View the official press release from Kings Dominion:
Kings Dominion to Introduce $25 Million Steel Giga-Coaster In 2010
Intimidator 305 will be the Biggest, Baddest and Meanest on the East Coast
Doswell, VA. (Aug. 20, 2009) – The most exciting ride in Kings Dominion’s 35-year history will
debut in the spring of 2010, as the amusement park introduces a mammoth 5,100-foot long steel
Giga-coaster. Intimidator 305 takes it name from one of stock car racing’s most beloved and
tenacious drivers, Dale Earnhardt, “the Intimidator™” along with the height of the coaster’s lift hill,
305 feet.
Intimidator 305, only the second Giga-coaster ever built in North America, will be the tallest and
fastest roller coaster of its type on the East Coast. The lift hill will stand a towering 305 feet at its
highest peak; descend 300 feet at an 85 degree-angle and thunder along the track at speeds in
excess of 90 miles per hour during its three minute race to the finish. The trains, fashioned after
Dale Earnhardt’s signature black car, will roar through six airtime humps plus three high-speed
turns and the experience will have guests screaming for another lap around the track.
“Intimidator 305 will break records as the single largest capital investment in the history Kings
Dominion,” said Pat Jones, Kings Dominion’s vice president and general manager. “The numbers
speak for themselves, at a cost of $25 million, a lift hill and first drop close to the height of the
park’s landmark Eiffel Tower; you’ll have to see it to believe it.” Intimidator 305 will be located in
the park’s Congo section and becomes Kings Dominion’s 15th World-class roller coaster.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will partner with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, owners of Kings
Dominion, to bring the massive coaster to life. “We’re excited to see this new roller coaster
celebrate the speed and intensity of the legendary career of Dale Earnhardt,” said Jeff Steiner,
executive vice president and general manager of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. “there are millions of fans
that still honor their racing hero and this is a very real way for them to connect with the spirit and
passion of the Intimidator™.”
Guests will have the opportunity to see the ride being built from the ground up during the
remainder of the park’s 2009 season, as well as follow its progress by watching the online
webcam, set up to overlook the entire work site. Those who cannot wait until 2010 may take a
virtual ride on Intimidator 305, access exclusive updates, features, virtual renderings, ride
statistics, and more at www.intimidator305.com.
Intamin AG of Wollerau, Switzerland, a recognized industry leader in roller coaster development,
designed Intimidator 305. The ride is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.
Kings Dominion is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded
partnership that is listed for trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FUN.” In
addition to Kings Dominion, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, six
waterparks, one indoor waterpark resort, and five hotels. Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy
Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, Calif. under a management contract.
