Intimidator (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Intimidator is a steel
roller coaster
at the Carowinds amusement park
. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard
, Intimidator is the thirteenth roller coaster installed at Carowinds and is located at the entrance of the theme park. The Intimidator is the tallest, longest, and fastest roller coaster in the Southeastern United States
. It was announced on August 26, 2009 and opened March 27, 2010. The roller coaster's name comes from the nickname of the late NASCAR
driver Dale Earnhardt
.
It is also the flagship ride at the park.
to utilize the Dale Earnhardt
brand as part of the ride. One of Earnhardt's sons, Kerry Earnhardt, was on-hand for the press conference announcing the attraction and endorsed the ride on behalf of the family.
at Canada's Wonderland and Diamondback
at Kings Island
. Each car seats four passengers, with two front seats set near the middle of the car and two rear seats set closer to the sides of the car. Each of Intimidator's three trains has eight cars, with the front car designed to resemble Earnhardt's 1998 Daytona 500
winning Richard Childress Racing
#3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
.
that has a 211 feet (64 m) drop angled at 74 degrees. At the bottom of this drop, the train reaches its top speed of 80 miles per hour (36 m/s) and pulls up into the second, 178 feet (54 m) hill, which has an overbanked turn on the drop. The train then pulls up a camelback hill, which is 151 feet (46 m) tall. On this hill, riders experience negative g-force
, which results in a sensation known as "airtime
". The train then pulls into a 121 feet (37 m) panoramic u-turn. After the u-turn, there are two more camelback hills, which are 105 feet (32 m) and 90 feet (27 m). These hills are followed by the mid-course brake run
. Following the brakes, the train pulls up another hill, which is 62 feet (19 m) and banks into a diving spiral
, with a picture section that takes the rider's on ride photo. The train pulls up another 52 feet (16 m) hill,drops, and raises 48 feet (15 m) onto the final brake run
. After the train slows, it curves to the left and pulls back into the station.
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
at the Carowinds amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
, Intimidator is the thirteenth roller coaster installed at Carowinds and is located at the entrance of the theme park. The Intimidator is the tallest, longest, and fastest roller coaster in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
. It was announced on August 26, 2009 and opened March 27, 2010. The roller coaster's name comes from the nickname of the late NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
.
It is also the flagship ride at the park.
History
Announced on August 26, 2009, by Cedar Fair L.P., the parent company of Carowinds, reached a licensing agreement with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was a NASCAR-related organization located in Mooresville, North Carolina, United States working to continue the legacy of Dale Earnhardt. It was originally formed in 1980 by seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt who died in a crash on the closing lap of the 2001...
to utilize the Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
brand as part of the ride. One of Earnhardt's sons, Kerry Earnhardt, was on-hand for the press conference announcing the attraction and endorsed the ride on behalf of the family.
Design
Intimidator is a hyper coaster model designed by Bolliger & Mabillard. The roller coaster trains are similar to those used by other B&M hypercoasters commissioned by Cedar Fair, including BehemothBehemoth (roller coaster)
Behemoth is a steel roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It is a Hyper Coaster designed and developed by Swiss manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard. Behemoth is currently the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Canada...
at Canada's Wonderland and Diamondback
Diamondback (roller coaster)
Diamondback is a Bolliger & Mabillard steel hypercoaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio.The ride is long and spans from just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower and over the Rivertown area, and into a wooded area. The roller coaster contains a splashdown element near the end...
at Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
. Each car seats four passengers, with two front seats set near the middle of the car and two rear seats set closer to the sides of the car. Each of Intimidator's three trains has eight cars, with the front car designed to resemble Earnhardt's 1998 Daytona 500
1998 Daytona 500
The 1998 Daytona 500 was run on February 15, 1998. It is memorable in that it marked Dale Earnhardt's only Daytona 500 victory after 19 previous attempts and many heartbreaking finishes. Not only was it Earnhardt's 20th 500 start, but also CBS's 20th consecutive live broadcast of the Daytona 500...
winning Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
#3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
.
Ride Layout
The ride starts out with a 232 feet (71 m) lift hillLift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is often the initial upward-sloping section of track on a typical roller coaster that initially transports the roller coaster train to an elevated point or peak in the roller coaster ride...
that has a 211 feet (64 m) drop angled at 74 degrees. At the bottom of this drop, the train reaches its top speed of 80 miles per hour (36 m/s) and pulls up into the second, 178 feet (54 m) hill, which has an overbanked turn on the drop. The train then pulls up a camelback hill, which is 151 feet (46 m) tall. On this hill, riders experience negative g-force
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
, which results in a sensation known as "airtime
Airtime
Airtime is a free and open source radio management application for remote broadcast automation , and program exchange between radio stations.-History:...
". The train then pulls into a 121 feet (37 m) panoramic u-turn. After the u-turn, there are two more camelback hills, which are 105 feet (32 m) and 90 feet (27 m). These hills are followed by the mid-course brake run
Brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
. Following the brakes, the train pulls up another hill, which is 62 feet (19 m) and banks into a diving spiral
Spiral
In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a central point, getting progressively farther away as it revolves around the point.-Spiral or helix:...
, with a picture section that takes the rider's on ride photo. The train pulls up another 52 feet (16 m) hill,drops, and raises 48 feet (15 m) onto the final brake run
Brake run
A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track meant to slow or stop a roller coaster train. Brake runs may be located anywhere along the circuit of a coaster and may be designed to bring the train to a complete halt or to simply adjust the train's speed...
. After the train slows, it curves to the left and pulls back into the station.
Timeline
- August 26, 2009- Intimidator is officially announced to the public.
- September 1, 2009-First piece of track gets put in place.
- October 1, 2009- The 232 ft (70.7 m) lift hill begins.
- October 13, 2009- Lift hill is topped off.
- December 9, 2009- The final element the diving helix is started.
- December 21, 2009- Track completed.
- January 11, 2010- First train arrived.
- January 14, 2010- Bidding begins for first rider auction.
- February 4, 2010- Carowinds started testing first train.
- February 10, 2010- 1st train to reached 100 cycles.
- February 11, 2010- They added the 2nd train to testing.
- February 17, 2010- They added the 3rd train to testing.
- March 4, 2010- Complete testing.
- March 27, 2010- Open to public.
Awards
| Golden Ticket Awards: Best Steel Coaster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2010 | 2011 |
| Ranking | ||
See also
- Intimidator 305Intimidator 305Intimidator 305 is a steel roller coaster designed and built by Intamin located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia in the United States. Standing at tall and reaching speeds of , it is the tallest, fastest roller coaster at Kings Dominion...
, a gigacoaster opened in 2010 at sister park Kings Dominion. The ride features a 305 ft (93 m) lift and a 300 ft (91.4 m) decent at an 85° angle reaching speeds up to 95 mi/h. Intimidator 305Intimidator 305Intimidator 305 is a steel roller coaster designed and built by Intamin located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia in the United States. Standing at tall and reaching speeds of , it is the tallest, fastest roller coaster at Kings Dominion...
was designed by Intamin AGIntamin AGIntamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an...
, the same company who designed Drop Tower at Carowinds.