Racer 75

[bigbadwolffan76]

yo what if they did this at KD:

it would be a pretty cool marketing tactci (and this ride sucks so like who cares) *senses old heads coming in to argue w this, jk theyre asleep*

 

[Coasternerd]

yo what if they did this at KD:
View attachment 26566
it would be a pretty cool marketing tactci (and this ride sucks so like who cares) *senses old heads coming in to argue w this, jk theyre asleep*

I’m just going to be the first to say- can you stop coming up with these ridiculous things that parks could do? It’s really annoying. Yes we like to joke around, but Racer 75 is one of the original opening day rides from KD. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon as they’re currently retracking it.

 

[bigbadwolffan76]

I’m just going to be the first to say- can you stop coming up with these ridiculous things that parks could do? It’s really annoying. Yes we like to joke around, but Racer 75 is one of the original opening day rides from KD. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon as they’re currently retracking it.

im sorry, i just really want to be a coaster engineer and thought this would be a good place to get some of my ideas on the internet, guess not...

(

 

[Nibbins]

im sorry, i just really want to be a coaster engineer and thought this would be a good place to get some of my ideas on the internet, guess not...

(

As an engineer I would have to say that burning down roller coasters might not be a valid engineering "idea".

Back to the drawing board.

 

[Jonesta6]

I mean, when I was a kid I was fascinated with the idea of a fast switch track after watching the switches for BBW flip when taking a train out of storage.

My thought was to send a train down one of 2 or 3 paths with different elements, perhaps even racing other trains, before eventually coming back to the main line.

I still think this could be done, but I now also realize the enormous challenge it'd take to make it both safe and fun. Complex ride programming and sensor placements, block brakes setups perhaps killing the flow, complex evac procedures and/or valley recoveries, etc. Plus it'd probably cost a lot more than most parks are willing to spend.

So... Dream big, but then start figuring out how to be real. Then go talk with structural architects or engineers, even if they aren't in the amusement industry for clarification.

 

[Furyous Baco 325]

I went from thinking this was a diamond in the rough to just rough. Probably because I’ve only sat in wheel seats this year, but it still make me sad.

 

[Mushroom]

I’ve found Racer 75 to be butter smooth on my three rides this year. If anything, I miss the “edge” the ride had when it was rough; in the old Rebel Yell days, the thing was like a bucking bronco in parts.

With its years-long (and now nearly completed) retracking, Racer 75 almost seems to have evolved to fill the role of a large family coaster in the park’s lineup. I’m not against that- just a change I’ve noticed.

 

[rswashdc]

I’ve found Racer 75 to be butter smooth on my three rides this year. If anything, I miss the “edge” the ride had when it was rough; in the old Rebel Yell days, the thing was like a bucking bronco in parts.

With its years-long (and now nearly completed) retracking, Racer 75 almost seems to have evolved to fill the role of a large family coaster in the park’s lineup. I’m not against that- just a change I’ve noticed.

This is my take as well this year. Most the ride is quite smooth now, whereas a couple years ago there was a lot of jack hammering.

 

[EdK]

I was at KD yesterday and they're racing both sides with two trains each side. Haven't seen that in awhile and it was a lot of fun. During my ride there were two groups of teenage girls on each train yelling colorful phrases and flipping each other off as we were going up the lift hill. It was all in good fun and it reminded me of what it was like in the 70's (or early 80's - can't remember). If only someone had shouted to the other side "I bet you a million dollars we beat you". I've included a reference in case you're not familiar with this classic.

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[Dogface]

I think it’s clear that KD’s and CF’s leadership are really all-in on theming at this point. In the past couple of years, CF’s CEO Richard Zimmerman (who, incidentally, used to be KD’s GM) has talked in investor earnings calls about how they think a well-rounded, high quality guest experience is the key strategy for CF’s long-term success, and he’s specifically said that more immersive themed experiences are part of that strategy. For a park like KD, which already has the underlying bones of a theme park and which competes with one of the best-themed (for now) theme parks in the country, leaning heavily into theming just makes sense.

And when KD’s current GM, Bridgette Bywater, first started in her role in January 2021, she said in her first interview as GM that she envisions KD as becoming a theme park:


Before coming to KD, Bridgette spent her entire career at Worlds of Fun, which is already one of CF’s best-themed parks (and she may also have been influenced by nearby Silver Dollar City). It’s clear that she really cares about making KD an experience, not just a place with coasters.

Add in the incredible work by Tony Turner, KD’s Creative Services lead who’s led everything from the Jungle X theming to the Grizzly Gulch and Country Kitchen redos to Winterfest’s decor to these new projects in Old Virginia, and there’s no doubt that all of KD’s leadership really does see theming as the path to KD’s future. And I’m thrilled to see it.

