Rolling Thunder, Wooden roller coaster in Jackson Township, New Jersey, United States
Rolling Thunder was a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, featuring two separate racing tracks that each ran roughly 3,200 feet. The structure rose to a height of 96 feet (29 meters) and allowed speeds up to 56 miles per hour (90 kilometers per hour).
The installation opened in 1979 as the first wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure and remained operational until 2013. Its removal cleared space for Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, a drop tower attached to the Kingda Ka structure.
The ride marked a significant era in American amusement parks as Six Flags Great Adventure's first wooden roller coaster during its fifth operating season.
The ride required a minimum height of around 44 inches (112 centimeters), making it accessible to more guests than other coasters with taller requirements. The racing format between the two tracks added an extra layer of excitement, with each run feeling different depending on which side riders chose.
The construction used over 850,000 feet (260 kilometers) of Douglas fir, with the tracks separating at several points instead of running parallel throughout. This design allowed the trains to meet and split in shifting positions, intensifying the racing experience.
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