Mini Photo TR: First "Sign" of BGE's New Ride

As most of us are aware, I'm sure, BGE has closed one of their original attractions, the LeMans Raceway, to make room for some new, big attraction in 2007. I ambled over to the park tonight, which was quite busy, to see if there was any hint of what this new ride might be (rumors have been flying, of course). Here's what I saw.

Hmm--the claws of a bird of prey, "dropping." Remind anyone of a coaster in, say, Tampa? Time will tell . . .

A few weeks ago, this restaurant was called the "LeMans Bistro."

Bye-bye little cars! I hope Busch finds you a good home. (Some of them are going to figure in Howl-o-Scream, according to the local paper.)

The eerie quiet and emptiness of the LeMans Raceway from the skyride. The little cars putt-putt-putt no more.

Nice! Thanks for the photo update, ChloroFloro. If I get down to HOS this year, I'll be happy to see the LeMans in some aspect. Glad I rode them last year when I was there in October, I hadn't ridden them since I was like 8, and it brought back some good childhood memories. But I'll happily trade them for a dive machine. Bring on Le Hawk!

More bird themed coasters? Man now I'm really confused..

Saw this on another coaster related website..

Was at BGE today and they are now handing out a brand new (much more realistic) map that in addition to having Le Mans gone (with a bubble anouncing that area will have a new attraction in 2007) also has changed the bumper cars' name from Dur Autobahn to Bumper Cars. Combine that change with the surverors I saw there last night in the old DF field leads me to believe that Le Mans is not going away but will become "Dur Autobahn."

Know anything about this Chuck?

Between BGW and Dollywood alone 2007 is shaping up to be a great year.. I'm smack dab in the middle of the two parks. Just hope Carowinds and PKD get some noteworthy attractions...

-J (Goes to search for famous French birds..)

^Isn't Carowinds getting PKD's attraction!?

Seriously though...it's funny how similar that teaser is from some of the original Shakira ones!

Should be a fun little mid-Atlantic trip!

A little birdie told me its going to Canada... Carowinds still has a shot at the one from Kings Island though..

Very cool, I didn't think they would tease about the new diver so early. Saying "like nothing else in the world" is a pretty bold statement considering SheiKra is right down the coast. Hopefully this means the ride will have a unique layout. Looking forward to next spring's Dollywood/BGE trip.

Oooh, I hadn't even thought about them moving the LeMans to the old Drachen Fire site. Not sure how "quiet" those cars would be for the Kingsmill residents though, but it sound like it could be a pretty good way to keep an old favorite AND add a new coaster at the same time!

man this just makes me so happy, 2 divers in one year from different manufacturers, oh boy, awesome

Watch it be a SheiKra clone, painted white, and called something french, like "Le Bird!" or something...

Colin C

Crap..lol

I just posted a link to the photo's and such on the other forum/thread. I didn't know a new one was opened...lol

**I don't recal if there was a link off of a thread from this site or another one, but there was a long promo-video on YOUTUBE site talking about Shiekra and at the very end of the promo-video...it said something along the lines the legend lives..(or something along those lines)...then it said "Or has it?" talking about a ressurection of some sort or in reference to a Phoenix 'rising from the ashes'....Anyone remember that video?...I have the link to it, but cannot remember what part I saved it in my "favorites" section in IE. If I find the link, I'll post it on here.

"Cfc" what part of Wmsbg you live now? I'll look you up (and slap you) when I move back there 1st week in August..lol j/k

It would be cool if they themed the ride to "harriers" which are hawks (also native to France and elsewhere) that are known to hover directly over their prey and strike vertically, even drowning large prey that can't be killed with its talons. A vertical takeoff and landing jet used in the Royal Air Force is named after this bird.

<---Loves birdies...

Well, Kumba, I live over in Seasons Trace out in James City County. I wasn't sure where to post the photos, so I just went the "TR" route. But to slap me you'll have to get past my semi-psychotic cat.

Not sure about the whole "Autobahn"'/"Bumper Cars" question (didn't bother grabbing a park map). Word around town is that Busch is planning to sell the LeMans cars, but that's just hearsay. Still, it would be nice to build a really cool car ride over where Drachenfire used to be.

