Kentucky Kingdom Assures Riders that Swaying Lightning Run Coaster is Safe

Says Swaying is Normal for this Ride

Despite concern sparked by amateur video showing Kentucky Kingdom’s new steel roller coaster, Lightning Run, swaying as cars pass along a section of track, the park assures the public that the ride is perfectly safe.

The ride, which features a 100-foot tall 80-degree drop and reaches speeds of 55 miles per hour, was manufactured by Chance Rides of Wichita, KS.  Complete specifications of the ride, Chance Rides’s first Hyper GT-X coaster, are available here.  Kentucky Kingdom’s communications directory, John Mulcahy, says that the swaying seen in the video is there by design and is a natural part of a high speed ride like Lightning Run.

Anyone who has spent time at an amusement park with large roller coasters has probably noticed movement as the ground shakes or the track sways after the cars pass, although the movement in the video above does seem exaggerated compared to many rides.

Have you visited Kentucky Kingdom and taken a turn on Lightning Run?  What do you think about the track swaying?  Share your thoughts in the comments section below