Lightning
Racer
"It's
like thunder, lightning, the way you love me is frightening...
you better knock, knock, knock... on wood."
Knock
On Wood - Eddie Floyd & Steve Cropper
In the short time since it's been on the scene, Great Coasters International
has fast become the Tiger "Woods" of lumber-railed roller
coaster design. The company's very first effort, Hersheypark's
esteemed Wildcat (pictured at left), was an unqualified
blockbuster, drawing heaps of praise for both its achingly gorgeous
layout and flat-out phenomenal ride. I can't name another thrill
ride creator that's had a debut as sweet as that.
Just two years
later, in 1998, GCI hit us with Six Flags America's (then Adventure
World's) Roar. And though it may not be quite as outrageous
as the Wildcat, Roar was a second dazzling whirlwind that had
folks recalling twisters from the coaster's Roaring Twenties glory
days. Another tough act to follow.
They did, and then some, with a second Roar, this time for Six Flags
Marine World out in California. This 1999 powerhouse raised the
bar by getting just a bit more convoluted, thanks to GCI's new
hubba-hubba-sexy "Millennium Flyer" trains. Sensational
in both form and function, these retro-styled, single-row-per-car
conveyances writhe through every sweeping drop and radical curve
with savage agility, making SFMW's Roar as fine a twister as any
I've ever ridden.
And that same
year, Great Coasters served up its first twin-tracked machine,
Busch Gardens Tampa's dueling Gwazi (pictured at right).
With two completely independent, intertwined, 3,400-foot-long
courses, Gwazi was still another awe-inspiring revelation: 50
mile per hour fly-bys, flawless pacing, and the kind of sinuous
trackwork that surely has Harry Traver crying tears of joy up
in Coaster Heaven.
Five monumental
courses in four years, each of them a trophy-winner. And GCI,
like the young Mr. Woods, is just getting warmed up.
For 2000,
Great Coasters has returned to the Pennsylvanian playground where
their short but astounding career began, this time to produce
America's first "racing/dueling" woodie, a sprawling
out and back-twister combo called Lightning Racer. If you
thought Hersheypark's Wildcat was purty, let your eyes wander
all over this:
Friends,
they don't get any foxier.
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hersheypark's Midway America is one sweet little park-within-a-park, a tastefully
presented collection of vintage attractions like the Whip and the Merry Derry Fun Slides, and post-modern scream
machines like the Chance Chaos. And then there's the steel Wild Mouse, a contemporary take on an old favorite. Of
course, high on a hill overlooking Midway America, stands the
Wildcat, once Hersheypark's finest coaster.
Not anymore.
At the far
end of Midway America, you'll find the Lightning Racer and its
classically inspired boarding station, bright white with suitably
patriotic red and blue trimmings. If you take the long way around
to get there, you can start at the back end of the LR and stroll
along its entire length, savoring every seductive foot. Gets ya
feeling just a bit... aroused.
After hoofing around the outer portion of the queue, we approach the final
ramp up to the load platform. To the left, the green Thunder trains;
to the right, the red Lighting. Makes little difference which
you choose. Just do yourself a favor and spend an extra few minutes
waiting for the forward car, at least the first time you ride.
As each incoming
pair of trains enters the station, the winners are greeted with
a hearty announcement over the loudspeakers and a flashing color-coded
light. It's plenty festive and enough to get those competitive
juices flowing through yer veins.
And look at
those sweet, open-front cars leading the charge... PTC trains
are always a pleasure, but it's my sincere hope that every GCI
coaster from this point on sports these comely coaches. Settling
in and pulling down the lap bars, you know these snug puppies
were designed by people who love what they do. Thumbs way up.
Each
train drops out of the station and whistles around a turn before
mounting its respective chain lift, Thunder on the inside, Lightning
on the outside. Those lifts are staggered by quite a few feet,
so we aren't quite "racing" yet.
But you wouldn't
want your attention distracted by the other cars anyway. Off to
the right, gaze down in wonder at the LR's insane snake-pit tangle
of naked yellow pine. One word: stupefying.
