MASON -- Carpenters work on a section of track near the bottom of the first drop of the Racer roller coaster at Kings Island on Tuesday. In addition to track work, bent posts, batter braces and ledgers have been replaced this winter on the 41-year old ride. The Racer has been the focal point of the Coney Mall sector of the 364-acre amusement and water park for the past four decades. More than 97 million guests have taken a ride on the Racer since it opened in 1972, the most in park history. Its record year was 1976, when a park record 3,681,338 rides were given. In addition to being considered an important part of the roller coaster renaissance of the 1970âs, the Racer was the site of several world-record riding attempts and is notable for its appearance in the âCincinnati Kidsâ episode of The Brady Bunch, filmed at the park in 1973. Kings Island opens for the 2013 season April 27.
Photo courtesy Kings Island
Photo courtesy Kings Island
