Best Racer

Simple, You just put your favorite racer and why. Mine is American Eagle. The only other racer I have ridden is Gemini, and AE is just a little better IMO. The Blue side is the best, and is so much fun. The drop is great, and you get a lot of air time. The red side is not as good mainly because it shakes the crap out of you.

Duelling Dragons and Gwazi racing?!?!?

Yeah I'm going to have to call shananigans and pull down Dueling Dragons and Gwazi.

 

My vote: Grand National!

Grand National's the only one i've ridden, yet, but its a good fun ride. Nothing adds another element to a ride as well as a bit of friendly competition. Split your group between the two trains, and you've got something that no other ride has. Plus, I won 3 times out of 3 on saturday, which makes it good

Lightning Racer isnt a racer either.

 

I choose Gemini becaues of the awsome head chopper!

Sorry if your favorite coaster did not show up. As for the the dueling coasters, I created this topic on Rcpro, and people got upset for not having dueling coasters, so I decided to put them in.

I choose PKI Racer because it was my first large coaster and I grew up riding it!

^^^Dude how is Lightning RACER not a Racer?! Have you been on it? It races to the finish line!!!

Gemini, just 'cause it's the only racer I've been on...

 

I agree with the headchopper thing though

Out of the list I voted for "Lightning Racer" but that may change next June when I ride "Grand National" for the first time.

^^^Dude how is Lightning RACER not a Racer?! Have you been on it? It races to the finish line!!!

 

Because they have two different layouts.

^ But so does the Racer, so does American Eagle, so does Rebel Yell, so does Rolling Thunder and so does... you get the point. They all have different layouts.

 

Anyways, my vote goes out to the American Eagle. It's been running excellent recently, with insane airtime and minimal braking.

I voted Racer. After next June I could possibly say Grand National for the same reasons I live KW's Racer.

 

We'll see!

LR is the best I've been on thus far.

Nothing quite comes close to the Grand National for me. If you're new to it next year, give it a little leeway - the new cars are a little tight, and they've ofcrouse got the standard ratchetting bar & seatbelt combination PTC swear by now (and so do BPB operations managers literally, as they hate the belts, in their words the belts will be an "operational nightmare", but because PTC have got anal over safety and include the belts as a "required" restraint in their design now, BPB simply have to use them - it ran for five decades with no restraints at all before the old PTC trains were bought in 1980, and the only people to be injured were those who stood up on purpose!).

 

I rode it yesterday (sunday) for the last time in the old remaining two trains, and they were flying, absolutely belting round, with the usual thigh-snapping airtime in the usual places. Those trains and the manual brakes are now retired however, in name of the new cars BPB arent particularly happy with (I won't go into a rant why.. they're just not happy with what PTC have done, in certain places) and magnetic brakes. I was under the impression that the manual loading and unloading brakes would stay, but BPB's resident Nash expert told me there'll be air brakes. He (Peter Saddler, whom rebuilt the brakes last year from memory, as there's no plans) reckons it'll never run four trains again though, due to issues with the new brakes and blocking. If a train is stuck in the new air powered unloading brakes, and the other trains are past the lift, there's nothing they can do but expect a "bump" in the station when they come back, as the new slowing brakes, being magnetic, won't be able to stop a train. I hope they see sense and fit a mechanical stopping brake within the magnetic slowers!

 

Enough of that..

 

So far I've ridden the Nash (obviously - many, many, many times!), Lightning Racer, Racer (Kennywood), Gemini and Colossus. Even Kennywood's Racer doesn't come close to the Nash - John Miller was requested ny Kennywood to build a fun but mild coaster, which is what he indeed did with Racer. Charles Paige however just built a coaster, and quite poorly at that - the profile is bad, the turns aren't banked enough - and those things are precisely the things that make old coasters so damn bloody superb - exactly the things most modern coaster sorely lack, in the name of fancy precise calculated design. Some of the world's best coasters are vintage ones, and they weren't calculated, despite what people these days think. The designers admitted themselves that they sometimes didn't do proper plans, and built what looked right to them, without calculation. And you know what, it bloody worked, very well! Computers and calculations are just a part of life now, but designers take liberties with the modern tools they have, and produce samey rides with little character, and they over-support them too, to a spine-jarring extent. Nothing like the oldies..!

 

Phew, rant over.

 

Definately Grand National for me!

Out of the 3 I have ridden, Rolling Thunder, Rebel Yell and Lightning Racer, I voted for Lightning Racer. I like the layout of the ride the best and the ride just seems more fun.

Lightning Racer is my favorite!

 

My vote will probably change to Grand National after the UK Trip since I haven't been on it yet.

^For everybody hoping to ride the Grand National for the first time next year, I'll keep enthasising my second sentance above - the new cars and braking system might detract from it somewhat, until it's all either "worn in" well or modified over time - "tweaked" perhaps. Being a Nash expert (as BPB operations managers see me as) and an avid rider, I'm anxious to see how it'll perform next year. Large people won't be too comfy in the tight seats.. (the new upholstery really needs removing, thinning down and refitting - just an inch off each panel would do nicely).

 

I've SO got to be there when you all visit BPB next year - aswell as being like a human BPB encyclopedia ready to answer questions, I really want to see in person what you all think!

 

I might even try to get a job there. I've been thinking about it for a couple of years now..

Rebel Yell

 

its the only one i have been on lol. :?

For me it's Gemini. It's a bit bumpy (but not necessarily rough) in some spots, but has good airtime and you can almost always count on a short wait. Gemini is probably the most re-ridable coaster I've been on. I will probably get the chance to ride Lightning Racer this summer so my opinion could change after that.

Simple, You just put your favorite racer and why. Mine is American Eagle.

I agree, but why isnt it on the poll? Im especially concerned because your homepark is SFGAm ...ohwell...but American Eagle defenitly wins (pun intended) out of the 4 I've been on (Racer PKI, Rebel Yell, Gemini and AE)

I can't decide between the sheer fun factor of Lightning Racer and the hand slapping airtime filled goodness of Gemini.

Grand National

 

(Pretty much a no-brainer)

 

JJ

I never thought I'd say this, but I actually have to go with Gemini. This ride is just downright fun and fairly smooth for an Arrow. This season the racing between the two was actually pretty good as well.

My favorite is the Kennywood Racer. You can't beat slapping your hands with the other train.