Whizzer (roller coaster)

For other uses, see Whizzer (disambiguation).

Whizzer
The Whizzer as it appeared in 2005, showing its unique lift hill.
Six Flags Great America
Location	Six Flags Great America
Status	Operating
Opening date	1976
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Anton Schwarzkopf
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Speedracer
Track layout	Custom
Lift/launch system	Trains are powered by a hotrail
Inversions	0
Duration	2:00
Max vertical angle	35°
Capacity	1000 riders per hour
G-force	3.0
Whizzer at RCDB

Whizzer is the name of two identical roller coasters built for the Marriott Corporation for each of their “Great America” parks at their debut in 1976. One was built in Gurnee, Illinois at Six Flags Great America and the other in Santa Clara, California at what is now California's Great America. Marriott continued to operate both parks until selling them in 1984. Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf of Germany, the two rides were the last “Speedracer” models ever built. The Whizzer at California's Great America was dismantled in 1988 while the Whizzer in Illinois continues to operate at Six Flags Great America as one of only two Speedracers still in existence worldwide.

Overview

Originally named “Willard’s Whizzer” in honor of J. Willard Marriott, founder of the Marriott Corporation, this family friendly roller coaster navigates through a deeply wooded area behind the Hometown Square section of the park. An electric motor beneath each car powers the four-car trains to the top of a unique spiral lift hill where gravity then takes control and delights riders with a series of swooping dives and ground hugging turns. Guests sit in comfortable, tandem style seats that were originally designed without any form of restraint device.

Troubled beginnings

From the start, both Willard’s Whizzer roller coasters suffered from problems with the braking system that would sometimes allow the trains to collide in the station. Unfortunately, no immediate solution was put forth to remedy this problem. In one four year period, from 1976 to 1979 there were at least eleven recorded instances of the Whizzer at California's Great America colliding in the station resulting in an unknown number of injuries. There were also two instances of the Whizzer at Six Flags Great America colliding - both of which occurred less than a month apart in 1976. A total of thirty one riders were injured in the Gurnee collisions. Then on March 29, 1980, a 14-year-old boy was killed and eight others injured when two trains collided at the station on the Santa Clara Whizzer . Following the accident, both rides underwent several changes. Seatbelts were added, the braking system was modified and the number of trains that could be run at once was reduced from five to three. Willard’s name was also dropped, leaving the ride’s name as simply “Whizzer.” Marriott never reported the potential safety hazard to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which led to a 1981 civil penalty amounting to $70,000 .

Gurnee Whizzer

The Gurnee Whizzer, at what is now Six Flags Great America, celebrated 30 years on May 29, 2006. It continues to thrill riders of all ages and with the push towards more family friendly entertainment by Six Flags C.E.O. Mark Shapiro, its future looks bright. However, that hasn’t always been the case. In August 2002, fueled by increasing maintenance cost, it was made public that the Whizzer would be removed to make way for a new, 2003 attraction. The park wanted to give guests the opportunity to ride one of its more popular and nostalgic attractions one last time . Then, the park abruptly reversed their decision to remove the Whizzer and closed the Shockwave roller coaster instead. The park cited overwhelming public outcry as reason for the last minute change. Superman Ultimate Flight took to the skies in 2003 over the spot where Shockwave once stood.

Santa Clara Whizzer

After Marriott sold California's Great America to the city of Santa Clara under management of the Kings Entertainment Company, the Whizzer continued to operate until it was subsequently demolished in 1988. A few cement footers still remain, outlining the spot the ill-fated Whizzer once stood . After the Whizzer was initially demolished, the station remained standing for years until the Xtreme Skyflyer (upcharge attraction) was built on the Whizzer's site in the late 1990s.

Ride experience

Guests are seated two per seat (tobaggan-style, with the taller person sitting in the rear and the shorter person sitting in front) and fasten their seatbelts. The train is dispatched from the station and quickly engages with an electrified center rail at that base of the lift that provides power to an electric motor beneath each of the train’s four cars. Riders make their way to the top of the 70 ft spiral lift where the train disengages the electrified rail and allows gravity to take over. The lift propulsion system is identical to those found on Anton Schwarzkopf’s various “Jet Star” models. After leaving the lift, the train slowly picks up speed as it travels down the first drop at a shallow angle. At the bottom of the first drop the track banks sharply to the right and turns around 200-degrees before beginning to ascend the second hill. There, riders have a chance to catch their breath as the train slowly makes a 220-degree turn to the left. Before long the train is accelerating rapidly down a swooping turn to the right where riders are treated to the most exhilarating portion of the ride – a 270 degree turn through the trees and within feet from the ground. After re-emerging from the foliage, the train ascends to the midcourse brake run where the train could be stopped if the need arose. After passing through the brakes, the track banks to the right and the speeding train hugs the spiral lift with a 200-degree turn (during the late 1970s, when the Whizzer ran more than three trains, riders would pass right by the next train full of riders making their way up the spiral lift). Next, the train dips down over a small pond and up into a few more dips and turns before completing the ride with a large 585-degree helix. Riders finally exit the woods and into the brake run before returning to the station.

Whizzer today

Whizzer was designed in 1976 as a coaster for everyone, including both young and older guests. It is still one of Six Flags Great America's most popular attractions, with the ride often yielding long lines on crowded days. Long lines on the Whizzer can be avoided by the purchase of The Flash Pass, which is accepted at this ride among others at the park. The Flash Pass line at the Whizzer leads guests directly to the station, bypassing the entire line. Depending on crowd levels, the Whizzer often runs with two trains but on busy days, it may run three. Trains are cycled and rehabbed each season to keep all necessary components running smoothly. Since 2004, Whizzer has been running with trains 3, 4 and 5. Train 4 and 5 were recently rehabbed. Train 2 is currently in rehab, while Train 1 has been retired and is now used as the "parts train," meaning, the train with parts for the others. A large amount of time and money is spent on maintenance work at the Whizzer each year. Large portions of the track are often removed during the off-season for rehab work and to ensure structural integrity.

External links

• History of the Gurnee and Santa Clara Whizzer roller coasters
• List of Anton Schwarzkopf Speedracer models
• Anton Schwarzkopf Speedracer catalogue overview
• Additional Gurnee Whizzer photos and information
• Additional Santa Clara Whizzer photos and information
• Video of the Whizzer in action