Maybe it'll be called SheiKra...or LeiKra. Or something...

^^I'll send you an email (when I leave Hawaii and finish the move back to VA)..lol

When I last visited BGE, some of my former bosses informed me that they had no plans to re-plant LeMans anywhere in the park and in fact they had an interested buyer for the ride.

The rumor on the old DF site is just that, a rumor. In fact, there are some interesting plans for the old DF site formulated in the master-plan for BG (but that master-plan was developed when Keith Kasen was still GM/EVP at the park). I'm not even sure if those plans changed or not (but, it was to become another country for that section of the park-and extend South past the railroad tracks, etc). Those were developed after DF was torn down.

Ugh, now Busch Gardens is starting to clone rides.

Watch it be a SheiKra clone, painted white, and called something french, like "Le Bird!" or something...

 

Colin C

*now bows to colincon*

Its kind of early to assume its going to be a dive machine. While that would be awesome, the sign said "like nothing else in the world" and since Sheikra is not so far away, a dive machine wouldn't be unique. Maybe it could be a prototype of some kind, after all most coasters unless the launch into an element have a drop of some kind so you could still say the dropping thing and not necessarily be talking about a dive machine.

Supposedly its a dive machine with floorless cars.

Houston? We have track sightings!

Clermont Steel Fabricators (located in Batavia, OH) have been manufacturing all of B&M's track since it started supplying rides within the US.

I found some track sightings about a month ago and reported an orange-beige color and seen some dark blue (supports) around the "yard" area. Whether or not that was the color selection for BGE new ride or not remains to be seen, but it is quite eerie and VERY similar to the preview 2007 board that was reported from Chuck.

Well, without further adieu, here is a link. Some track has already been moved. So, looks like some is heading towards VA.

Take it as you will:

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=34.009081~-118.497115&style=o&lvl=1&scene=508418&sp=aN.28.357946_-81.559346_Disney-MGM%20Studios_~aN.33.845675_-118.000799_Knott%27s%20Berry%20Farm_~aN.34.008583_-118.497899_Santa%20Monica%20Pier_~aN.28.408337_-81.462050_SeaWorld%20Orlando_~aN.42.038906_-72.613923_Six%20Flags%20New%20England_~aN.28.376058_-81.549454_Walt%20Disney%20World%20Resort%20-%20Epcot_~aN.41.353267_-81.376215_Geauga%20Lake%20%26%20Wildwater%20Kingdom_~aN.28.478368_-81.468596_Universal%20Studios%20Orlando_~aN.28.471173_-81.470805_Islands%20of%20Adventure_~aN.41.485999_-82.688120_Cedar%20Point%20amusement%20park_&s_cid=SPT00015

Well considering most of the images are very old (some have been updated, most are from 2001-2002) and I don't see anything that appears to be track.

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=39.067952~-84.125931&style=h&lvl=17&scene=508418

One of the rumors going around is that BGE's new coaster will be a dive machine with wider, floorless trains so technically it would be unique to Sheikra or any other dive machine for that matter.

Sounds pretty plausible, butI don't neccessarily believe that, and it IS just a rumor. So let's not get carried away like the retarded CP thread that has finally died.

The floorless trains on a dive machine would be very unique and cool. I think it would make for an interesting ride experience.

---Brent

I used that link because it was one of the most popular (and realized that it is not really updated daily).

Try either of these links (real-time). I appologize for the confusion.

Links:

http://terrafly.com/

http://news.satimagingcorp.com/

http://www.spaceimaging.com/gazette/gazeteer1.asp?vPlacename=Clermont+Steel+Fabricators&vState=OHIO&vCountry=UNITED+STATES&go.x=15&go.y=7

And for the earlier posts claiming that it is "spying" that is not the case (so get a grip). The proof/source is posted on: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/posting.php?mode=reply&t=23063

Umm, sorry, there are no services available to private citzens that can get free real-time aerial photography. How about linking to an actual picture you saw instead of just the main page for some site? Also, your last link is a link to post a reply to a thread, and contains no information.

A little birdie told me its going to Canada... Carowinds still has a shot at the one from Kings Island though..

I'm confused.

What's coming to Canada?