Cedar Point's Done It Again (article) by Karla Dorman, The StormSpinner on AuthorsDen

Cedar Point, America's premiere amusement park, in Sandusky, Ohio, has done it again. Upped the ante. Increased the stakes. Personally, methinks they've gone pure-t-nuts. Cedar Point is already considered "America's Roller Coast," having the most roller coasters of any amusement park in America, possibly the world. Four of the roller coasters at Cedar Point, when they were built, broke the record for height: "Gemini," a twin racing coaster, was 125 feet tall. "Magnum XL 200," America's first hyper-coaster, was 210 feet tall. "Millennium Force," America's first giga-coaster, was 310 feet tall. But this newest insanity they're building takes the cake. Introducing "Top Thrill Dragster," Cedar Point's newest ride for 2003. Designed by the Intamin AG Company of Switzerland, this is the world's first "strata" coaster, meaning the first roller coaster to break the 400 foot tall barrier. It not only breaks it, it exceeds it by 20 feet. 420 feet tall. Makes the 310 foot high "Millennium Force," the world's first giga coaster, look like a child's ride. Or the (laughable) 78-foot tall "Blue Streak," Cedar Point's classic "woodie but a goodie," look like a flat ride. It is the first roller coaster to break the 100 mile per hour speed barrier. Other coasters approach or touch this "magic" number, but none have broken it. Until "Top Thrill Dragster." Patrons will go from zero miles an hour to 120 miles an hour. IN FOUR SECONDS. Imagine the centrifical force...shouldn't this ride be called "Rip Your Face Off"? Here are a few more interesting tidbits: Track Length: 2, 800 feet. Lift Height: 420 feet. Angle of lift hill: 90 feet (yes, straight vertical). Vertical Drop: 400 feet. Angle of Descent: 90 feet. Angle of Twist on Descent: 270 degrees. It's bad enough that this ride is 420 feet tall, it's bad enough that you go from 0-120 IN FOUR SECONDS...they have to add a twisting element to it, too??? The "Top Thrill Dragster" will feature a launched out and back coaster, which means the cars will be launched out of the station by hydraulic power, a magnetic braking system, and tiered seating on the coaster cars, like stadium seating. I'm planning on going to Ohio in the later part of June or the first part of July, and a trip to Cedar Point will definately be in order. (The last time I was there was in 1997. I miss that place!) But a ride on the "Top Thrill Dragster"? Naaaaaaahhhhh. I think I'll pass...I wanna live!!!

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