Top Thrill Dragster - wikipedia Top Thrill Dragster Top Thrill Dragster Top Thrill Dragster Launching Cedar Point Coordinates 41 ° 29 ′ 2.25 '' N 82 ° 41 ′ 10.38 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 41.4839583 ° N 82.6862167 ° W ﻿ / 41.4839583 ; - 82.6862167 Coordinates : 41 ° 29 ′ 2.25 '' N 82 ° 41 ′ 10.38 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 41.4839583 ° N 82.6862167 ° W ﻿ / 41.4839583 ; - 82.6862167 Status Operating Soft opening date May 1, 2003 ( 2003 - 05 - 01 ) Opening date May 4, 2003 ( 2003 - 05 - 04 ) Cost US $ 25,000,000 Replaced Chaos, Troika General statistics Type Steel -- Launched Manufacturer Intamin Designer Werner Stengel Model Accelerator Coaster Lift / launch system Hydraulic Launch Height 420 ft ( 130 m ) Drop 400 ft ( 120 m ) Length 2,800 ft ( 850 m ) Speed 120 mph ( 190 km / h ) Inversions 0 Duration 0 : 30 Max vertical angle 90 ° Capacity 1,000 riders per hour Acceleration 0 to 120 mph ( 0 to 193 km / h ) in 4 seconds Height restriction 52 -- 78 in ( 132 -- 198 cm ) Trains 6 trains, with five cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows ( except for the first car ), for a total of 18 riders per train. Restraint Lap bar Fast Lane Plus only available Top Thrill Dragster at RCDB Pictures of Top Thrill Dragster at RCDB Top Thrill Dragster is a steel accelerator roller coaster built by Intamin at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It was the sixteenth roller coaster built at the park since the Blue Streak in 1964. When built in 2003, it was the first full circuit roller coaster to exceed 400 feet ( 120 m ) in height, and was the tallest roller coaster in the world, before being surpassed by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in May 2005. Top Thrill Dragster, along with Kingda Ka, are the only strata coasters in existence. It was the second hydraulically launched roller coaster built by Intamin, following Xcelerator at Knott 's Berry Farm. The tagline for Top Thrill Dragster is `` Race for the Sky ''. Contents 1 History 2 Ride experience 2.1 Layout 2.2 Theme / trains 2.3 Rollbacks 3 World records 4 Operation 5 Incidents 6 Awards 7 Records 8 References 9 External links History Planning for Top Thrill Dragster started around 2000 when Millennium Force opened. Footers started being poured during the winter of 2001 / 2002 then were covered up during the 2002 operating season. To construct the roller coaster, the park had to use a 480 feet ( 150 m ) crane, one of only four in the United States. Vertical construction by Martin & Vleminckx started in fall 2002, months before the announcement. By October 2002, the roller coaster had reached 200 feet ( 61 m ). The ride was announced on January 9, 2003 and the structure, built by Intamin 's subcontractor Stakotra, was finished shortly after. It is tied with Millennium Force for being the two largest investments in Cedar Point history. The announcement revealed the park 's goal to build `` the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth '', reaching 420 feet ( 130 m ) and accelerating up to 120 miles per hour ( 193 km / h ) in 3.8 seconds. On March 10, 2003, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company filed a trademark for the name Top Thrill Dragster. Top Thrill Dragster 's media day was held on May 1, 2003 then it officially opened to the public on May 4. It became the `` tallest '' and `` fastest '' roller coaster in the world overtaking both world records from Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land that was just built three years earlier. It lost the title of being the world 's tallest and fastest roller coaster when Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure opened in May 2005. Intamin designed both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster, and the two share a similar design and layout that differs primarily by the theme and the additional hill featured on Kingda Ka. The ride had constant downtime in its first couple seasons. Several problems such as the ride 's hydraulic system and launch cable caused the ride to experience downtime. Top Thrill Dragster was also closed in 2003 for the annual event, CoasterMania. Ride experience Layout Top Thrill Dragster 's launch area with `` Christmas tree '' After leaving the station, the train enters the launch area. To the left of the launch area is a `` Christmas tree '' light, similar to those employed at the starting line of a drag strip. A brief message is played to the riders to : `` keep arms down, head back, and hold on. '' Once the train is prepared to launch, a motor revving sound effect is played and its magnetic braking fins are lowered from the launch track. It then launches, accelerating to a speed of 120 mph ( 190 km / h ) in 3.8 seconds. Shortly after reaching its maximum velocity, the catch car disengages, and the train begins its ascent up a 90 - degree incline, twisting 90 degrees clockwise before climbing over the 420 - foot ( 130 m ) top hat. Upon descending, the track twists 270 degrees before leveling out, allowing the train to be stopped by the magnetic brakes. Theme / trains The roller coaster is based on the Top Fuel drag racing motor sport. A real Top Fuel dragster weighs approximately one ton, while each train on the coaster weighs 15 tons. Its dragster themed trains once had decorative spoilers and engines, but these were removed soon after opening, allowing an extra row of seats to be added to each one. Also, when the ride opened, it had only four cars on each train, including the decals. By the middle of the 2003 season, the fifth cars were added to all trains, making them the five cars long that they are now. The fifth cars were added on shortly before the decals were removed. The ride 