Finally, we're
at the 90-foot pinnacle and the race is on!
We
plunge down a glorious GCI fall, diving and tipping to the right.
Hitting 50-plus, the two trains soar all the way to ground level
and motor right back up to the left, cresting another pair of
staggered hills, smooth and graceful as a pair of synchronized
swimmers.
Call it a sign of my advancing age, but I'm less and less enamored of woodies
that beat the heck out of me. And like all of GCI's creations,
the LR knows how to play just rough enough to keep things enjoyable.
We're makin' plenty of noise, but it's all good, baby. And
it's going to get much, much better.
We race back down and each train splits off to enter the outside
legs of the Lightning Racer's sumptuous "Siphon Drops."
Up and around
we go, sweeping over these architecturally stunning structures,
preparing to dive into the maw of a waterfall-covered tunnel.
Thunder and Lightning veer right towards each other, plunging
closer and closer.
Hooking up
at the bottom of this exquisite descent, we slam into the darkness,
where a tasty little bunny hop is waiting to give our hineys a
solid boost. Jumping side-by-side over this unexpected treat,
the two trains speed back into daylight and the racing starts
to get hot and heavy.
Soaring through another feisty turn, we're runnin' like the wind back towards
the station through what they've properly nicknamed "Sideswipe
Alley:" up and down, left and right, careening like there's
no tomorrow through the furious core of a lumber maelstrom. This,
people, is "The Perfect Storm." Boo-yah!
Making another set of completely independent moves, both trains whip up into
opposing turns alongside the lift hill for a second "near
miss" fly-by. Round and round and then it's back down for
another headlong, chaotic sprint towards the far end of the Racer's
course.
And sprint these two most certainly do. Slashing low and mean over the ground,
it feels like we haven't lost an ounce of velocity, another
testament to GCI's prodigious talent.
Thunder and
Lightning go at it with ever greater intensity, lashing around
each other like irate anacondas. Lightning leaps over Thunder
as the two trains head for the last fly-by, a revolution that'll
poise us for the Finish Line dash.
Growling around these U-turns, we plow down to joust and then hasten to meet
up again.
Dead ahead,
the checkered flag! There's a quick dive and a rise back up to
the brake run, each trainload tryin' to will itself to victory.
It's going to be a photo finish!
And the winner
is... !
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hey,
on these two, everybody wins. Put a gun to my head and
I couldn't tell you which track I preferred. Maybe the Lightning,
first car... No, Thunder's rear car... No, waitaminit, lemme think...
In all honesty, any row in either of 'em makes for a completely
intoxicating experience.
Is the Lighting
Racer the best GCI has created to date? Could very well be.
When it comes
to steel machines, there are a whole bunch of companies that deliver
the goods: Arrow, Bolliger & Mabillard, Giovanola, Intamin,
Mack, Pinfari, Reverchon, Setpoint, Togo, Vekoma, etc., etc. But
in the realm of the wooden coaster, there are far fewer we can
name, and that's a cryin' shame.
Which is all
the more reason to appreciate the work Great Coasters does. And
Hersheypark, which can now claim to have more coasters that any
other funzone in Pennsylvania (eight by a strict measure, nine
if you count the two LR courses separately), must be applauded
for the wisdom of inviting GCI back so soon. Bravo!
So, where's
the next Great Coaster headed? Man, if I knew that already, I'd
be there now. Cuz if GCI continues to make the same strides forward,
their sixth outing is going to be something beyond incredible.
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lightning
Racer
- TRACK LENGTHS:
Each approx. 3,400 feet
- TOP SPEED:
51 Miles Per Hour
- MAX. G
FORCE: 3.6
- MAX. HEIGHT:
90 feet
- RIDE DURATION:
2 minutes, 20 seconds
- CARS: "Millennium
Flyer" trains composed of 12 cars. Each car accommodates
two passengers across.
- MANUFACTURER:
Great Coasters International, Santa Cruz, California
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