I had no idea that Zimmerman had KD roots, that’s awesome and encouraging to learn - almost like we’ve got inside man at the corporate level to advocate for the park among the whole roster of parks.

/I know you can’t answer this with certainty, but do you think KD will see a Racer repaint for its 50th? I can’t wait for the TLC to spread all the way across the park, making things look as pristine as they did in the 70s.

 

[Coasternerd]

/I know you can’t answer this with certainty, but do you think KD will see a Racer repaint for its 50th? I can’t wait for the TLC to spread all the way across the park, making things look as pristine as they did in the 70s.

Considering that KI did one for their’s, I wouldn’t be surprised if KD does as well.

Now if only they can get it to race consistently… the last few times I’ve gone and both sides have been open, they have just been dispatching when the side is clear and not dispatching both at the same time. Basically, you got a race by luck.

 

[I305Evan]

Considering that KI did one for their’s, I wouldn’t be surprised if KD does as well.

Now if only they can get it to race consistently… the last few times I’ve gone and both sides have been open, they have just been dispatching when the side is clear and not dispatching both at the same time. Basically, you got a race by luck.

IF KD were to repaint Racer, then they probably would wait until they're certain they aren't going to do any more major trackwork. Wooden coasters are very hard to upkeep with paint because they're always replacing beams/ track. For that reason alone I can see them moving away from repainting and letting the remaining fall off.

Also, it's crazy that even still operations don't race them. With the latest reprogramming, I believe they can dispatch up to 60 seconds difference and the lift will still be able to match up the trains by time they get to the top. (Source: A podcast I listened to interviewing IOE).

 

[mwhinva]

I thought KD had put in a system to have the lift chains synch the trains up when going up the lift hill. Maybe the system was off, not working, or the trains were too far apart on the hill for it to work.

 

[bill s]

I thought KD had put in a system to have the lift chains synch the trains up when going up the lift hill. Maybe the system was off, not working, or the trains were too far apart on the hill for it to work.

It works perfectly at producing a 2-row lead on North, producing a lead of over one train length. They don't have to dispatch both sides at the same time.
The lone exception of all my rides in the last 2 years was a ride last year with Coaster Studios on board, which for some reason was a good race -- ??

 

[Coasternerd]

I thought KD had put in a system to have the lift chains synch the trains up when going up the lift hill. Maybe the system was off, not working, or the trains were too far apart on the hill for it to work.

It it’s there, it wasn’t working. Most other dispatches the train was clearing the lift before the next was dispatched.

 

[horsesboy]

IF KD were to repaint Racer, then they probably would wait until they're certain they aren't going to do any more major trackwork. Wooden coasters are very hard to upkeep with paint because they're always replacing beams/ track. For that reason alone I can see them moving away from repainting and letting the remaining fall off.

Also, it's crazy that even still operations don't race them. With the latest reprogramming, I believe they can dispatch up to 60 seconds difference and the lift will still be able to match up the trains by time they get to the top. (Source: A podcast I listened to interviewing IOE).

60 seconds seems a little longer as I think the lift time is less then a minute.

 

[I305Evan]

60 seconds seems a little longer as I think the lift time is less then a minute.

Here is the link to the interview with IOE, they talk about their lift programming starting at the 15 minute mark. They specifically say the difference can be about a minute. So for example, North Side(NS) is dispatched before South Side(SS). And SS dispatches say 30 seconds later, the NS lift hill will jog the train at an extremely slow speed while it waits for the SS train to meet up. However, if SS isn't dispatched after a certain time frame, then the NS will "give up" and proceed up the remainder of the lift at full speed. The system is able to recognize if one of the sides if powered down. So in these instances, the train will proceed up the lift at full speed. But, for the most part, the lift is smart enough to allow operations to have a slight variance in their dispatch times and still be able to race. Pending good operations that is...

 

[rswashdc]

Last time I rode this, our side got dispatched and the other did not. The lift was very slow until we got near the top and it finally realized the other train either wasn’t going to be dispatched or wouldn’t be able to catch up even if it did.

 

[Crunchewy]

Fun but at least in the front and on I think the south side, there’s a REALLY bouncy bit as you go up to the top of the turn around hill. I think maybe some retracking is needed there. Also that side seems to run slower. It’s not much of a race, even though they are synced up on the lift hill. Still fun, though.

 

[Coasternerd]

Fun but at least in the front and on I think the south side, there’s a REALLY bouncy bit as you go up to the top of the turn around hill. I think maybe some retracking is needed there. Also that side seems to run slower. It’s not much of a race, even though they are synced up on the lift hill. Still fun, though.

Wait, it actually raced?