's theme song, `` Ready to Go '' by Republica, is played while in the station. Rollbacks Occasionally, a train is launched with not enough speed to clear the crest. This typically happens in cool, wet, or breezy weather, or when the wind is working against it. In these conditions, the launch often does not provide it with enough speed to climb over the hill, which causes it to stop short of the top, and roll back down the hill in reverse, hence the term `` rollback ''. The launch track is equipped with retractable magnetic braking fins which are raised after the train is launched in order to slow it down in the event it does not crest the hill. On very rare occasions, a combination of the weight distribution of the train, the force of the launch, and the wind can stall a train on the top of the tower. When this happens, a mechanic takes the elevator to the top and pushes the train down the hill. World records Side view of Top Thrill Dragster When Top Thrill Dragster debuted, it set four new records : World 's tallest complete circuit roller coaster World 's tallest roller coaster World 's tallest roller coaster drop World 's fastest roller coaster It was the fourth roller coaster to break the 100 miles per hour ( 160 km / h ) speed barrier. It was preceded by Tower of Terror II at Dreamworld, Superman : Escape from Krypton at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Dodonpa at Fuji - Q Highland. The previous record holder for overall height was Superman : Escape from Krypton at Six Flags Magic Mountain, standing at 415 feet ( 126 m ). Its record was broken in 2005 when Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure, standing 456 feet ( 139 m ) tall. The previous record holder for speed was Dodonpa, at 107 miles per hour ( 172 km / h ). This record was broken by Top Thrill Dragster, which reaches speeds up to 120 miles per hour ( 190 km / h ), which was later broken by Kingda Ka which reached a top speed of 128 miles per hour ( 206 km / h ). In November 2010, Formula Rossa at Ferrari World broke the record for fastest roller coaster, with a top speed of 149.1 miles per hour ( 240.0 km / h ). As of 2015, Top Thrill Dragster has the second tallest lift, the third fastest speed, and the second - highest drop among steel roller coasters in the world. Operation Top Thrill Dragster is negatively affected by unfavourable weather conditions as both a high altitude and high velocity ride. `` Rain, high winds, and / or lightning '' may result in the closing of the ride depending on the severity. It will close in high winds and any kind of precipitation. There is no minimum age requirement, but passengers must meet the miniumum height requirement of 52 inches and a maximum of 78 inches to ride. Some persons over a certain weight / waist size will not be permitted to ride if the seat and lapbar harness can not accommodate them. Passengers on Dragster may not bring any loose articles onto the train and will be required to wear shirts and footwear. Headphones must be removed before boarding. Passengers are advised that they must not ride Dragster if they have `` a history of recent surgery, heart trouble / high blood pressure, neck trouble, back trouble, or any other condition that may be aggravated by riding, or who are pregnant ''. Incidents On July 14, 2004, four people were struck by flying debris while riding the coaster. Reports indicated that a metal cable frayed during launch, shearing off shards of metal that struck the riders. The injuries were mainly arm abrasions, with one passenger experiencing cuts to the face. They were treated at the park 's first aid station, and two later sought further medical attention. On August 7, 2016, two people were treated for minor injuries when the launch cable detached from the ride. The ride was closed for the following day while the park and Ohio state officials investigated the incident. In September 2017, a report with photos surfaced that the braking system on the launch side of the track may have been damaged, causing the ride to close indefinitely. Cedar Point did not acknowledge the incident and stated the closure was for maintenance reasons. Awards Train on the brake run Golden Ticket Awards : Top steel Roller Coasters Year 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Ranking 11 7 7 10 9 9 10 10 9 13 12 19 13 19 17 16 Records Preceded by Steel Dragon 2000 World 's Tallest Complete Circuit Roller Coaster May 4, 2003 -- May 21, 2005 Succeeded by Kingda Ka Preceded by Superman : The Escape World 's Tallest Roller Coaster May 4, 2003 -- May 21, 2005 Preceded by Superman : The Escape and Tower of Terror World 's Tallest Roller Coaster Drop May 4, 2003 -- May 21, 2005 Preceded by Dodonpa World 's Fastest Roller Coaster May 4, 2003 -- May 21, 2005 References ^ Jump up to : `` Top Thrill Dragster records ''. Archived from the original on June 25, 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster : Race for the Sky Cedar Point ''. www.cedarpoint.com. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Kingda Ka vs. Top Thrill Dragster ''. thecoastercritic.com. November 16, 2006. Retrieved June 8, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Hydraulic launched roller coasters at RCDB ''. Roller Coaster DataBase. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Top Thrill Dragster POV ''. 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Intamin ''. Martin & Vleminckx. Archived from the original on 25 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Top Thrill Dragster TV announcement ''. 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster 200 foot support ''. CoasterGallery.com. 2002. