Ohio roller coaster closed days after opening for ‘mechanical modification’
SANDUSKY, Ohio (WJW) — An Ohio amusement park has been forced to close its newest ride, just eight days after its debut, for a “mechanical modification.”
Top Thrill 2, billed as “the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata roller coaster,” opened on May 4 at Cedar Point in Sandusky. The coaster has three launch points, with the final one catapulting riders to speeds of 128 mph. The final piece of Top Thrill 2 was placed in December.
You can see Kenny Crumpton of Nexstar’s WJW serve as one of the coaster’s first riders in the video above.
Those visiting Cedar Point on Sunday may not be as lucky as Kenny.
Cedar Point reveals new record-breaking coaster
Early Sunday morning, Cedar Point posted to its Facebook page that Top Thrill 2, “is currently experiencing an extended closure as Zamperla (the ride’s manufacturer) completes a mechanical modification to the ride’s vehicles.”
The post also stated, “Though we cannot yet confirm a reopening date, we will provide updates at cedarpoint.com.”
“We know our guests are excited to experience this incredible roller coaster, and we share your disappointment that we are not able to operate it this weekend,” officials with the park wrote. “We will do everything possible to reopen Top Thrill 2 as soon as we are confident we can deliver the ride experience that our guests deserve.”
Fox 8’s Kenny Crumpton recently rode Top Thrill 2 which is Cedar Point’s newest big ride. (WJW)
According to Cedar Point, the modification will have to be thoroughly reviewed by Zamperla, maintenance and operations teams from Cedar Point, and the park’s “third-party inspection partner.”
Top Thrill 2 replaces the Top Thrill Dragster, which was shut down in 2021 after a metal bracket fell from the ride, severely injuring a parkgoer. State investigators found no evidence the ride was unsafe and did not recommend any administrative action against park owner Cedar Fair. The ride was officially retired in September 2022.
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