American Thunder (roller coaster)
| American Thunder | |
|---|---|
|
The then-Evel Knievel Coaster in 2008 | |
| Six Flags St. Louis | |
| Park section | 1904 World's Fair |
| Coordinates | 38°30′45″N 90°40′38″W / 38.51250°N 90.67722°WCoordinates: 38°30′45″N 90°40′38″W / 38.51250°N 90.67722°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | June 20, 2008 |
| Cost | US$7,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Great Coasters International |
| Height | 82 ft (25 m) |
| Drop | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Length | 2,713 ft (827 m) |
| Speed | 48 mph (77 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Capacity | 850 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 12 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train. |
 Flash Pass Available | |
|
American Thunder at RCDB Pictures of American Thunder at RCDB | |
American Thunder is a wooden roller coaster that opened June 20, 2008, at Six Flags St. Louis. The coaster was originally named after and themed to the famous motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel. It was renamed American Thunder for the 2011 season.[1]
To help promote the opening of the then-Evel Knievel Roller Coaster, Knievel's son, Robbie Knievel, jumped a Honda CR-500 motorcycle over 25 Dodge Chargers on July 3, 2008.[2]
Ride experience
This $7 Million GCI wooden roller coaster, which is identical to the Thunderbird at PowerLand, features an 80-foot (24 m) drop with a top speed of 48 mph (77 km/h), going through a course of 2,700 feet (820 m) of track.[3] This ride features 16 hills and multiple high banked turns at up to 67° angles.[3] The layout crosses over and under itself seventeen times. This ride also features two 24-passenger Millennium Flyer trains for better cornering.[3]
Awards
| Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |||||||||||
| Ranking | 44[4] | 13[5] | 23[6] | 22[7] | 31[8] | 25[9] | |||||||||||
References
- ↑ LA Times Report Rethemed Rides at Six Flags
- ↑ Robbie Knievel Jump to Promote New Ride
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 New ride comes to Six Flags St. Louis Post Dispatch Retrieved and Dated 26 September 2007
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
External links
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