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ Stakotra Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster Trademark ''. Legal Force. Retrieved July 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` PointBuzz history ''. PointBuzz. Retrieved October 21, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Marden, Duane. `` Top Thrill Dragster ( Cedar Point ) ''. Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 21, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Kingda Ka vs. Top Thrill Dragster ''. thecoastercritic.com. July 18, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` July 14, 2004 incident ''. Toledo Blade. July 14, 2004. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster old trains ''. CoasterGallery.com. 2003. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster images at RCDB ''. Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster Station / Theme Music ''. 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster Station / Theme Music 2 ''. 2010. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster rollback review ''. Thrill Network. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Thrill Dragster elevator ''. CoasterGallery.com. 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ Marden, Duane. `` Record Holders ( Statistic : Height, Type : Steel ) ''. Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 14, 2015. Jump up ^ Marden, Duane. `` Record Holders ( Statistic : Speed, Type : Steel ) ''. Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 14, 2015. Jump up ^ Marden, Duane. `` Record Holders ( Statistic : Drop, Type : Steel ) ''. Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 14, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Ride policies and Procedures ''. 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Rider Height Requirements ''. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Guests with Special Needs ''. Retrieved July 7, 2012. Jump up ^ `` August, 7th 2016 incident ''. CBS Detroit. August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016. Jump up ^ http://www.cleveland19.com/story/36486079/update-top-thrill-dragster-is-still-closed Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today : 14&ndash, 15B. September 2003. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today : 18&ndash, 19B. September 2004. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today : 26&ndash, 27B. September 2005. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today : 26&ndash, 27B. September 2006. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 11 ( 6.2 ) : 36&ndash, 37. September 2007. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 12 ( 6.2 ) : 36&ndash, 37. September 2008. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 13 ( 6.2 ) : 32&ndash, 33. September 2009. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 14 ( 6.2 ) : 34&ndash, 35. September 2010. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 15 ( 6.2 ) : 38&ndash, 39. September 2011. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 16 ( 6.2 ) : 36&ndash, 37. September 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 17 ( 6.2 ) : 34&ndash, 35. September 2013. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 18 ( 6.2 ) : 46&ndash, 47. September 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 19 ( 6.2 ) : 49&ndash, 50. September 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 2016 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 20 ( 6.2 ) : 50. September 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 2017 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 21 ( 6.2 ) : 46. September 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 2018 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters '' ( PDF ). Amusement Today. 22 ( 6.2 ) : 45. September 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2015. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Top Thrill Dragster. Cedarpoint.com - Top Thrill Dragster Official page Roller Coaster Philosophy review of Top Thrill Dragster Video of how Top Thrill Dragster works Construction photos video Top Thrill Dragster Photo Gallery at The Point Online Cedar Point History Current attractions Former attractions Roller coasters Blue Streak Cedar Creek Mine Ride Corkscrew GateKeeper Gemini Iron Dragon Magnum XL - 200 Maverick Millennium Force Raptor Rougarou Steel Vengeance Top Thrill Dragster Valravn Wicked Twister Wilderness Run Woodstock Express Attractions Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad maXair Power Tower Skyhawk SlingShot WindSeeker Water rides Snake River Falls Thunder Canyon Resorts Camper Village Castaway Bay Cedar Point 's Express Hotel Hotel Breakers Lighthouse Point Sandcastle Suites Hotel Other Cedar Point Shores Planet Snoopy Cedar Point Light Fast Lane Dinosaurs Alive ! Camp Snoopy HalloWeekends Winterfest Former attractions Demon Drop Disaster Transport Jumbo Jet Luminosity -- Ignite the Night ! Mill Race Shoot the Rapids Space Spiral VertiGo White Water Landing WildCat Website : cedarpoint.com Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Top_Thrill_Dragster&oldid=863145690 '' Categories : Operating roller coasters Roller coasters by name Roller coasters introduced in 2003 Steel roller coasters Launched roller coasters Roller coasters manufactured by Intamin Stratacoasters Cedar Point Roller coasters operated by Cedar Fair Roller coasters in Ohio Hidden categories : Good articles Coordinates on Wikidata Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español Français Italiano עברית Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Simple English Suomi Svenska 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 9 October 2018, at 00 : 24 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when was the dragster at cedar point built
Answer: 2003