Kings Island brings back beloved original logo on Racer roller coaster trains

Questions or concerns about the accessibility of our website or need any assistance accessing any of the information you would expect to find on our site, please contact us at (513) 754-5700.
Cart
Park: Closed
Water Park: Closed
View Hours
Park: Closed
Water Park: Closed
View Hours

Kings Island brings back beloved original logo on Racer roller coaster trains

Don Helbig Photo Don Helbig |
May 3, 2021

With the official opening of the 2021 season less than two weeks away, Kings Island is unveiling a new logo on the front cars of the blue and red trains on the iconic Racer roller coaster.

But it’s also an old one.

The 364-acre amusement and water park is bringing back the original logo that was featured on the  trains from its opening with Kings Island in 1972 until 1992, when the park went through a series of logo changes on the ride.  

In addition to bringing back the original logo on the trains, the park has also gone retro with the ID sign at The Racer entrance.

Over the winter, a stretch of track from the base of the first drop to the base of the 85-foot tall fourth hill and track from the fifth hill to the base of the turnaround on both the north and south sides was replaced as part of The Racer’s annual offseason maintenance program. The amount of care that goes into The Racer every year is what has preserved the ride and will keep it around for future generations of thrill seekers to enjoy.

The Racer hasn’t been just a mainstay at Kings Island. It played an important part of the roller coaster renaissance of the 1970’s.

Authorities credit the Racer as the inspiration for what has been developed and built since the destructive period from 1945 to 1970, a time when most of the greatest roller coasters ever conceived fell victim to the wrecker’s ball.

Kings Island management, in one of the industry's best moves, got exactly what they needed in the Racer. In one coaster they had: high capacity, graceful aesthetics, and one of the best rides in the country.

In addition to unusual characteristics, such as the spectacular track split at the turnaround and a total of over 1,200 feet of weightlessness (negative G’s), the Racer acted as a catalyst for other potential high-capacity racing coasters including Racer 75 at Kings Dominion and Gemini at Cedar Point.

The Racer was the site of several world-record riding attempts and is notable for its appearance in the “Cincinnati Kids” episode of The Brady Bunch, filmed at the park in 1973. In 1982, one side of The Racer was transformed into the world’s first full-length, backwards traveling roller coaster, offering a unique ride experience that lasted for 26 seasons.

Who can say how many roller coasters would have been built if The Racer had not paved the way?

More than 106 million guests have taken a ride on The Racer through its first 49 seasons of operation, the most in park history. Its record year was 1976, when a single-season park record 3.6 million rides were given.

Kings Island opens for the 2021 season May 15. A Gold and Platinum Passholder Preview Weekend will be held May 8-9.