In March, Cedar Fair registered a trademark for the name "Top Thrill Dragster". The structure was built by Intamin's subcontractor Stakotra. The large investment tied it with Millennium Force as being the most expensive in park history. Officials for the park stated the goal was to build "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 420 feet (130 m) in height and accelerating up to 120 mph (190 km/h) in 4 seconds.
An official announcement revealing details on the new ride was made the following month on January 9, 2003. To construct the roller coaster, the park used five cranes, two of which were 480-foot (150 m) tall.Īt the time, only four such cranes in the United States were tall enough to handle construction of the 420-foot tower section. By October, the roller coaster had reached 200 feet (61 m) in height, and the highest peak was topped off in December.
Vertical construction by Martin & Vleminckx began in the fall season, months before the formal announcement. Track pieces identified as Intamin were previously spotted near Mean Streak. In August, an informal announcement from Cedar Point confirmed the park was building a new ride for the 2003 season. The concrete footings were kept hidden behind a fence when the park opened for the 2002 season. In April 2002, work began on the concrete foundation. After the 2001 season ended, a Dodgem ride across from Magnum XL-200's entrance was relocated to Michigan's Adventure to clear the way for the new ride. A modified version of Top Thrill Dragster is expected to open in 2024.Īccording to Rob Decker, Vice President of Planning and Design, the park began working on a new project shortly after the debut of Millennium Force in 2000. Following an incident in 2021 in which a guest was severely injured, the park closed the ride and later announced it would be replaced with a new ride experience. The roller coaster is the second Accelerator Coaster model built by Intamin and has consistently ranked as one of the world's top steel coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today.
Top Thrill Dragster is themed to Top Fuel drag racing, with the starting launch designed to resemble a dragstrip. Its speed and height records were surpassed in 2005 by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. Top Thrill Dragster features a height of 420 feet (130 m), a maximum speed of 120 mph (190 km/h), and a total track length of 2,800 feet (850 m). Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, it opened in 2003 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first strata coaster, which is any full-circuit roller coaster that exceeds 400 feet (120 m) in height. Top Thrill Dragster is a hydraulically-launched steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows (except for the first car), for a total of 18 riders per train.
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