One of the world’s tallest and fastest roller coasters will open for business at an iconic Midwestern theme park this weekend.
“Top Thrill 2, world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster,” will open to the public at Cedar Point on opening day Saturday, a release said.
According to the release, a “strata” coaster is any roller coaster that eclipse a height of 400 feet. The first one of its kind debuted at Cedar Point in 2003, the release added.
Park officials say the new “reimagined” coaster boasts two, 420-foot-tall track towers, “putting riders in the driver’s seat for one of the greatest races of all time.”
At the start of the ride, guests will race down the straightaway, reaching speeds as high as 74 miles per hour. Riders will then race towards the sky to the coaster’s “top hat” tower, at 420-feet.
What follows is a favorite among adrenaline junkies, Cedar Point said.
“After experiencing weightlessness during the ‘rollback’ – the coveted fan-favorite moment when the train’s momentum isn’t great enough to make it up and over the tower – the train shifts into reverse and into its second launch, reaching speeds of 101 mph,” the release said.
The coaster, which tops out a 120 miles per hour, also features a backwards climb at a 90-degree angle, and a 270-degree spiral, officials said.
“Cedar Point has a long-lasting legacy of record-breaking roller coaster innovation and Top Thrill 2 delivers everything a thrill-seeker could want, including staggering height and speed,” Carrie Boldman, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point said in the release.
According to the release, Cedar Point, is the second-oldest amusement park in the country. According to Six Flags, the Kingda Ka ride at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey currently holds the title for the “tallest coaster in the world” and the “fastest coaster in North America.”