Lightning Run
| Lightning Run | |
|---|---|
| Kentucky Kingdom | |
| Coordinates | 38°11′47″N 85°44′39″W / 38.196461°N 85.744041°WCoordinates: 38°11′47″N 85°44′39″W / 38.196461°N 85.744041°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 24, 2014 |
| General statistics | |
| Manufacturer | Chance Rides |
| Model | Hyper GT-X Coaster |
| Drop | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Length | 2,500 ft (760 m) |
| Speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Max vertical angle | 80° |
| Capacity | 800 riders per hour |
| Trains | 2 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 20 riders per train. |
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Lightning Run at RCDB Pictures of Lightning Run at RCDB | |
Lightning Run is a Hyper GT-X roller coaster located at Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky. The ride is manufactured by Chance Rides and opened on May 24, 2014. The coaster itself is the first and only Hyper GT-X model coaster currently open in the world.
History
In February 2010, Six Flags permanently closed Kentucky Kingdom after a negotiation could not be reached with the Kentucky State Fair Board for a new lease needed for the park. In May 2010, Local Investor Ed Hart returned to the fold to operate the park again almost 13 years after selling the park to Six Flags. However, after over one year of trying to negotiate with the fair board over a lease, negotiations with Hart abruptly ended in September 2011. At the start of 2012, the owners of Holiday World expressed interest in running the park and renaming it to Bluegrass Boardwalk, but those plans ended without success in June 2012. In August 2012, Ed Hart returned to the Fair Board with a new proposal which included a 15 million dollar Bolliger and Mabillard roller coaster, but the plans were slightly changed to a 7 million dollar roller coaster and a different manufacturer. Chance Rides was then hired to build a brand new coaster model for the park. What resulted was the first Hyper GT-X coaster model which was named Lightning Run due to the park's other coaster being named Thunder Run.
Lightning Run first opened officially on May 24, 2014 and has become an instant hit to roller coaster enthusiasts, the general public, and has even received positive reviews from critics.Lightning Run is one of Five operating roller coasters at Kentucky Kingdom.