Theme Park Insider

Lightning Racer reviews

Theme Park Insider readers offer their ratings and reviews for Lightning Racer, a roller coaster at Hersheypark. (The minimum height to ride is 48 inches.)
The first wooden racing/dueling coaster in the United States. This ride is nothing but awesome to behold. Named Thunder and Lightning, these two trains first race, then seem to 'attack' each other by circling back and forth, over and under, and all around ... a (seemingly) very long ride from its 90' initial plunge to the end of the ride where you will find your train to be the 'winner' or not. A MUST for roller coaster enthusiasts. Designed by Great Coasters, International and installed in 2000, the ride features a total of 6800' of track (3400 each side) and speeds up to 50mph.

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Readers' rating:

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23 votes, so far

Lightning Racer is smooth and exciting. Races are usually pretty fair, and I had trouble guessing which side would win. I prefer the Lightning side but have friends who prefer Thunder; ride both and draw your own conclusions. It is a beautiful ride that usually has short waits. A must-ride on any visit to Hersheypark. - Jamie Bennish

It wasnt there the dueling elements werent as exciting as i expected and it was rough. I really didnt scream on it at all. It was mediocre at best. - Dakota S

best wooden coaster i've ever been on, smooth and doesnt stop once it starts, fast the whole time. fastest line in the park too - Victoria Jurkowski

This ride was a lot of fun. It was the first racing coaster I'd been on and it was great. Definitely a must-ride at Hersheypark. - Derrick O. Foreman

After visiting Kings Dominion, I figured I had just gotten to old for wooden coasters. Fortunately I was wrong! This is an awesome coaster and loads of fun. Smooth as a woodie could be. I ended up 1-3 on the day in the race. - Scott Sanders

A top ten woodie in any park. An exciteing raceing coaster. With Lots of Air Time. Still runs smoth and tracks well. Line was not long at all and my family managed to ride it three times the day I was there. - Joe Schwartz

This ride is the smoothest woodie i've been on and one of the best parts is the second hill because you get some airtime. - Kelvin Lu

My favorite woodie I have ridden! It's so great and smooth, and amazing where ever you ride it! I like lightning barely better, because after the picture, you go into an amazing banked turn! I don't know why i love that part so much... Still, ride either! - Eli Katzman

the BEST woodie ever very fast paced but i love it. - christian giovannini

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