Top Thrill Dragster being 'retired'

Editor's note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing CPFoodBlog.com and @CPFoodBlog on Twitter. SANDUSKY — Cedar Point announced on Tuesday that its closed Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster will be formally retired. The Dragster has been closed for more than a year after a piece of the ride, a metal plate, fell and struck a park guest in the head in August 2021, causing serious injury. Here is the announcement posted by the park: We have an important announcement to share regarding our Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster. After 19 years in operation with 18 million riders experiencing the world's first strata coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired. However, Cedar Point's legacy of ride innovation continues. Our team is hard at work, creating a new and reimagined ride experience. We'll share more details and information at a later date. What could it mean? Opening in 2003, the ride stands 420 feet tall. It remained in operation until permanently closing in August 2021. Clues of Top Thrill Dragster's future have been popping up on the midway for the past couple of months, but no official announcement had been made until early Tuesday. Following the removal of the decorative prop dragster outside the ride, we now have confirmation that we will see some type of relic in the ride graveyard for 2022 HalloWeekends. However, the wording of the announcement leaves things open to speculation for Top Thrill Dragster's future. Cedar Point did not announce the ride's removal and specifically states, "Our team is hard at work, creating a new and reimagined ride experience." It's possible Cedar Point will take time to re-engineer the attraction and rebrand the ride under a new name. Many guests see this as an opportunity to upgrade the existing hydraulic launch system to a linear synchronous motor launch like the ones installed on the Maverick ride. This new technology is now favored in lieu of the former hydraulic systems that require more maintenance. Intamin, Top Thrill Dragster's manufacturer, states this system provides the strongest launch on the market and can provide speeds in excess of 125 mph, which exceeds the current 120 mph provided by the hydraulic launch. Also of note, during the recent announcement of the new Wild Mouse ride, the park specifically mentioned that it will be their 18th roller coaster. That appears to further imply that while Top Thrill Dragster is losing its name and various design elements, the bones of the attraction could remain. So what will change? We might not know the full details for a couple of more months, however, more than likely, the former Top Thrill Dragster will get new modern trains that work with the proposed system. In addition, new safety measures might be put in place surrounding the queue, which currently snakes through the middle of the attraction. More than likely, additional fences will be installed throughout the area. The ride layout could also be modified. A similar attraction exists called Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. Besides being taller, on the downhill side of the launch top hat, the train climbs a second hill, giving riders a moment of weightlessness. So this could be an opportunity for the park to add a new element, though we find it unlikely. Kingda Ka also offers a drop tower ride on the main structure. Could this be an opportunity to possibly add an additional attraction? Lastly, expect a new name and theme surrounding the ride. No matter what happens, it looks like the 2023 season will offer a full lineup of roller coasters for guests to once again enjoy.