Cedar Point’s record breaking rollercoaster to be retired

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Cedar Point announced the retirement of fan-favorite Top Thrill Dragster after 19 seasons in operation.

Hearts were broken across the Midwest after the amusement park announced Tuesday the retirement of the popular rollercoaster.

“After 19 seasons in operation with 18 million riders experiencing the world’s first strata coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired,” said Cedar Point in a statement on Twitter.

The 420-foot strata-coaster located in Sandusky Ohio was closed for two seasons after a Michigan woman was injured by a piece of the coaster that flew off and hit her in the head. This shut the ride down for the rest of the 2021 season.

The ride opened in May of 2003 and instantly became famous for its record-breaking height and speed. The ride launched riders in a train at 120 mph in nearly four seconds while catapulting them over a 420-foot arch straight up, then straight down. This immediately broke Cedar Point’s previous record-holder, Millennium Force, which opened in the year 2000.

Though the ride was popular among guests, the coaster has been infamous for constantly running down due to major engineering issues with its catapult launch system that made the ride famous for its intense speeds.

It is unclear if the ride is being torn down or renovated with more updated engineering. According to Cedar Point, they hope to create a “new and reimagined ride experience.”

Cedar Point said they will have more details on a future date.