Coaster enthusiast and Kings Island spokesman Don Helbig has ridden Racer a record-setting 11,999 non-consecutive times. racing wooden coaster featured a train that ran backward on one of its two tracks from 1982 to 2007. This hyper viper offers a little bit of everything: speed, height, twists and plenty of airtime in a silky smooth ride worthy of the praise heaped on it by coaster fanatics.ģ) Racer: Designed by renowned ride builder John Allen, the 1972 Philadelphia Toboggan Co. The 215-foot-tall coaster, opened in 2009, reaches 80 mph before executing a signature splashdown element. The 540-degree helix tunnel after the second lift was the highlight of an exciting ride through the forest.Ģ) Diamondback: The $22-million terrain-hugging Bolliger & Mabillard megacoaster stretches to a mile and covers more than 10 acres. The 1979 coaster built by Philadelphia Toboggan Co., features two lift hills and three tunnels. In 1976, the Racer gave 3.6 million rides – the most rides given in one season by a Kings Island attraction.A closer look at Kings Island’s top 10 roller coasters:ġ) The Beast: With a running time of more than four minutes, the 7,359-foot-long terrain-hugging ride is the longest wooden coaster in the world.The Racer has given a park record 106 million rides since its debut in 1972.On May 28, 1982, one side of the Racer was transformed into the world’s first full-length, backwards travelling roller coaster (both sides now face forward).In addition to being considered an important part of the roller coaster renaissance of the 1970’s, the Racer was the site of several world-record riding attempts and is notable for its appearance in the “Cincinnati Kids” episode of The Brady Bunch, filmed at the park in 1973.In addition to unusual characteristics, such as the spectacular track split at the turnaround and a total of over 1,200 feet of weightlessness (negative G’s), the Racer acted as a catalyst for other potential high-capacity racing coasters including Racer 75 at Kings Dominion and Gemini at Cedar Point.

In one coaster they had: high capacity, graceful aesthetics, and one of the best rides in the country.

Kings Island management, in one of the industry's best moves, got exactly what they needed in the Racer.

Authorities credit the Racer as the inspiration for what has been developed and built since the destructive period from 1945 to 1970, a time when most of the greatest roller coasters ever conceived fell victim to the wrecker’s ball.

It was one of the largest roller coasters ever built at the time, and the largest that Allen had built. He considered the Racer to be the finest roller coaster he ever built.

The Racer was the first roller coaster built structurally on the ground with prefabricated sections lifted into position and bolted.

His design was truly inspirational, a twin-tracked, out and back racing coaster, unlike no other ever built. He accepted and was commissioned to design and supervise the construction which began in 1970. was asked about the possibility of building a new roller coaster for Kings Island when plans to build the park began in 1969.

John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Co.Here are nine things you may not know about the Racer: The Racer's instant popularity, however, proved there was still great interest in roller coasters and thus launching the second Golden Age of the roller coaster. Who can say how many roller coasters would have been built if the Racer had not paved the way? People throughout the industry scoffed at what Kings Island was doing, building a roller coaster. The Racer was the first roller coaster that I ever rode and while bigger, faster, longer and more thrilling rides have opened at Kings Island, it will always hold a special place in my heart and in the hearts of true roller coaster enthusiasts for a variety of reasons. There may be more attention focused on other roller coasters these days at Kings Island than on the Racer, but once upon a time it was the most talked about ride in the industry.

King island racer