Following a serious incident in 2021, in which a guest was severely injured while standing in line, Top Thrill Dragster was shut down. Zamperla was hired to create a new version of the ride, adding a second 420-foot (130 m) spike tower and two additional launch cycles that resulted in the removal of Intamin's hydraulic launch system.
The coaster reemerged as Top Thrill 2 on May 4, 2024. The updated ride produces a different riding experience while maintaining the original's top speed, sending riders forward and backward through three total launches. The ride's duration was also extended from 30 seconds to approximately two minutes. After only a week of operation, an issue was identified, resulting in the closure of Top Thrill 2 while modifications and further testing are being performed. The park intends to reopen the ride in 2025.[2]
History
Development
According to Rob Decker, Vice President of Planning and Design, the park began working on a new project shortly after the debut of Millennium Force in 2000.[3] After the 2001 season ended, one of the park's Dodgem rides, which was located across from Magnum XL-200's entrance, was relocated to Michigan's Adventure to clear the way for the new ride. In April 2002, work began on the concrete foundation.[4] The concrete footings were kept hidden behind a fence when the park opened for the 2002 season.[5] In August, an informal announcement from Cedar Point confirmed the park was building a new ride for the 2003 season.[6] Track pieces identified as Intamin were previously spotted near Mean Streak.[6] Vertical construction by Martin & Vleminckx[7] began in the fall season, months before the formal announcement.[8] By October, the roller coaster had reached 200 feet (61 m) in height,[9] and the highest peak was topped off in December.[10] To construct the roller coaster, the park used five cranes, two of which were 480-foot (150 m) tall.
At the time, only four such cranes in the United States were tall enough to handle construction of the 420-foot tower section.[11] An official announcement revealing details on the new ride was made the following month on January 9, 2003.[8] Officials for the park stated the goal was to build "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 420 feet (130 m) in height and accelerating up to 120 mph (190 km/h) in 4 seconds. The large investment tied it with Millennium Force as being the most expensive in park history.[8] The structure was built by Intamin's subcontractor Stakotra.[12] In March, Cedar Fair registered a trademark for the name "Top Thrill Dragster".[13]
Operation
Top Thrill Dragster's media day was held on May 1, 2003,[14] and it officially opened to the public three days later.[15] It became the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, overtaking the height record from Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land, built three years earlier, and the speed record from Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland, which opened in late 2001. It lost both records to Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in May 2005.[16][17]Intamin designed both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster, and the two share a similar design and layout that differs primarily by theme and an additional hill featured on Kingda Ka.[18] Shortly after it opened, a faulty valve on the hydraulic system caused a short-term closure.[19] The ride continued to experience a variety of issues dealing with its hydraulic system and launch cable, which frequently led to downtime early on in its tenure.[19]
During the 2017 season's opening weekend, Cedar Point temporarily renamed the ride "Top Thrill Cubster", referencing a lost wager with Six Flags Great America over the World Series.[20] In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, timed boarding passes called "Access Passes" were used temporarily to comply with social distancing guidelines.[21][22]
Closure and modification
On August 15, 2021, a guest waiting in line to ride Top Thrill Dragster was struck in the head by a small metal piece that dislodged from a train,[23] resulting in a severe injury that was described as a "serious accident".[24] The ride remained closed the following two seasons pending an investigation by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and a redesign of the roller coaster,[25] described as a "new and reimagined ride experience".[26]
At the time of its closure, Top Thrill Dragster had accommodated 18 million riders over 19 seasons.[27] An update was released on social media in September 2022 stating, "Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired."[28][25] Officials provided limited details but confirmed that the roller coaster would reopen as a "new and reimagined ride experience".[25][29] A portion of the roller coaster's track near the station was dismantled in late 2022.[30] In January 2023, the park released the tagline "A New Formula For Thrills" on social media to describe the planned modifications.[31]
There was speculation that Top Thrill Dragster's hydraulic launch system would be replaced.[32] In August 2023, the speculation was confirmed after Cedar Point announced plans to transform Top Thrill Dragster into a triple-launched roller coaster using linear synchronous motors.[33] The modified coaster was to reopen as Top Thrill 2.[33][34]Zamperla, hired to redesign the ride, reused the existing 420-foot (130 m) "top hat" and added an equally-sized vertical spike at the opposite end of the track.[33][35] While the maximum height and speed remained the same, the track length increased to 3,422 feet (1,043 m).[33] The vertical spike topped out during early December 2023,[36] and testing took place during early 2024.[37]
The closed entrance to Top Thrill 2
Brief reopening
Following the completion of construction and testing, Cedar Point held a soft opening media day event on April 25, 2024.[38][39] The ride was officially opened on May 4, 2024.[40][41]
A short time later on May 12, Cedar Point announced that there would be an "extended closure" of Top Thrill 2 while the ride's trains were modified.[42][43] The ride remained closed indefinitely through months of speculation and sporadic testing. On August 23, 2024, the park announced that Top Thrill 2 would not reopen for the remainder of the season, but that work would continue with the goal of reopening the ride in 2025.[2]
Ride experience
Layout
As Top Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster in 2009
After leaving the station, the train entered the launch area. To the left of the launch area was a "Christmas tree" light, similar to those employed at the starting line of a drag strip. A brief message was played to the riders before the launch: "Keep arms down, head back, and hold on." Once the train was prepared to launch, a motor revving sound effect was played and its magnetic braking fins were lowered from the launch track. It then launched, accelerating to a speed of 120 mph (190 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. Shortly after reaching its maximum velocity, the catch car disengaged, and the train began its ascent up a 90-degree incline, twisting 90 degrees clockwise before climbing over the 420-foot (130 m) top hat. Upon descending, the track twisted 270 degrees before leveling out, allowing the train to be stopped by the magnetic brakes.[44][15]
