Whizzer (roller coaster)
| Whizzer | |
|---|---|
The Whizzer as it appeared in 2005, showing its unique lift hill.
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| Previously known as Willard's Whizzer | |
| Six Flags Great America | |
| Park section | Hometown Square |
| Coordinates | 42°22′06″N 87°56′08″W / 42.368199°N 87.935659°WCoordinates: 42°22′06″N 87°56′08″W / 42.368199°N 87.935659°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1976 |
| California's Great America | |
| Coordinates | 37°23′46″N 121°58′29″W / 37.396057°N 121.974689°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | 1976 |
| Closing date | 1988 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Anton Schwarzkopf |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Speed Racer / Extended Jumbo Jet |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Trains are powered by a hotrail |
| Height | 70 ft (21 m) |
| Drop | 64 ft (20 m) |
| Length | 3,100 ft (940 m) |
| Speed | 42 mph (68 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Max vertical angle | 35° |
| Capacity | 810 riders per hour |
| G-force | 3.0 |
| Height restriction | 36 in (91 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 1 across in 6 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
 Flash Pass Available |
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Whizzer at RCDB Pictures of Whizzer at RCDB |
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Whizzer is an Anton Schwarzkopf Speedracer roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It was one of two identical roller coasters built for the Marriott Corporation for each of their “Great America” parks at their debut in 1976, with an identical version of the Whizzer at California's Great America. Marriott continued to operate both parks until selling them in 1984. Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf of Germany, the two rides were the last “Speedracer” models ever built. The California Whizzer was dismantled in 1988 while the Illinois Whizzer remains in operation, as one of only two Speedracers still in existence worldwide (the other operating as Broca (formerly known as Zambezi Zinger) at Parque Nacional Del Café in Montenegro, Colombia).
Originally named “Willard’s Whizzer” in honor of J. Willard Marriott, founder of the Marriott Corporation, this family-friendly roller coaster navigates through a deeply wooded area behind the Hometown Square section of the park. An electric motor beneath each car powers the four-car trains to the top of a unique spiral lift hill, where gravity then takes control and delights riders with a series of swooping dives and ground-hugging turns. Guests sit in tandem-style seats that were originally designed without any form of restraint device but currently utilize seatbelts.
From the start, both Whizzers suffered from problems with the braking system that would sometimes allow the trains to collide in the station. Unfortunately, no immediate solution was put forth to remedy this problem. In one four-year period, from 1976 to 1979, there were at least 11 recorded instances of station collisions on the California's Great America version, resulting in an unknown number of injuries. There were also two station collisions on the Six Flags Great America ride - both of which occurred less than a month apart in 1976. A total of 31 riders were injured in the Gurnee collisions. Then on March 29, 1980, a 13-year-old boy was killed and eight others injured when two trains collided at the station on the Santa Clara Whizzer. Following the accident, both rides underwent several changes. Seatbelts were added, the braking system was modified and the number of trains that could be run at once was reduced from five to three. Willard’s name was also dropped, leaving the ride’s name as simply "Whizzer." Marriott never reported the potential safety hazard to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which led to a 1981 civil penalty amounting to $70,000.
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Wikipedia