First double launch roller coaster in the Carolinas opening at Carowinds
CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) - Thrill seekers prepare to rejoice!
A new roller coaster is being added to Carowinds and will open next year, park officials announced.
Copperhead Strike will be the first double launch roller coaster in the Carolinas. App users click here.
“Double launch” means not only does the ride take off at an incredible 0 to 42 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds, but midway through a second thrust of acceleration launches you into the next half of the experience. A series of fast, tight, close-to-the-ground maneuvers are tangled with five head-over-heels inversions -- the most of any double launch coaster in North America, according to the park.
RIDE STATS
Coaster Type: Double Launch coaster
Launching System: Linear Synchron Motor (LSM)
Number of Launches: 2
First Launch: From 0 to 42 mph in 2.5 seconds
Second Launch: From 35 mph to 50 mph in 2 seconds
Track Length: 3,255 feet
Number of Inversions: 5
Duration: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
Height Requirement: 52"
Trains: 3
Riders per Train: 16
Amount of Steel Used: 530 tons
Ride Manufacturer: MACK Rides GmbH & Co KG, Waldkirch, Germany
The ride will be based in the park's a new 7-acre themed area, Blue Ridge Junction, based off the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountain region. The are will also include the Blue Ridge Country Kitchen. Learn more about Blue Ridge Junction here.
Carowinds also announced plans for its first on-site hotel, which will be breaking ground in the spring.
Copperhead Strike and Blue Ridge Junction will be opening at Carowinds in spring 2019.