ring ° racer
| ring ° racer | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Data | |
| Location |
Nürburgring ( Nürburg , Rhineland-Palatinate , Germany ) |
| Type | Steel - seated |
| model | High-thrill coaster |
| Drive type |
pneumatic launch, 0–160 km / h in less than 2 s |
| Manufacturer | S&S Worldwide , now Sansei Technologies |
| opening | October 31, 2013 |
| closure | 3rd November 2013 |
| length | 1212 m |
| height | 37.5 m |
| Max. speed | 160 km / h |
| Travel time | about 2:30 min |
| capacity | 400 people per hour |
| Trains | 2 trains, 2 cars / train, 2 rows of seats / car, 2 seats / row of seats |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Theming | formula 1 |
ring ° racer at the Nürburgring ( Nürburg , Rhineland-Palatinate , Germany) was a steel roller coaster from the model High-Thrill Coaster from the manufacturer S&S Power . As part of the Nürburgring 2009 project , the roller coaster was to be opened to the public on August 15, 2009, after a symbolic slow opening run with celebrities at the 2009 Formula 1 race. Due to technical problems and inadequate safety concepts, the roller coaster was only able to start operating on October 31, 2013. On November 3, 2013, after only four days and around 2000 passengers, the last trips for visitors took place.
history
Technical defects meant that the opening planned for August 15, 2009 was postponed several times. It was supposed to take place in the spring of 2010, but was postponed again due to new necessary tests and a pending TÜV approval. Officially, Nürburgring GmbH even questioned commissioning as a whole. The total costs were stated by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate as part of a small request in the state parliament as 10.4 million euros (net).
In July 2009 a large amount of compressed air escaped explosively from the catapult system.
On September 3, 2009, the drive probably rushed unbraked against the end stop, and even distant window panes burst from the bang. Six workers suffered a bang as a result. The reason for the error announced by Kevin Rohwer (S&S Power) was that the software code contained an incorrect logical link . The injured workers filed criminal charges with the public prosecutor in Koblenz; however, the investigation was discontinued on June 2, 2010 due to a lack of sufficient suspicion.
On May 14, 2011, another incident occurred during safety tests, in which again a large amount of compressed air escaped explosively from the catapult system. The tests were carried out during a 6-hour race of the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring . There was a bang during a controlled launch.
In 2011, for technical reasons, the originally planned launch speed of the catapult was reduced from 217 km / h to 160 km / h.
At the beginning of 2013 there was an offer from an amusement park from abroad to buy the roller coaster and have it rebuilt there. After a long delay, the Ahrweiler district administration issued an operating license at the end of October 2013. The ring ° racer was able to open on October 31, 2013 with a delay of more than four years.
On November 3, 2013, due to the bankruptcy of the Nürburgring, after only four days and around 2000 passengers, the last trips for visitors took place.
On March 11, 2014 it was announced that the Düsseldorf auto supplier Capricorn had taken over the entire Nürburgring including the amusement park ring ° werk and the adventure village “Green Hell” for 100 million euros after a bidding competition. As the new owner, Capricorn Managing Director Robertino Wild announced on the same day in Koblenz, as soon as the EU Commission had approved the takeover, that the “Green Hell” would immediately be discontinued as one of the big loss-makers and the ring ° racer would be shut down. When asked what was happening to the buildings in the amusement park on the Ring, he said: "To put it politely, this means dismantling." Instead, Capricorn wants to build a focus on automotive technology on the Ring.
As of 2019, the owner is planning neither commissioning nor demolition of ring ° racer. Instead, the helix of the roller coaster was integrated into an illumination concept.
journey
After the train left the station, it rolled towards the acceleration track. S-curves on the way to the beginning of the launch area should simulate warming up Formula 1 tires. There it stopped briefly and was pneumatically accelerated from 0 to 160 km / h along the start-finish straight of the Grand Prix track of the Nürburgring in less than 2 seconds. After this acceleration it was slowed down again to around 100 km / h by means of eddy current brakes, so that the forces when driving through a higher-lying combination of curves between grandstands following the acceleration section did not exceed the limit values. Then the train drove back through the ring ° boulevard into the ring ° werk building and slowly back to the station on a long straight under the roof.
At the time of its opening, the ring ° racer was supposed to be the fastest roller coaster in the world, but it was not due to the delays. In autumn 2010, Formula Rossa ( Abu Dhabi ) set a new world record with 240 km / h.
Trains
ring ° racer had two trains with two cars each. Four people (two rows of two people) could sit in each car.
Individual evidence
- ↑ jp: Euro Attractions Show 2009 S&S Worldwide. coastersandmore, accessed November 4, 2010 .
- ↑ Ministry of Justice of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate: Accident of the ring racer at the Nürburgring on September 3rd, 2009: proceedings discontinued. In: 1st follow-up communication after the first communication on September 18, 2009 (2031 UJs 26459/09 StA Koblenz). June 2, 2010, accessed June 5, 2010 .
- ↑ Another explosion on the Ring Racer , article General-Anzeiger Bonn of May 16, 2011, accessed on September 13, 2017.
- ↑ The Ring-Racer stays on the hard shoulder , article General-Anzeiger Bonn of February 7, 2012, accessed on February 20, 2013.
- ↑ Official start ring racer at the Nürburgring. (No longer available online.) Www.wochenspiegellive.de, October 30, 2013, archived from the original on November 3, 2013 ; accessed on October 31, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ The end of the "Green Hell" , article Kölner Stadtanzeiger from March 11, 2014, accessed on March 12, 2014.
- ↑ Victor Francke: “Ring Racer” and other attractions: the roller coaster at the Nürburgring becomes a light installation. Retrieved July 23, 2020 .
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 20 '1.8 " N , 6 ° 56" 46.5 " E