacity: 2.640 people per hour

Trains: Two trains per side, each train is made of five PTC cars.  The cars are three row cars making for a total capacity of thirty riders per train.

Construction Supervisors: James L. Martz and James R. Figley

Location: Coney Mall

Ridership:  106 million rides since 1972, the most in park history.  Its record year was 1976 with 3,681,338 riders.  (Numbers through the 2019 season).

Miscellaneous: On May 28th 1982, the train on one track was turned around and The Racer became the first wooden roller coaster to have a train running backwards.  For the 2008 season, the backwards side of the Racer was turned around.  The ride now has a Red Racer side and a Blue Racer side, like when it originally opened.  The ride was featured in the Brady Bunch episode “Cincinnati Kids.” In 2007, American Coaster Enthusiasts designated the ride an “ACE Roller Coaster Landmark.”

Photos