West Coast Racers

Last updated
West Coast Racers
West Coast Racers logo.jpg
Six Flags Magic Mountain - 49256408391.jpg
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Location Six Flags Magic Mountain
Park section The Underground
Coordinates 34°25′18″N118°35′57″W / 34.4217°N 118.5992°W / 34.4217; -118.5992
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateDecember 21, 2019 (2019-12-21)
Opening dateJanuary 9, 2020 (2020-01-09)
General statistics
Type Steel  Launched
Manufacturer Premier Rides
ModelCustom
Lift/launch systemLSM launch
Height67 ft (20 m)
Length4,000 ft (1,200 m)
Speed55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions 4
Duration3:00
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains3 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 12 riders per train.
Fastpass availability icon.svg Flash Pass available
West Coast Racers at RCDB

West Coast Racers is a dueling steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia, California. Manufactured by Premier Rides, the ride is a collaboration between West Coast Customs and Six Flags that was promoted as the world's first launch version of a racing roller coaster. After multiple delays and missing the 2019 summer season, the ride eventually debuted on December 21, 2019, in a series of preview events spanning several weeks. It officially opened to the public on January 9, 2020. [1] West Coast Racers is located in a newly-themed section of the park named The Underground, which replaced the former Cyclone Bay. [2] [3]

Contents

History

Six Flags Magic Mountain revealed West Coast Racers during a media event held at the park on August 29, 2018, [4] along with a press release the following day. [5] Park president Neal Thurman and West Coast Customs Founder and CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus announced their partnership in the design of the roller coaster, which was touted as having a record-breaking four magnetic launches. [4] [5] It would also feature four inversions – three zero-g rolls and one zero-g stall – along with 30 train interactions, which includes 14 track crossings and one "high-five" element across two laps around the course. [4] [5] The coaster would reach a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) and feature a number of airtime hills and overbanked turns that will occur side-by-side. [4] [5] West Coast Racers was originally marketed as the park's 20th coaster, but with the planned removal of Green Lantern: First Flight after the 2019 season, the park's total number of coasters remained at 19. [6]

Construction began months behind schedule in May 2019 following a delayed delivery of finished track. [7] The first pieces arrived reportedly later than expected in February 2019. [7] Six Flags did not release an expected opening date, but Theme Park Insider estimated fall 2019 based on the delayed start. [7] A construction update in July 2019 showed a significant amount of work left to complete. [8] In October 2019, a writer for USA Today said, "Speaking of Magic Mountain, the Los Angeles-area park has not revealed anything new for 2020. It still has yet to debut West Coast Racers..." [9]

On December 12, 2019, it was announced West Coast Racers would operate during a series of preview events beginning on December 21, 2019. [1] [10] Access was given first to guests with select membership status, and on December 23, 2019, access was given to season pass holders, along with guests who purchased either a West Coast Racers t-shirt or the park's flash pass. [1] [10] The ride officially opened to the general public on January 9, 2020. [11] [12]

Ride experience

A pair of two-car trains, each holding a total of 12 riders, launch simultaneously from the station. They interact over thirty times throughout the course of the track, reaching a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) as the two trains cross the finish line. One pulls back into the station, while the other pulls into a replica of the West Coast Customs shop to listen to a narration given by Ryan Friedlinghaus. Both cars launch again and repeat the course for a second time, producing a ride duration of approximately three minutes. [13] Each side is a different color, one being white and the other yellow, switching halfway through.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wooden roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also be made of steel lattice or truss, which has no bearing on a wooden coaster's classification. The type of wood often selected in the construction of wooden coasters worldwide is southern yellow pine, which grows abundantly in the southern United States, due to its density and adherence to different forms of pressure treatment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Flags Magic Mountain</span> Theme park in Valencia, California

Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Magic Mountain, is a 209-acre (85 ha) amusement park located in Valencia, California, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the Newhall Land and Farming Company and Sea World Inc. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added "Six Flags" to the park's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Flags Great America</span> Amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois

