Raging Bull (roller coaster)

Raging Bull is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the ride opened to the public on May 1, 1999. It features a 208-foot (63 m) first drop, a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h), and a track length of over 5,000 feet (1,524 m). It was the second B&M Hyper Coaster model to open in the United States, closely following the opening of Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Raging Bull
Six Flags Great America
LocationSix Flags Great America
Park sectionSouthwest Territory
Coordinates42°21′56.89″N 87°56′13.39″W
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateApril 29, 1999 (1999-04-29)
Opening dateMay 1, 1999 (1999-05-01)
Cost$25,000,000[1]
ReplacedRolling Thunder
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelHyper Coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height202 ft (62 m)
Drop208 ft (63 m)
Length5,057 ft (1,541 m)
Speed73 mph (117 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration2:30
Max vertical angle65°
Capacity1560 riders per hour
Trains3 trains with 9 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 36 riders per train.
WebsiteOfficial website
Flash Pass available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Raging Bull at RCDB

History

On October 21, 1998, Six Flags Great America announced that they would be adding Raging Bull for the 1999 season. It would be located in the Southwest Territory section next to Viper. The park hired Bolliger & Mabillard to build a brand new hyper coaster.[2] Construction on Raging Bull began in November 1998 and was completed by the following spring. It opened to the public on May 1, 1999. A media day was held two days earlier on April 29.[3]

In 2008, Raging Bull was repainted. The following year, the ride received a new entrance sign depicting a more aggressive bull.[4]

On June 15, 2016, Six Flags announced that Virtual Reality (VR) would be added to the ride later in the year.[5][6] The VR experience didn't last long on the rides that offered it across the Six Flags chain due to slower load times and longer lines, as well as additional staffing to distribute and sanitize each headset.[7][8]

Description

Raging Bull is located in the Southwest Territory section of the park, situated between Viper and the giant helix on American Eagle. This site had been previously occupied by Rolling Thunder, a bobsled roller coaster that operated at the park from 1989 to 1995. Raging Bull's station is designed to have a run-down appearance. The track is painted orange with unpainted rails and wine-colored supports.[9]

Ride experience

As the train exits the station, it makes a left turn and a small dip before ascending the lift hill. At the 202-foot peak (62 m), the train traverses a pre-drop into a brief straight section of track, before making a 208-foot plunge (63 m) into a tunnel, reaching speeds of up to 73 mph (117 km/h). The track then ascends into a hammerhead turn to the right. After the turnaround is a parabolic hill with a trim brake on the uphill side. This is followed by another hill that banks left over the station area, a dip under the lift hill, and another hammerhead turn to the left. The train then makes a right-hand uphill turn into a mid-course brake run. Dropping off the mid-course brakes, the track passes the on-ride camera. This is followed by an airtime hill and a three-quarter turn to the right, wrapping around the first drop and diving into a figure-eight turn. Exiting the turn, the train rises uphill and enters the final brake run before returning to the station.

Awards
Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year19992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212022
Ranking 14[10]12[11]11[12]14 (tie)[13]17[14]14[15]9[16]11[17]12[18]11[19]14[20]16[21]24[22]19[23]31[24]31[25]31[26]32 (tie)[27]34[28]48[29]46[30]44[31]38[32]

References
  1. "Six Flags parks investment". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. March 5, 1999. Retrieved July 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Backmann, Dave (October 22, 1998). "Six Flags' new ride will offer 'hyper-twister' thrills". Kenosha News. Retrieved July 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Rushing, J. Taylor (April 30, 1999). "No bull, this roller coaster is fast". Kenosha News. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Stevenson, John (August 22, 2019). "19 For '99: Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America". Coaster101. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  5. "Virtual Reality Coaster – Raging Bull". www.sixflags.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  6. "Virtual Reality coming to Six Flags' Raging Bull hyper coaster". FOX6 News. June 15, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  7. Marr, Bernard (September 11, 2019). "The Best And Most Thrilling Virtual Reality (VR) Theme Park Rides In The World". Forbes. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  8. Niles, Robert (May 15, 2019). "Virtual reality on theme park rides: 2016-2019". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  9. Marden, Duane. " (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  10. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 1999. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  11. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  12. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  13. "Top 25 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 7B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  14. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  15. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 18–19B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  16. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  17. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 26–27B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  18. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 36–37. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  19. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 36–37. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  20. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  21. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  22. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  23. "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  24. "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  25. "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  26. "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  27. "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  28. "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  29. "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  30. "2019 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  31. "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  32. "2022 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
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