Intimidator (roller coaster)
| Intimidator | |
|---|---|
Lift hill and entrance for Intimidator
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| Carowinds | |
| Park section | Carowinds Plaza |
| Coordinates | 35°06′11″N 80°56′22″W / 35.10306°N 80.93944°WCoordinates: 35°06′11″N 80°56′22″W / 35.10306°N 80.93944°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | March 27, 2010 |
| Cost | US$ 23,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Hyper Coaster |
| Track layout | Out and back |
| Lift/launch system | Lift hill |
| Height | 232 ft (71 m) |
| Drop | 211 ft (64 m) |
| Length | 5,316 ft (1,620 m) |
| Speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 3:33 |
| Max vertical angle | 74° |
| Capacity | 1,600 riders per hour |
| G-force | 4.3 |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane Plus only available |
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Intimidator at RCDB Pictures of Intimidator at RCDB |
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Intimidator is a steel roller coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard at Carowinds. The roller coaster is located in the Carowinds Plaza section of the park. Intimidator is the thirteenth roller coaster installed at Carowinds and is located near the entrance of the theme park. It is currently one of the tallest, fastest and longest roller coasters in the Southeast with a 232-foot (71 m) lift hill, a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h) and a track length of 5,316 feet (1,620 m). It was announced on August 26, 2009 and opened March 27, 2010. The roller coaster's name comes from the nickname of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt.
Construction on Intimidator began during the summer of 2009 with land clearing and footings being constructed. Track pieces first began to arrive at Carowinds on August 7, 2009. About 3 weeks later, Intimidator was officially announced on August 26, 2009 by Carowinds. Along with the announcement, Carowinds reached a licensing agreement with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to utilize the Dale Earnhardt brand as part of the ride. One of Earnhardt's sons, Kerry Earnhardt, was on-hand for the press conference announcing the attraction and endorsed the ride on behalf of the family. The first supports and track for Intimidator were installed on September 1, 2009. The lift hill was erected on October 1, 2009 and was completed on October 13, 2009. In order to install the last lift piece, 3 cranes were required. Construction on the roller coaster layout continued through November and December with the final track piece installed on December 21, 2009. Construction on the station, mechanics, and landscaping of Intimidator took place during the months of January and February. On February 4, 2010, testing of Intimidator commenced with the new roller coaster officially opening to the public on March 27, 2010.
Seat belts were added to the ride in the spring of 2014 as a supplement to the original lap-bar restraint system.
On January 14, 2010, Carowinds launched a "First Rider Auction" in which people from anywhere in the world would bid against each other in order to be one of the first public riders on Intimidator, with ninety–six seats being made available to bid on. The bidders that fell in the top 96 were given the opportunity to be the first public riders on Intimidator on March 27, 2010, before the ride opened to the general public. All money raised during the auction went to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. The highest bid for a single seat was US$500.
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