West Coast Racers

West Coast Racers is a dueling steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia, California. Manufactured by Premier Rides, the ride is a collaboration between West Coast Customs and Six Flags that was promoted as the world's first launch version of a racing roller coaster. After multiple delays and missing the 2019 summer season, the ride eventually debuted on December 21, 2019, in a series of preview events spanning several weeks. It officially opened to the public on January 9, 2020.[1] West Coast Racers is located on the former site of Déjà Vu, an inverted roller coaster removed in 2011, within a newly-themed land named The Underground, which replaced the former Cyclone Bay.[2][3]

West Coast Racers
Six Flags Magic Mountain
LocationSix Flags Magic Mountain
Park sectionThe Underground
Coordinates34.4217°N 118.5992°W / 34.4217; -118.5992
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateDecember 21, 2019 (2019-12-21)
Opening dateJanuary 9, 2020 (2020-01-09)
ReplacedDéjà Vu
General statistics
TypeSteel – Launched
ManufacturerPremier Rides
ModelCustom
Height67 ft (20 m)
Length4,000 ft (1,200 m)
Speed55 mph (89 km/h)
Inversions4
Duration3:00
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains3 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 12 riders per train.
Single rider line No
West Coast Racers at RCDB
Pictures of West Coast Racers at RCDB

History

Six Flags Magic Mountain revealed West Coast Racers during a media event held at the park on August 29, 2018,[4] along with a press release the following day.[5] Park president Neal Thurman and West Coast Customs Founder and CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus announced their partnership in the design of the roller coaster, which was touted as having a record-breaking four magnetic launches.[4][5] It would also feature four inversions – three zero-g rolls and one zero-g stall – along with 30 train interactions, which includes 14 track crossings and one "high-five" element across two laps around the course.[4][5] The coaster would reach a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) and feature a number of airtime hills and overbanked turns that will occur side-by-side.[4][5] West Coast Racers was originally marketed as the park's 20th coaster, but with the planned removal of Green Lantern: First Flight after the 2019 season, the park's total number of coasters remained at 19.[6]

Construction began months behind schedule in May 2019 following a delayed delivery of finished track.[7] The first pieces arrived reportedly later than expected in February 2019.[7] Six Flags did not release an expected opening date, but Theme Park Insider estimated fall 2019 based on the delayed start.[7] A construction update in July 2019 showed a significant amount of work left to complete.[8] In October 2019, a writer for USA Today said, "Speaking of Magic Mountain, the Los Angeles-area park has not revealed anything new for 2020. It still has yet to debut West Coast Racers..."[9]

On December 12, 2019, it was announced West Coast Racers would operate during a series of preview events beginning on December 21, 2019.[1][10] Access was given first to guests with select membership status, and on December 23, 2019, access was given to season pass holders, along with guests who purchased either a West Coast Racers t-shirt or the park's flash pass.[1][10] The ride officially opened to the general public on January 9, 2020.[11][12]

Ride experience

A pair of two-car trains, each holding a total of 12 riders, launch simultaneously from the station. They interact over thirty times throughout the course of the track, reaching a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) as the two trains cross the finish line. One pulls back into the station, while the other pulls into a replica of the West Coast Customs shop to listen to a narration given by Ryan Friedlinghaus. Both cars launch again and repeat the course a second time, producing a ride duration of approximately three minutes.[13]

References
  1. Niles, Robert (December 11, 2019). "Six Flags' West Coast Racers is finally ready to race". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. "Six Flags Magic Mountain unveils West Coast Racers, its new roller coaster for 2019". Daily News. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  3. Melnarik, David (July 20, 2019). "Six Flags Magic Mountain Gives Update On Newest Coaster". KHTS. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  4. "West Coast Racers – Quadruple Launch Racing Coaster – Coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2019!". California Coaster Kings. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  5. "World's First Racing Launch Coaster, West Coast Racers, Debuting at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2019". Six Flags Magic Mountain. August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  6. https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2019/03/26/six-flags-magic-mountain-green-lantern-coaster-closed/
  7. Niles, Robert. "West Coast Racers finally goes vertical at Six Flags Magic Mountain". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  8. Melnarik, David (2019-07-20). "Six Flags Magic Mountain Gives Update On Newest Coaster". Hometown Station | KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  9. Levine, Arthur. "Six Flags 2020 preview: New Jersey's Devil coaster, Texas' Aquaman set to make a splash". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  10. MacDonald, Brady (December 12, 2019). "Six Flags Magic Mountain is ready to open its new West Coast Racers coaster". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  11. Tuttle, Brittani (January 9, 2020). "West Coast Racers now open at Six Flags Magic Mountain". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  12. Marden, Duane. "West Coast Racers  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  13. "World's First Racing Launch Coaster Coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2019". Six Flags. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
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