If you're a fan of roller coasters and adrenaline rushes, then you've got to check out this POV on-ride video of the Top Thrill Dragster at the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Thanks to its hydraulic launch system, you can see first hand just how quickly this ride gets up to speed.
At the beginning of the video, you'll notice the similarities to drag racing, as it features the same starting light Christmas tree. Once the light turns green, this cart takes off down the track in the same fashion as if it were headed down a drag strip. It reaches some insane speeds as well, but it doesn't hit the brakes at the end. Instead, the track continues straight into the air through inversions before making its way back down to the other side.
Good thing they have a lap bar on this ride, because you'll need one. It may be a short ride, but it's certainly action packed and the drop at the end is enough to get the blood pumping. Let's check out some information about the crazy ride.
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Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster
The strata coaster was manufactured by Intamin, and it was the 16th built inside the park. The tagline for the Top Thrill Dragster is "Race For The Sky," and it's not hard to see why. The hydraulic system that launches the trains down the track is definitely its most notable unique feature.
When this high-speed roller coaster first debuted at the theme park in 2003, it broke world records for the tallest complete circuit roller coaster, the tallest roller coaster, the tallest roller coaster drop, and the fastest roller coaster. Amazingly, you will hit a top speed of 120 MPH on the stretch of launch track in under four seconds. The previous records were held by rides like Tower of Terror II, Dodonpa, and Superman: Escape from Krypton at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Two years later, Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure and took two of the records away from Top Thrill Dragster.
As if the ride weren't scary enough, there are also occurrences known as "rollbacks" that happen from time to time. This happens when the train does not have enough speed to make it all the way up and over the hill, causing it to roll back down the 400 feet it came. Terrifying stuff!
Luckily, the ride is equipped with magnetic braking fins, so it can be slowed down if this happens. On rare occasions, it can even get stuck at the very top due to not having enough speed. In this scenario, a mechanic takes the elevator up and pushes the train forward so that it can roll down the other side.
The Top Thrill Dragster and the Millennium Force rides are reported as the top two largest investments in Cedar Point history. If you're ever in Ohio, this should definitely be one of the places that you stop at. Keep in mind, this is only just one of the rides at the theme park!