Celebrating 50 years, The Racer keeps the turnstiles turning

The Racer at Kings Island, celebrating its 50th anniversary season, recently gave its 108th millionth ride – the most in park history! That’s an average of more than 2.1 million rides per year given since the twin-track wooden roller coaster welcomed its first riders in 1972.

Fifty years ago when Kings Island opened, The Racer was the star attraction and the most talked about ride in America. The design of the ride was truly inspirational, a twin-tracked, out-and-back racing coaster, unlike no other than had been built. Kings Island had in The Racer a ride with high capacity, graceful aesthetics, and one of the best rides in the country. With its red, white and blue color scheme, The Racer was visually stunning!

Prior to The Racer, the demand for roller coasters, and more specifically wooden roller coasters, had been in decline since the Great Depression. Literally hundreds of roller coaster built from 1890-1930 met the fate of the wrecking ball. By 1965, only about 200 of the 2,000 roller coasters built through the 1920s remained in operation. Then along came The Racer. The ride’s instant popularity sparked a roller coaster renaissance that has yet to slow down a half-century later. 

In addition to acting as the catalyst for other potential high-capacity racing coasters including Racer 75 (formerly Rebel Yell) at Kings Dominion and Gemini at Cedar Point, The Racer has also been 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.

The Racer was the first roller coaster structurally build on the ground with prefabricated sections lifted into position and bolted. It was billed as the most spectacular, longest, fastest and highest leading up to its opening, and the largest that John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company had built. He considered The Racer to be the finest roller coaster he ever built. And, he built a lot of them!

The Racer has a special place in my heart. It was the first roller coaster I ever rode. Just so many memories of riding The Racer over the years with family and friends. I’m sure you have some great memories, too! We’d love for you to share your favorite Racer memories with us. Tag us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #KI50 and #RacerMemories.

Watch the video below to take a virtual ride on The Racer!