Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

They won't need a crane to paint the tower/tophat.

Plague on Wheels:

Did anybody notice that CP also cleared a large area over by the marina?

If you're referring to the former Cedars dorms site, that was cleared more than three years ago.

I do wonder (And don't remember) how much painting can be done during the relatively small offseason window from park close to the throes of winter. If a full repaint is in the works that probably carries us through all next offseason as well and a new opening into 2024 anyways. I guess you could re-open with the tower not fully re-painted but that might look awkward depending on the scale of the change.

So, take this with an entire dumptruck of salt...

I saw a post on reddit, where a guy claims his friend is a truck driver in the Sandusky area and that he has delivered a few large crates from Mack-Rides to the point.

Its completely unverified and probably false, but just putting it out there, because it is true that Mack does have very similar track to Intamins and they also do LSM launches.

Yeah, the duration to paint the tower has been one of my thoughts regarding expected opening year. However, there was no real rush when repainting TTD, since they were simply going from a faded yellow/red/white to a fresh coat of yellow/red/white, and as such they appeared to have a relatively small crew (~2-4 people). Assuming they're going to change the color scheme, they could certainly use a larger crew and get it painted in one offseason, if they wanted to go that route.

Mack wouldn’t surprise me. RMC would.

I'm starting to wonder how much of a retheme this will actually be. So far they haven't touched the Christmas Tree or the finish line. I suppose they could retrofit those items for a space or aircraft carrier type of theme but I'm not sure what that could be.

Nevertheless, it's interesting to watch. I hope eventually they point the webcam there as they seem to be moving it around to everywhere but pointing at the construction site.

Why is anyone getting hung up on paint as a launch constraint? (See what I did there?)

I think the safe assumption is that any and all components related to a Dragster-type theme will be gone. You wouldn’t re-track or retrofit new components and then just call it Dragster 2.0. The park will make sure that, even if it looks like TTD in terms of layout or experience; it’ll be called something completely different and be themed (for whatever that’s worth at Cedar Point) completely different as well.

That assumption is completely baseless... what rationale can you provide? I think everyone is completely overlooking all the things that have been left in place with surgical precision despite removing the very track itself. These include the fences, the Christmas tree and finish line, etc. These are all things that are very much in the way of modifying the ride, and yet they remain.

Assuming some semblance of a dragster theme stays, the NHRA dork in me wouldn't be opposed to the countdown mixing it up to throw in a few pro starts (as in, all three yellow lights at once -> green) in between the usual 3-2-1-go sportsman starts.

Kind of along the lines of how Rock 'n Roller Coaster will occasionally launch you on the "2" of Steven Tyler's countdown. Which, not sure if it actually does or if I'm just misremembering, because I'm not even sure if that ride's launch is operator controlled or automated once the train's dispatched into the launch position. But I digress.

They kept the sunshades over the queue line! Woulda thought those woulda been the first to go, easiest to damage etc...

My rationale comes from a public relations perspective. Why not take the opportunity to rebrand the ride altogether and introduce it as something “completely new”? Theming components still standing isn’t much of a rationale either for keeping the Dragster theme either especially at this stage of the project.

I think the wording “being retired as you know it“ makes a decent rationale. It would be kinda weird for the park to change the name and theme away from Top fuel drag races and keep the racing theme. Just cause then theming elements aren't removed right now doesn’t mean they are going to stay.

who knows tho, they could call it Dale Earnhardt Jr: The ride - do it for daddy

I'm sure Tony loves the way y'all hang on every word in the most literal sense then let your imaginations run wild with it. Occam's Razor, friends.

Or even Intimidator 420 lol

Using the information that was given to us or hanging onto every word, comme ci comme ca.

When I hear retired as you know it there are a number of aspects it think of. One of those being the theme. I know TTD to have a racing theme, therefore if that’s being retired then it would make sense that the theming would go to. Maybe right now track removal is all they have time for right now.

or the theming could be staying. We are all in the dark here. Nothings off the table. But I’m just a dumb dumb on the internet.

Googling 'Top Thrill Dragster' is why I think at the very least it will be renamed. In a few years, the general public will only use the new name like how no average guest says Mantis.

I mean, Jay-Z is "retired," right?

Cedar Pointer:

We are all in the dark here.

Only if you choose not to see the things sitting in bright sunlight.

Your right and two weeks ago I would have said the track wouldn’t be removed because it was sitting in the bright sunlight.

met·a·phor - /ˈmedəˌfôr,ˈmedəˌfər/

noun

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.