Six Flags Great America is a 304-acre (123 ha) themed amusement park located in Gurnee, Illinois, within the northern Chicago metropolitan area. The amusement park originally opened as Marriott's Great America on May 29, 1976, as one of two theme parks built by the Marriott Corporation. Six Flags acquired the amusement park in 1984 after the theme park division was an earnings disappointment for Marriott. The sale gave Six Flags rights to the Looney Tunes intellectual properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launched roller coaster</span> Modern form of roller coaster

The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster. A launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or a series of linear induction motors (LIM), linear synchronous motors (LSM), catapults, tires, chains, or other mechanisms employing hydraulic or pneumatic power, along a launch track. This mode of acceleration powers many of the fastest roller coasters in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: The Ride</span> Roller coasters at seven Six Flags parks

Batman: The Ride is an inverted roller coaster based on the DC Comics character Batman and found at seven Six Flags theme parks in the United States and at least one outside the US. Built by consulting engineers Bolliger & Mabillard, it rises to a height of between 100 and 105 feet and reaches top speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h). The original roller coaster at Six Flags Great America was partially devised by the park's general manager Jim Wintrode. Batman: The Ride was the world's first inverted roller coaster when it opened in 1992, and has since been awarded Coaster Landmark status by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. Clones of the ride exist at amusement parks around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Escape from Krypton</span> Shuttle roller coaster at Magic Mountain

Superman: Escape from Krypton, originally known as Superman: The Escape, is a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. When it opened in 1997, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world, and its maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) was tied for the fastest with Tower of Terror II, a similar roller coaster which opened two months earlier at Dreamworld in Australia. Both were the first to utilize Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) launch technology to propel vehicles, although the intended opening date in 1996 at Magic Mountain was postponed due to issues with the launch system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Riddler's Revenge</span> Roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain

The Riddler's Revenge is a steel stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the park's eleventh roller coaster on April 4, 1998, setting multiple world records among stand-up coasters. Originally located in the Movie District section of the park, which later became Metropolis in 2017, The Riddler's Revenge was also the park's single biggest investment at a cost of $14 million. It features a height of 156 feet (48 m), a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h), six inversions, and a track length of 4,370 feet (1,330 m).

X2 (roller coaster) Roller coaster at Magic Mountain

X2 is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. It was the world's first fourth-dimension roller coaster and was the final roller coaster installed by ride manufacturer Arrow Dynamics. The ride is unique in that the trains' seats pitch 360 degrees forwards and in reverse independent of the main chassis. The coaster initially opened to the public on January 12, 2002; numerous issues delayed it from debuting in 2001 as was originally anticipated. On December 2, 2007, the ride closed for its transformation into X2. It was completely repainted, received new third-generation trains, and featured new special effects including onboard audio, fog effects, and a pair of flame throwers. The ride reopened on May 24, 2008, following the upgrades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twisted Colossus</span> Roller coaster at Magic Mountain

Twisted Colossus is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Originally designed and built by International Amusement Devices, the roller coaster opened as Colossus, a dual-tracked roller coaster, on June 29,1978. It was the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world and the first with two drops greater than 100 feet (30 m). Colossus became well known after appearances in film and television, including the box-office hit National Lampoon's Vacation and the made-for-TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. For 19 years, it was the park's main attraction until the opening of Superman: The Escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The New Revolution (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster

The New Revolution is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf and designed by Werner Stengel, the roller coaster opened to the public on May 8, 1976. The New Revolution is the world's first modern roller coaster to feature a vertical loop and has been recognized for that accomplishment by American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), who awarded the roller coaster its Coaster Landmark status. However, there were earlier examples of roller coasters with a full vertical loop, such as the steel roller coaster called "Looping the Loop" in Parque Japonés in Buenos Aires, which operated from 1911 to 1930.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premier Rides</span> American amusement ride manufacturer

Premier Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in the United States. The company was the first to use Linear Induction Motors (LIMs) on their roller coasters. Jim Seay has been the sole owner and company president since 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apocalypse: The Ride</span> Wooden roller coaster

Apocalypse: The Ride, formerly known as Terminator Salvation: The Ride, is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Manufactured by Great Coasters International, the roller coaster opened to the public on May 23, 2009. It is located in The Underground section of the amusement park on a plot of land formerly occupied by the Psyclone (1991–2007), Shockwave (1986–1988) and Sarajevo Bobsleds (1984–1986). It was the first wooden coaster to feature onboard audio, and its Terminator theme was short-lived following a corporate restructuring by Six Flags in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Lantern: First Flight (roller coaster)</span> Defunct ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Green Lantern: First Flight was a steel roller coaster formerly located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, United States. The ZacSpin model from Intamin was the first of its kind in the US when it opened on July 1, 2011. Its debut allowed Magic Mountain to reclaim its status of having the most roller coasters in the world.

