The Racer (Kings Island)

Infobox roller coaster
name=The Racer

---

caption=
location=Kings Island
section=Coney Mall
type=Wood
type2=Racing
status=Open
opened=April 29, 1972
manufacturer=Philadelphia Toboggan Company
designer=John C. Allen
model=
track=
lift=Chain lift hill
height=88
drop=83
length=3415
speed=61
inversions=0
duration=2:00
angle=50
capacity=2,640
cost=1,200,000 USD
acceleration=
gforce=5.5
restriction=44
rcdb_number=69

The Racer is a racing roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Racer held the record for world's fastest roller coaster during the mid 1970s.

When built in the "Coney Mall" area of the park, The Racer sparked a "coaster renaissance" and a revival of wooden roller coasters. The Racer is credited with beginning the second golden age of roller coasters.

The Racer is notable for having two mirror image tracks. The cars on both tracks ran the course facing forwards until 1982. In 1982 the trains on the right track of The Racer were reversed to compensate for the frequent closure of the newly released Bat. This change was intended for the 1982 operating season only but due to its popularity the change remained. When the park opened in 2008, the Kings Island website said that the trains on the right were turned around so all four trains are going foward. Due to this change, the two sides are now called "Red Racer" and "Blue Racer". In addition, "Racer" is also notable to its appearance in season 5, episode 106, of "The Brady Bunch", "The Cincinnati Kids".

The Racer is one of four wooden roller coasters at King's Island, the other three being The Beast, Son of Beast, and the Fairly Odd Coaster. Two other amusement parks also have four wooden coasters: Kings Dominion in Virginia, and Mount Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin.

Don Helbig (born 1962 in Cincinnati, Ohio) holds the world record for roller coaster riding, having taken nearly 12,000 rides on The Racer.fact|date=September 2007

On June 18, 2007 The Racer was presented with a Coaster Landmark Award plaque by the American Coaster Enthusiasts during their 30th Annual Coaster Con celebration at Kings Island.

External links

* [http://www.kicentral.com/attractions/racer.php Kings Island Central information] - Alternate source of details and stats.
* [http://www.visitkingsisland.com/attractions/detail.cfm?ai_id=163 Kings Island offical site - The Racer]

References

cite book
last = Rutherford
first = Scott
authorlink =
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others =
title = The American Roller Coaster
origdate =
origyear = 2000
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date =
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publisher = MBI
location = WI
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pages = 109
chapter =
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cite book
last = Bennett
first = David
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = Roller Coaster: Wooden and Steel Coasters, Twisters, and Corkscrews
origdate =
origyear = 1998
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series =
date =
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publisher = Quintet Publishing Limited
location = London
language = English
isbn = 0-7858-0885-X
oclc =
doi =
id =
pages = 159
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =