Kings Dominion 300' Giga-Coaster In 2010

[PcMan]

Kings Dominion to Introduce $25 Million Steel Giga-Coaster In 2010
Intimidator 305 will be the Biggest, Baddest and Meanest on the East Coast

www.intimidator305.com

Doswell, VA. (Aug. 20, 2009) – The most exciting ride in Kings Dominion’s 35-year history will
debut in the spring of 2010, as the amusement park introduces a mammoth 5,100-foot long steel
Giga-coaster. Intimidator 305 takes it name from one of stock car racing’s most beloved and
tenacious drivers, Dale Earnhardt, “the Intimidator™” along with the height of the coaster’s lift hill,
305 feet.

Intimidator 305, only the second Giga-coaster ever built in North America, will be the tallest and
fastest roller coaster of its type on the East Coast. The lift hill will stand a towering 305 feet at its
highest peak; descend 300 feet at an 85 degree-angle and thunder along the track at speeds in
excess of 90 miles per hour during its three minute race to the finish. The trains, fashioned after
Dale Earnhardt’s signature black car, will roar through six airtime humps plus three high-speed
turns and the experience will have guests screaming for another lap around the track.

“Intimidator 305 will break records as the single largest capital investment in the history Kings
Dominion,” said Pat Jones, Kings Dominion’s vice president and general manager. “The numbers
speak for themselves, at a cost of $25 million, a lift hill and first drop close to the height of the
park’s landmark Eiffel Tower; you’ll have to see it to believe it.” Intimidator 305 will be located in
the park’s Congo section and becomes Kings Dominion’s 15th World-class roller coaster.

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will partner with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, owners of Kings
Dominion, to bring the massive coaster to life. “We’re excited to see this new roller coaster
celebrate the speed and intensity of the legendary career of Dale Earnhardt,” said Jeff Steiner,
executive vice president and general manager of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. “there are millions of fans
that still honor their racing hero and this is a very real way for them to connect with the spirit and
passion of the Intimidator™.”

Guests will have the opportunity to see the ride being built from the ground up during the
remainder of the park’s 2009 season, as well as follow its progress by watching the online
webcam, set up to overlook the entire work site. Those who cannot wait until 2010 may take a
virtual ride on Intimidator 305, access exclusive updates, features, virtual renderings, ride
statistics, and more at www.intimidator305.com.

Intamin AG of Wollerau, Switzerland, a recognized industry leader in roller coaster development,
designed Intimidator 305. The ride is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.

Ride Stats
- Track Length: 5,100 feet
- Maximum Height: 305 feet
- Lift Hill Angle: 45 degrees
- Length of First Drop: 300 feet
- Angle of First Drop: 85 degrees
- Length of Other Drops: 150 feet
- Airtime Humps: 6 including S-curve transitions
- High Speed Turns: 3 at ground level

- Fastest Speed: Excess of 90 MPH
- Ride Time: 3 minutes
- Hourly Capacity:: 1,350 riders
- Number of Trains: Two
- Vehicles: Four passenger open design trains with overhead lap bars but no over-the-shoulder harnesses

- Investment: $25 million

[PcMan]

Some competition to Kingda Ka and Nitro  ?

the drop and turn reminds me of Hercules

The name will go good with the Race fans in that area and the south.
NASCAR is very very big and has many fans which spend alot of money so I expect all fans that love Dale will HAVE TO RIDE THIS.
I few of my friends are big race fans and have all the "stuff" so they may want to hit the park next year.

[Ogolo]

No on ride speakers making race car noises?
I suppose that is so 2009.

[armystrong62b]

not bad

[overlord]

Why the hell yellow supports? And why no grandstands, race track features, etc. They dropped the ball on this I say with going for the NASCAR theme.

[AV Matt]

Why cut all the trees down? It could be soooo much better.

[dkny6363]

over the shoulder restraints?

[rjholla2003]

Why the hell yellow supports? And why no grandstands, race track features, etc. They dropped the ball on this I say with going for the NASCAR theme.

Because that's what happens when an AMUSEMENT park does theming instead of a THEME park.

[Millennium Force 44]

I don't get it. Why go 300+ feet when you are going to stay low to the ground most of the time. Over the shoulder restraints?! Not cool. Is the first drop really going to be that undersupported?
On the positive side, the first drop looks absolutely nuts. the ride is basically a "giga mega-lite".

[AV Matt]

Much of the support is in the track structure. Note how beefy it is compared to previous Intamins.

The low to the ground flavor is fine by me, but it needs more hills that pack a punch. Imagine the second half of Supes SFNE coupled on to the end of this ride.

It hasn't been confirmed yet, but it's sounding like there are errors in the renderings and the restraints will not have the shoulder strap part, but just the swing-over lapbar portion. Now that right there would make this ride about 50 coasters better!

