Jolly Roger Unveils New 'Cart Coaster'

[printersdevil78]

The local newspaper today covered the new "cart coaster" -- a mash-up of a go-kart track and roller coaster -- at Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Ocean City, MD. Photos and video here.

 

Jolly Roger on fast track with world's first cart coaster

 

Jon Bleiweis, DelmarvaNow 10:08 a.m. EDT May 19, 2015

 

Take the thrill of a roller coaster and the competitive spirit of a go-kart.

 

Put them together and you have the Cyclone, what is being billed as the world's first cart coaster, and it's here on Delmarva — at Jolly Roger Amusement Park's Speedworld in Ocean City.

 

Construction on the five-story attraction started the day after Labor Day and finished around the end of the year, according to Dean Langrall, director of sales and marketing for Jolly Roger Parks.

 

The wooden course, at more than 1,500-feet long, was built with 22,320 square feet of lumber, 78 pilings and 83,000 stainless steel bolts.

 

"We call it a cart coaster because it really is like a roller coaster except it's with go-carts where you control your own speed," he said. "If you're in a roller coaster, the speed is controlled for you."

 

Jolly Roger bought 40 new go-karts — half single seater carts and half two-seaters — for Cyclone. At 9.5 horsepower, the vehicles have twice as much power as their regular cars.

 

The course is wide enough for three-wide racing, Langrall said, adding all 40 cars could be used at one time, if need be.

 

That horsepower is needed right at the start of the ride, as the driver drives up, in a spiral, five stories before emerging onto a straightaway in the open with a small hill. Drivers then race down a second similar spiral structure to get back to ground level.

 

The typical race will be three to four laps long, Langrall said, who added the ride's top speed is unknown.

 

Cyclone is the park's latest way to try something different and stand out from the competition, he said.

 

"This is about as much excitement as we could get on the piece of property that we had," he said, adding two tracks were knocked down to accommodate the building of Cyclone.

 

While the official ribbon cutting and grand opening of the attraction is set for Friday, Cyclone has been in a soft opening phase for several weeks, Langrall said.

 

Giving the ride a try recently were Steven Maietta and his 5-year-old niece, Kylie from Long Island, New York, who exited the ride impressed and excited, as they had two more chances to ride it again already purchased.

 

Steven Maietta, who has visited the park for years, said Cyclone makes it worth coming to SpeedWorld again.

 

"The corkscrew going up and down, it's fun, it makes you feel like you're going really fast," he said. "When you go over the hill, it feels like you're going to leave the air — that's how fast — then you're coming down and it's just as much fun as going up. It's a really good time."

 

Kylie was looking forward to another chance to take on the track.

 

"I like fast," she said.

 

One must be 58 inches tall and 12 years old to drive a single cart, 58 inches tall and 16 years old to drive a passenger cart and 36 inches tall to be a passenger.

[A.J.]

Six Flags marketing their super loops as roller coasters is easier to believe than this.

[esvadj]

I saw it this weekend as I passed by. Might try to get back to Ocean City this weekend to give it a try. Don't think I will count it as a credit.

 

 

Jolly Rogers is making some serious capital improvements for a small park. They are also opening an Aqua Loop this season, being billed as the #1 slide in the USA.

 

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/05/26/new-oc-water-slide-named-1-in-us/

[coreyb]

Mt. Olympus has something almost identical to this. Any idea what's different enough for them to claim it's a first?

[SharkTums]

Yeah... this is an odd claim.

[dippindotsguy8]

I never thought I'd be defending Mt Olympus, but.... They have a good hand-full of these. And I'm sure someone even did it before them.

 

Even if we were to accept that this is a "coaster" of sorts, they've already been around for years.

[Nrthwnd]

Sorry, but this is so old. I remember there was something like this at the Seattle World's Fair...in 1962!

Not as big as this one, but it still did the same type circuit, round and round, up over and down, etc.

[parkjunkie]

These were around up in the Dells WAY before Mt. Olympus was there... back when it was Big Chief, then turned into Carts and Coasters, then was turned into Mt. Ocrapus. These are all over the U.S. and the norm in tourist trap areas... Branson, Pigeon Forge, WisDells just to name a few. I am really wondering in what regard they are calling this a "FIRST" of... a first of what?... A first at claiming they have the first of something that isn't the first?... (if that makes sense).

[esvadj]

Here it is. I was in Ocean City for work this past Saturday and rode through for a picture. I am going back this Saturday in hopes to give it a try. (get the credit )

[coasterkid124]

Looks like a coaster, could feel like a coaster, but not really a coaster. I give them props for trying though.