Desert Race, Steel roller coaster in Heide Park, Soltau, Germany

Desert Race is a steel launched coaster by Intamin at Heide Park in Soltau, Germany. Its 650-metre track is held up by tall yellow columns and a dark grey spine, with yellow and blue rails forming a vertical loop and rising curves. In front of the track stands a red and yellow helicopter marked "Race control" and "D-HMRC", set on a grey platform above a stone retaining wall with plants.

Desert Race opened at Heide Park on 15 May 2007 as Germany's first launch coaster, an Intamin Accelerator Coaster. Ground was broken on 14 August 2006, supports arrived in December 2006 and were erected in January 2007, and track was complete by March 2007. On its first test run the train failed to clear the first airtime hill; four protruding screws on the catch car were replaced with countersunk ones.

Since 2011 Desert Race has stood in the themed area "Land der Vergessenen" (Land of the Forgotten). The queue and station are dressed as a desert camp, and the red and yellow helicopter marked "Race control" with the tail code D-HMRC stands by the track as a photo subject. The ride's two trains each carry 20 people, giving a capacity of 800 passengers per hour.

Riders must be between 140 and 195 centimeters (55 and 77 inches) tall and at least 12 years old to board. It helps to store loose items in the lockers provided, since the acceleration starts very suddenly.

Desert Race's track almost matches that of Rita at Alton Towers, both Merlin parks, but after the eddy-current brake Desert Race sits a few metres higher, allowing an extra drop and a small hill before a banked right turn. The ride and its desert theming cost about 15 million euros.