The Racers at PKI - CoasterBuzz

What is up with this ride. I thought i had read earlier in the month that this ride was retracked and had new wood and all kinds of good stuff but i am reading the same things over again. To rough, no air time, ect., so what do you guys think. Is the days of the racers almost done or is there hope. I say a nice CCI wooden racing coaster in that spot would be perfect. Don't get me wrong , I still have great affection for this ride since it started alot back in th 70's but i can't remember the last time i got air on this ride.

This ride will never, never, never be dismanted. There are so many reasons to keep it. It started the current coaster wars. It is beautiful. It makes a great border and backdrop for the Coney Mall section of the park. It is popular. It is one of the few wooden rides that goes backwards. It is, despite what some say, fun and not really rough at all.

Does it have air? Not really. Does that make it worthy of destruction? Nope.

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He let the contents of the bottle do the thinking; can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.

The Bat Rider, they retracked extensivly on the backwards side, as well as touching up the white paint. Also, they replaced all of the handrails beside the track over the winter. I find the Racers extremly fun and not any rougher than Son of Beast or The Beast. Also, having riden the forwards Racer on Sunday, I can say that it is still giving excellent air time, and they`ve been racing every day I`ve been at the park! I don`t think that PKi will tear down the Racer any time soon, sorry.

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*** This post was edited by coastersrz on 5/29/2002. ***

I Love the backwards Racer!! My Favorite seat is the last 1 (or 1st depending on how you're looking at it ;)) I always go flying out of my seat, it's Great.

JulieSFO said:
I Love the backwards Racer!! My Favorite seat is the last 1 (or 1st depending on how you're looking at it ) I always go flying out of my seat, it's Great.

Exactly! Lots of air and a great view as you go up the lift. Racer is running as good as ever IMHO. :)

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

I rode it forwards yesterday and it was really rough, too rough for me to enjoy it.

I have to chime in with JulieSFO and DEK. I could ride that last seat on Recar for hours without getting bored or hurting. If I lived near Cincy, I could see myself heading over to spend a relaxing afternoon marathoning Recar.

I don't like the forwards side as much though. I feel it is significantly rougher than the south side, and I was hoping it would see a bit of retracking this year. Did it, or did it get it a year or two ago and I never noticed?

Jeremy
-- Who admits that Racer may be rougher than Recar because he's bracing himself instead of riding loosely...

I never understand why people are so anxious to kill rides, especially in a park that has so much room.

Racer has been pretty consistant for me, and generally pretty smooth. Makes me wonder what the hell they've been doing to its cousin at PKD...

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

Typically it surprises folks when I reveal to them my all around and consistant favorite coaster at PKI. It is backwards Racer. Now that does not mean I do not find SOB or Beast etc enjoyable. But recaR is the real coaster gem.

Now, last year the steel FOF easily jumped up the list, but if I had to choose one final ride on any ride at PKI, backwards Racer would be my choice.

But what is odd is Beast ranks higher than it in my personal favorites. Probably because of "legend" and "memory" more than anything. But recaR has been much more consistant in the ride/pleasure area over all the years I have gone to PKI.

It would devistate me if PKI ever removed that coaster. But I doubt we have to worry about that anytime soon.

Shaggy

Racer was built as a FAMILY coaster. It is meant for parents to be able to ride with their kids, not one that kids are afraid to go on. Naturally it won't be as intense as a you'd like, the fact that you are even comparing it to intense rides at other parks just shows how far ahead of the pack PKI is when it comes to the intensity of its coasters.

Family coaster? I don't think so. When it was built I'm reasonably certain it was built to kick butts and take names.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

I think it's the best ride in the park, right along side with Beast. That doesn't say much but it's still a great ride.

I have not once had a bad ride on the Racer (and recaR), maybe I am just lucky, but every ride is fun, and loaded with some good airtime. Just like Joe said, it's probably one of the best rides in the park.

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-Aaron
Webmaster of PKI Unlimited.com
http://www.pkiunlimited.com

A) I haven't been to PKI since 1991, but the Racer was one of the best rides in the park. And on June 24th 2002, I imagine it still will be one of the best rides in the park.

B) FAMILY coaster? Uh.......no. Sorry, try again. When this 'beast' was built, in 1972, it was 88 feet tall, one of the tallest coasters in the US, travelling at 61mph, which I believe was the fastest at the time. Thus, this is no kiddie coaster, forwards and backwards. Major history is behind this coaster.

I am confused why people want to TEAR down coasters so quickly. I have to remind my students in math classes constantly, that the rumors of the Corkscrew and Blue Streak destruction are completely false. The rumors are started mainly by people who are below the age of 20 in the first place, because they don't have the sense of historical/ estetic value a coaster has for their park. And the Racer has just that for PKI.

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There's nothing like a woodie...

It seems like everyone's thinking is turning to, "If it isn't perfect, tear it down." Which, IMO, is ridiculous. If you have a bad coaster (which the Racer is not even close to being), you work with it, just like what PKI did with Sonny. They worked on it, improving it, and now it's almost on the top of the top ten coaster list. Some people's thinking has got to change.

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-Aaron
Webmaster of PKI Unlimited.com
http://www.pkiunlimited.com

*** This post was edited by CoasterAaron on 5/30/2002. ***

How could they tear down the Racer, the coaster which brough us into the second golden age of coasters?! The PKI Racer is destined to become a historical landmark- PKI will never willingly tear it down.

I really don't see how it can be rough- I've been riding since I was 6, adn have never experienced a rough ride on. I get pleanty of air time- I love the historic Racer!

Quail.. thinking of Beastie perhaps?

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Sorrrrrrrry folks! Parks closed. The moose out front should have told you.

This ride rocks!

I could not imagine PKI without the Racer. This was my first coaster ride (25 years ago this season) Like a few here, I could spend hours riding recaR. I have had a rough ride or two, but not this year. This ride is too good to miss.

J Moreland

Ahhhhh....the Racer. My first "Adult" coaster. The coaster that singlehandedly ruined my day after Senior Prom when it threw out my girlfriend's back (that's a good sign that she's not the one...I have to thank ol' recaR for that someday). God forbid that they EVER tear that beauty down. If they do, I'll never visit a Paramount park again.

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Proud CB club member

Spell it with me... RIDICULOUS, derived from the word "ridicule."

That's not aimed at anyone in particular, I'm just tired of seeing it.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"