Still, why oh why oh why did they have to clear cut the woods. Not like the ride is anything interesting to look at. It would be so much more exciting if it snaked through the woods like Return of the Jedi speeder bikes!

[overlord]

The OSTR is to simulate the feeling of being strapped into a 5 point harness like Nascar mandates all the cars to use IMO. Its still a disaster in my book and hopefully they can make it better somehow.

[rjholla2003]

Much of the support is in the track structure. Note how beefy it is compared to previous Intamins.

The low to the ground flavor is fine by me, but it needs more hills that pack a punch. Imagine the second half of Supes SFNE coupled on to the end of this ride.

It hasn't been confirmed yet, but it's sounding like there are errors in the renderings and the restraints will not have the shoulder strap part, but just the swing-over lapbar portion. Now that right there would make this ride about 50 coasters better!

Still, why oh why oh why did they have to clear cut the woods. Not like the ride is anything interesting to look at. It would be so much more exciting if it snaked through the woods like Return of the Jedi speeder bikes!

Well, NASCAR drivers don't swerve around trees...no matter how cool it would make the ride. I mean, it seems like a cool ride that could be MUCH cooler, but they misused the speed.  If the +Gs are nice in the twists, then I could tolerate the lack of airtime some.  I don't like that it's strongest hills look like El Toro's weakest hills.

[AV Matt]

What? El Toro has weak hills? You mean it's not perfect? The Hell you say!

Ok so you're saying Cedar Fair can use the NASCAR theme as an excuse to get rid of more trees. LOL

It's pretty much just Millennium Force with the overbanked turns on the ground instead of up in the air.

[Millennium Force 44]

It's pretty much just Millennium Force with the overbanked turns on the ground instead of up in the air.

I have to completely disagree. It is a large version of Piraten/Kawasemi.

[AV Matt]

^With a lot of the hills replaced with flat track on the ground... just like Millennium Force.

It goes up the lift then down the drop into a flat right turn followed by a long drawn out half-sized hill, but not a full height S-curve hill mind you (as Piraten has). Right there the similarity with the megalites ends IMO.

[Millennium Force 44]

I see what you're saying Matt, but I mean it's more like a large megalite because of the feel of the ride, not the actual layout. Yes, there are similarities in the layout with a megalite, but it seems like it will ride more like a megalite and the idea of the ride reflects that of a megalite.

[rjholla2003]

Hehehe Matt.  Yes, El Toro does have 4 weak hills.  I just don't find them flaws like you do.  When it's not cold, or the first thing in the morning, I still get decent airtime on them, and I think the first two weak hills are perfectly placed.  You can really use the breather after the insane out run, and the relative weakness of those hills add an extreme punctuation to the Rolling Thunder hill.  The two hills for the S turns are also weak, but they are still pretty fun with the twisting change of direction while you still get a hint of airtime.

Then after I was happy with that, I had someone point out that El Toro tells as story.  Whether Intamin did it on pupose or not, it fits IMO.  Look at a bull during a rodeo.  It storms out of the gate, bucking like mad, trying to throw the cowboy off of it's back. But, the bull gets tired quick, so he isn't as forceful and starts to spin slightly.  But he gets that last wind and gives you another powerful buck, before he gives up trying to throw you off, and starts spinning.  Just like the powerful bucking, the powerful spinning doesn't last long either, but it is intense.  8 seconds after you started, the wild ride is over as the tired bull trots away, and you stand there victorious.

El Toro follows that pretty closely.  It would be pretty cool if Intamin really did some storytelling with the track.

As for the trees..I guess?  You know CF doesn't believe in things like "trees" and "shade" anyway.  But in any event, NASCAR doesn't say "trees".  If they were going to clear cut the trees, they could have "Bizarro-ed" the ride with some props.  But wait, they're an AMUSEMENT park chain, not a THEME park chain.  That's why the majority of my love goes to THEME parks...even if the world's largest chain lost their way for a while...

In the end, it still looks like a fun ride.  I'll have to get down there next season and ride so I can make my final judgement.

[Dubya91]

Guys guys, This is classical Cedar Fair themeing...Concrete!

I am not too thrilled with the layout of the ride, they could of put more over banked turns, and added a bunny hill or two somewhere in there for airtime. Also the OSTRs are brutal on something like this...

[ChuckR]

I just think with 25 million they could of built an insane hyper! This just looks too short for a giga for me...

[overlord]

Or even a Maverick style ride which I say would fit the NASCAR description alot better.

[rjholla2003]

The NASCAR theme fell apart after the first right turn...

[Dubya91]

They should of went with a launch then, make it something like Xcelerator or Storm Runner....

[overlord]

The NASCAR theme fell apart after the first right turn...

Not if its a road course!

[WadeJ]

Lmao - that was awesome Reggie!

And for the record, I'm a Nascar fan lol

[rjholla2003]

The NASCAR theme fell apart after the first right turn...

Not if its a road course!

True.  I was about to post that, but chose to ignore it, lol.