As Top Thrill 2
After leaving the station, the train passes through a switch and makes an S-turn to the right to join the launch track. To the left of the launch area is a modified version of the original "Christmas tree" light. As soon as the switch changes positions behind the train, the train is launched forward towards the original top hat at 74 mph (119 km/h), rolling backward partway up the tower. Reaching the launch track again, the train is launched in reverse at 101 mph (163 km/h), past the station, and up a 420-foot (130 m) vertical spike in reverse, crossing over Iron Dragon in the process. Rolling forward onto the launch track once again, the station roof creates a headchopper effect and the train is accelerated to 120 mph (190 km/h) to crest the top hat. After descending the 270 degree spiral drop, the train hits the brake run, while the switch track is reset to allow another train to launch.[45]
Station, theme, and trains
As Top Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster's launch area with the "Christmas tree"
The roller coaster was themed to Top Fuel drag racing, a category of motor racing that involved the world's fastest accelerating cars. An actual Top Fuel dragster weighs approximately one ton, while each train on the coaster weighed 15 tons.[8] Originally, the design called for five cars on each train, but when the ride first opened, there were only four.[15] A fifth car was added to each by midseason.[15][46]
Each dragster-themed train was also decorated with a spoiler, a set of tires, and an engine at the rear of each train, but these were removed after the fifth car was added to allow an extra row of seats to take their place.[15][46][47]
The track was mostly painted red, with the launch and approach to the tower having white stripes alternating with red sections. The supports were white on the launch and brake area and yellow on the tower.[44]
As Top Thrill 2
As Top Thrill 2, the theme was modified to be a more general racing theme.[48] The ride area, as well as the trains, are decorated with a stylized logo of "CP Racing." The redesigned ride runs three 5-car trains supplied by Zamperla, holding 20 people per train.[45] The trains are of Zamperla's Lightning model, which is notable for using a milled aluminum chassis and carbon fiber bodywork.[49] For safety, riders can not bring loose items onto the ride, and metal detectors are installed at the beginning of the queue.[50]
As part of the refurbishment, the ride was repainted to have white track and dark grey supports, with the highest points on both the spike and top hat towers being accented with red sections alternating with white sections.[45]
Rollbacks
Occasionally a train will launch without sufficient speed to reach the top of the tower and roll back onto the launch track, hence the term "rollback". This typically happens in cool, wet, or breezy weather, or when the wind is significantly working against it. As Top Thrill Dragster, the launch track was equipped with retractable magnetic brake fins, which were raised after each launch to slow the train down in case it did not reach the top of the tower.[51] As Top Thrill 2, the LSM Launch fins also function as braking fins to slow the train down.
On very rare occasions, a combination of the weight distribution of the train, the force of the launch, and the wind could stall a train on top of the tower. When this happened, a mechanic took the elevator to the top and pushed the train down the hill.[52][53][54]
Characteristics
Side view of Top Thrill Dragster
When Top Thrill Dragster debuted, it set four new records:
World's tallest complete circuit roller coaster
World's tallest roller coaster
World's tallest roller coaster drop
World's fastest roller coaster
It became the fastest roller coaster in the world with a maximum speed of 120 mph (190 km/h). It was the fourth roller coaster to exceed 100 mph (160 km/h), preceded by Tower of Terror II at Dreamworld, Superman: Escape from Krypton at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland. Dodonpa held the record previously with a top speed of 107 mph (172 km/h). Top Thrill Dragster also broke the height record, standing at 420 feet (130 m), which was previously held by Superman: Escape from Krypton at 415 feet (126 m). Kingda Ka opened two years later at Six Flags Great Adventure and broke both of Top Thrill Dragster's records, boasting a height of 456 feet (139 m) and a top speed of 128 miles per hour (206 km/h). The speed record was again broken in 2010 by Formula Rossa at Ferrari World, which reaches a maximum speed of 149.1 mph (240.0 km/h).[16]
As Top Thrill 2, the ride has been marketed as the "tallest and fastest triple launch strata coaster" by Cedar Point,[48] with Zamperla using the more general "tallest and fastest triple launch coaster" in its marketing material. [45]
On July 14, 2004, four people were struck by flying debris while riding, which reports indicated were small pieces of metal from the ride's launch cable. The minor injuries included cuts and abrasions, and the riders were treated on site at the park's first aid station.[19]
Top Thrill Dragster sitting dormant (2022)
On August 7, 2016, the launch cable detached during operation, and two riders were evaluated at the park's first aid station and later released back into the park. Top Thrill Dragster closed for a thorough inspection and reopened the following day.[60][61]
Major incident in 2021
On August 15, 2021, in what was described as a "serious accident",[24] a guest waiting in line was struck in the head by a small metal L-shaped bracket, called a flag plate,[62] that dislodged from a train as it was nearing the end of its run.[23] The guest was severely injured and treated at a nearby hospital.[23] Top Thrill Dragster was closed for the remainder of the season.[24]
An investigation by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) was completed in February 2022 and found that half of the bolts securing the flag plate had dislodged.[62] The report confirmed that the ride underwent regular maintenance, including an inspection the night before the accident, which determined the metal plate to be in "normal, working condition".[63][64] ODA did not find evidence that Cedar Point violated state laws or that the park had any reason to believe the ride was in "unsafe condition".[63][64] In order to reopen the ride, Cedar Point would be required to perform a list of repairs including the replacement of "different or improper grade" bolts and damaged track sections.[64] Instead of repairing, Cedar Point opted to hire Zamperla to create a new version of the ride, which became Top Thrill 2 in 2024.[38]
The injured guest was later reported to have suffered a traumatic brain injury,[38] and the family sued Cedar Point in 2023.[65][66] A settlement with confidential terms was reached on April 13, 2024.[67]
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