Dauling Dragon
Specific Type: Wooden Racing
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There is a battle raging at Happy Valley in Hubei. A conflict, a competition, a duel about every 4 minutes thanks to Dauling Dragon China’s third wooden roller coaster and first racing wooden coaster. Dauling Dragon, opened in 2012, is an example of the emerging building boom of quality coasters in China, as this up and coming market of parks starts to build a collection of heavy hitters. Happy Valley has six locations in total with another under construction, and all are receiving major investments from familiar well respected manufacturers who are designing and building large world class thrill rides. This coaster designed by the Gravity Group, and manufactured by Martin & Vleminckx, is called a racing coaster, but more resembles a dueling coaster. The tracks have similar, but different paths. At times the coasters are side by side mirror imaging each other, but at other times they veer off on their own and even feature near head on collision passes. It is most similar to Lightning Racer at Hersheypark on the other side of the world, but Lightning Racer is built by GCI. Unlike other dueling coasters the tracks are not named, they are only distinguished by color, red and blue. They are most certainly different not only in their path but also in length, 3,651.6 feet versus 3,690.9 feet of track.
As riders approach the station there are two full size steam locomotives outside. One with blue accents, the other with red which is slightly ahead. They foreshadow the race that you are about to have. Riders enter the station and board either red or blue PTC trains. The trains slowly leave the station and meander around the maintenance side tracks looking up at the looming 105 foot tall lift hill. The trains ascend together up the hill giving racers a chance to jeer and heckle each other. At the top of the hill the trains separate, they start with blue on the right and red on the left. As they crest the hill blue dives to the left under the red train. The red train soars down the first drop in a straight dive to the bottom where it banks to line back up with the blue. Both trains are moving at top speed 54.1 MPH as they move together, ahead is the ride's signature element. The trains go up an airtime hill as the trains bank 90 degrees in a mirror image of each other. This high five maneuver begs riders to raise their hands and reach out for the other train. After the high five the tracks veer away from each other, blue to the left and red to the right. A few bumps and hops on each track lead into a wide banking turn where both trains are on a collision course for each other. They fly past each other from their near miss on their long banked curve they are turned until they are facing the same direction. The tracks weave around each other, red cuts through the structure and hops over blue, as the blue track dives and banks under red. The two trains line up again as they go over a small airtime hill, then the track weaves again. This time sending the blue train up and over the red. This is repeated three more times as the trains bank, dive, and soar over one another. Finally the trains line up again on a banked turn to the right. They go over another airtime hill together, and then separating again in opposite directions as they enter a second banked turnaround featuring a near miss head on collision. They continue around, and line up for the final race to the finish. They cut through the structure very low to the ground, go over the final hop, and across the line line. The brakes stop these two runaway trains and the winner is crowned. |
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