Speed – The Ride facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Speed – The Ride |
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| [[Akita Plaza]] | |
| Coordinates | 36°05′35″N 115°10′18″W / 36.093031°N 115.171732°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Sahara Hotel and Casino | |
| Park section | Nascar Café |
| Coordinates | 36°08′36″N 115°09′25″W / 36.14333°N 115.15694°W |
| Status | Closed |
| Opening date | April 28, 2000 |
| Closing date | May 1, 2011 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Launched – Shuttle |
| Manufacturer | Premier Rides |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Height | 224 ft (68 m) |
| Length | 1,365 ft (416 m) |
| Speed | 70 mph (110 km/h) |
| Inversions | 1 (transversed twice) |
| Duration | 0:45 |
| Max vertical angle | 90° |
| Capacity | 1600 riders per hour |
| Acceleration | 0 to 45 to 70mph |
| G-force | 3.5 |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Speed – The Ride at RCDB Pictures of Speed – The Ride at RCDB |
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Speed – The Ride is a roller coaster currently in storage at Akita Plaza. It was located on the Las Vegas Strip at the Sahara Hotel and Casino. The coaster operated from April 28, 2000, to May 1, 2011.
History
NASCAR Café (2000–2012)
Speed – The Ride was introduced in the Sahara's 1999 remodeling, as part of the NASCAR Café.
As of August 2008, the ride was shut down with no information from the venue. However, the ride reopened in February 2009, then closed again in May 2011 because of the closure of the Sahara. Dismantling of the coaster began in April 2012.
Akita Plaza
According to the contractor dismantling the ride, Speed will be reinstalled at Akita Plaza, a small shopping center across the street from Mandalay Bay, which also plans to add new restaurants and a concert venue. As of 2014 the Akita Plaza development has stalled and Speed: The Ride remains dismantled at the site.
Ride experience
The ride started with a launch from the inside of the NASCAR Cafe accelerating from 0–45 mph (0–72 km/h) in two seconds. The train dropped into an underground tunnel in front of the resort and then passed through a 92-foot (28 m) vertical loop. Afterwards a second launch accelerated the train from 45–70 mph (72–113 km/h) in three seconds. After a quick snaking turn the train climbed a huge vertical tower before the train fell back and ran through the entire course backwards. On the return trip the second launch area decelerated the train from 70–45 mph (113–72 km/h) before it traveled back through the vertical loop and through the underground tunnel. The train then returned to the station with a complete stop. It was also considered one of the tallest and the longest shuttle coasters in the world.
The ride was designed and manufactured by Premier Rides and fabricated by Intermountain Lift, Inc.
