originally posted on 8/11/2023
All Renderings: Courtesy of Cedar Point. View full-sized image.
Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio), no stranger to breaking roller coaster records, did the unexpected in 2003 — just three years after introducing the 310 foot-tall Millennium Force in 2000, pushed the boundaries by another 110 feet with the 420 foot-tall Top Thrill Dragster. An evolution of 2002’s Xcelerator — an Intamin Accelerator Coaster at sister park Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, California) — it instantly became a park icon and one of the most recognizable roller coasters in the world. When it was shuttered during the 2021 season, the absence of its presence was felt by both park guests and roller coaster enthusiasts, and many wondered what the future held for the ride, or if it even had a future.
The wait is officially over: Top Thrill Dragster will live on as Top Thrill 2 and still tower 420 feet above the famous Sandusky peninsula packed with roller coasters.
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On August 1, Cedar Point ended the uncertainty and speculation with the announcement of Top Thrill 2.
Instead of working with Intamin, Cedar Point opted to partner with Zamperla and its growing Roller Coaster Business Unit. It was the outcome of a process that had the park evaluating a wealth of options.
“As with all new attractions, we provided either a very specific ask, or a general idea of what we’re looking for,” explained Director of Communications Tony Clark. “We then invited manufacturers to present their ideas and proposals to us. Based on what’s provided, we choose the design and manufacturer that best suits our needs. In the case of Top Thrill 2, Zamperla was chosen for the build.”
Sporting a revised theme, Top Thrill 2 has been designed to build upon the best features of Top Thrill Dragster, including its iconic top hat.
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Steering the project, it was up to Zamperla to transform Top Thrill Dragster into a new experience, with one caveat.
“Keeping the iconic top hat was essential, as it already provided a fantastic riding experience,” said Clark. “How that was incorporated was up to the manufacturer.”
Zamperla chose to incorporate a second tower matching the 420-foot height of the original to create a triple launch. A new linear synchronous motor launch system will accelerate riders to 74 mph, allowing the train to partially climb the original tower before stalling into a moment of weightlessness and a “rollback” — an experience coveted by many Top Thrill Dragster riders. A backward second launch at 101 mph will send riders to the peak of the new 420-foot vertical spike to enjoy a second moment of weightlessness before launching a third time at 120 mph, up and down the coaster’s original top hat with a 270-degree spiral dive towards the ground.
Among Zamperla’s modifications and additions to the original Intamin-supplied Top Thrill Dragster is a 420 foot-tall vertical spike, enabling a new triple launch.
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Part of the roller coaster’s transformation are Zamperla’s new Lightning trains, perfectly tailored to Top Thrill 2’s enhanced ride elements. According to Clark, it is anticipated they will contribute to the roller coaster being more reliable in its revised incarnation, thus allowing more guests to experience it than in the past.
Zamperla and Cedar Point expect Zamperla’s new Lightning trains to contribute to better reliability and capacity.
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Top Thrill 2, no longer specifically a “top fuel drag racing” experience, will enable Cedar Point to incorporate a broader high-performance racing theme to the area to create the CP Racing Team paddock.
“This is where Top Thrill 2 is the motorsport vehicle — the star of the race,” said Clark. While many details will be announced closer to the coaster’s opening in 2024, some have already been released, such as a new grandstand viewing area for park guests wanting to observe the spectacle and a new gift shop. “Guests will definitely feel like they’re part of the experience, whether they ride or not,” added Clark.
When Top Thrill 2 debuts for the 2024 season, it will be Cedar Point’s second coaster in as many years, following 2023’s Zamperla-supplied Wild Mouse in The Boardwalk area of the park.
— Rob Ascough, ACE News Editor
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