This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that occurred in 2011. These various lists are not exhaustive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Full Throttle (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster at Magic Mountain

Full Throttle is a launched roller coaster located in Six Flags Plaza at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Designed and manufactured by Premier Rides, the ride opened to the public on June 22, 2013. It featured the world's tallest vertical loop of 160 feet (49 m) when it opened, a record that was surpassed in 2016 by Flash at Lewa Adventure in Xianyang, China. Its top hat element is also unique in the way it is situated on top of a vertical loop. It is the only roller coaster to have track on the bottom and top of a vertical loop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain Construction</span> Roller coaster manufacturer

Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. It is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters. Founded by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon in 2001, it has built over 20 roller coasters. In 2023, amusement ride manufacturer Larson International merged with it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxx Force</span> Roller coaster at Six Flags Great America

Maxx Force is a launched steel roller coaster at the Six Flags Great America amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois, United States. It opened on July 4, 2019, and was manufactured by S&S - Sansei Technologies. Maxx Force is themed on drag racing and is located in the Carousel Plaza area. The park marketed the ride as having the quickest acceleration in North America, traveling from 0 to 78 mph (126 km/h) in 1.8 seconds. The park also claimed the ride opened with the fastest inversion in the world at 60 mph (97 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Devil Coaster</span> Roller coaster in Jackson, New Jersey

The Jersey Devil Coaster is a single-rail roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. The roller coaster was built by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). It is themed to the Jersey Devil, a mythical creature rumored to live in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The roller coaster is 3,000 feet (910 m) long and contains a 130-foot (40 m)-tall lift hill and three inversions. The Jersey Devil Coaster uses four trains, each containing 12 seats, which achieve a maximum speed of 58 miles per hour (93 km/h).

This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that occurred in 2022. These various lists are not exhaustive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Universe (themed area)</span> DC Comics themed land at Six Flags parks

DC Universe is a DC Comics themed area at several Six Flags amusement parks. First opening at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2011, the themed area has since expanded into multiple Six Flags amusement parks in North America. Although the layout and attractions are not identical and vary at each park, they all thematically connect with each other.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Niles, Robert (December 11, 2019). "Six Flags' West Coast Racers is finally ready to race". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. "Six Flags Magic Mountain unveils West Coast Racers, its new roller coaster for 2019". Daily News. 29 August 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  3. Melnarik, David (July 20, 2019). "Six Flags Magic Mountain Gives Update On Newest Coaster". KHTS. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "West Coast Racers – Quadruple Launch Racing Coaster – Coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2019!". California Coaster Kings. 30 August 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "World's First Racing Launch Coaster, West Coast Racers, Debuting at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2019". Six Flags Magic Mountain. August 30, 2018. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  6. "Six Flags Magic Mountain to scrap 'one of the worst coasters ever'". 26 March 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 Niles, Robert. "West Coast Racers finally goes vertical at Six Flags Magic Mountain". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  8. Melnarik, David (2019-07-20). "Six Flags Magic Mountain Gives Update On Newest Coaster". Hometown Station | KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  9. Levine, Arthur. "Six Flags 2020 preview: New Jersey's Devil coaster, Texas' Aquaman set to make a splash". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  10. 1 2 MacDonald, Brady (December 12, 2019). "Six Flags Magic Mountain is ready to open its new West Coast Racers coaster". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  11. Tuttle, Brittani (January 9, 2020). "West Coast Racers now open at Six Flags Magic Mountain". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  12. Marden, Duane. "West Coast Racers  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  13. "World's First Racing Launch Coaster Coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2019". Six Flags. Retrieved January 11, 2019.