SANDUSKY, Ohio, Jan. 9, 2003 – Cedar
Point will race full speed ahead toward the future of
thrill-riding when the famed amusement park/resort debuts
the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world
for its 2003 season. Named Top Thrill Dragster, the $25
million steel scream machine will be Cedar Point’s 16th
roller coaster – more than anywhere else on Earth – and
will be one of the largest single investments in the
132-year history of the park.
Top Thrill Dragster will be a coaster of epic
proportions: with an extraordinary 420-foot-tall first hill
at a 90-degree incline, speeds of 120 mph over 2,800 feet of
track and a twisting first drop of 400 feet at an imposing
90-degree angle, this colossal thriller will wow riders with
its dramatic world-record-breaking dimensions. Termed a
“strata-coaster” for its monumental height, Top Thrill
Dragster will be the first and only roller coaster in the
world to break the towering 400-foot-tall milestone.
“Cedar Point has a strong tradition of breaking world
records when it comes to roller coasters,” says Daniel
Keller, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point.
“Top Thrill Dragster will forever redefine
roller-coaster-riding around the globe, while putting an
exclamation mark on Cedar Point’s ongoing commitment to
being the leading thrill ride park in the world.”
Cedar Point was the first park ever to introduce a roller
coaster over 200 feet tall in 1989 with the debut of the
venerable Magnum XL-200 at 205 feet; and was the first park
to go beyond the 300-foot-tall threshold on a coaster in
2000 with the ultra-popular Millennium Force, which looms
310 feet tall.
Top Thrill Dragster will put the pedal to the metal and
challenge passengers to a wild ride that begins by launching
out of a “starting line” position using a high-tech
hydraulic acceleration system. Riders will then rocket up
the 420-foot-tall hill where the train will rotate 90
degrees at the 230-foot height, crest the coaster’s
sky-high peak and then plummet down the 400-foot vertical
drop where the train will spiral 270 degrees in a free fall
starting at the 330-foot level. After twisting for 115 feet,
the train will complete the coaster’s dynamic drop, reach
speeds of 120 mph for the second time, and cross the finish
line before returning to the station.
Located in the center of the park along the midway by
Power Tower, Iron Dragon and Magnum XL-200, Top Thrill
Dragster’s impressive structure will cover eight sprawling
acres. Two spinning rides, Chaos and Troika, will be
relocated to the Wicked Twister midway to make room for the
mammoth Top Thrill Dragster. A sleek four-tone structure –
contrasting a red and white track with bright yellow support
columns, along with silver framework – and six trains
displaying the metallic colors of cobalt blue, sunshine
yellow, sunset red, black cherry, florescent purple and Indy
green, will rule the Cedar Point skyline. The six
16-passenger trains will allow for a capacity of
approximately 1,500 riders an hour.
Top Thrill Dragster will be the ninth
world-record-breaking ride Cedar Point has introduced since
debuting the internationally acclaimed Magnum XL-200 roller
coaster in 1989. Plus, it will be the ninth roller coaster
the park has added during this same time period.
The prominent roller coaster engineering and
manufacturing firm, Intamin of Wollerau, Switzerland, and
Cedar Point teamed up to create the layout of Top Thrill
Dragster.
Construction of Top Thrill Dragster is currently under
way and will continue throughout the winter. Guests will be
able to take their first ride on this amazing new
“strata-coaster” when Cedar Point revs up for the 2003
season in May. In the meantime, roller coaster enthusiasts
can get a temporary thrill “fix” by logging on to
cedarpoint.com for continual updates.
