Opened: 7 Apr 2012
Location: North Midway
Manufactured By: Zamperla – Altavilla Vicentina, Italy
Ride Model: Air Race 6.4 (park model)
Cost: $2,500,000
Structural Height: 42 ft
Footprint: 87 x 87 ft
Number Of Planes: 6
Ride Capacity: 24 (4 per plane)
Hourly Capacity: 480
On Air Race, riders board one of six airplanes which then rotate vertically while the entire ride spins horizontally at the same time. Each plane rotates independently and some planes may provide a wilder ride than others.
Air Race is located between Jet Star 2 and the Davis Pavilion, a spot which has also been home to many other different rides since the Midway expanded north in 1965.
From 1979 to 1981, it was home to the Tri-Star. The following year, Tri-Star moved across the Midway to the east and it’s former location became home to the UFO, which lasted for one season. It was followed by two more single-season rides – the Whirlwind in 1984 and Cyclone in 1985. After that, Tri-Star returned and remained there until it finally closed in 1990.
The picnic terrace wasn’t a permanent building like other terraces and pavilions in the park. It was just a space where picnic tables and canopies were located. After 2000 or so the space was left empty. There used to be annual car shows that used the space on Labor Day weekends. In 2005 the space became a Frightmares walk-through called Psycho Dave’s Junkyard. After Air Race was installed, Psycho Dave’s later evolved into the Pioneer Village Scare Zone in 2014.
GALLERY
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OTHER LAGOON RIDES FROM ZAMPERLA
Moonraker, 1983
Scaliwags, 1986
Red Rock Rally, 2013
Tipsey Tea Cups, 2013
Flying Tigers, 2017
Ruka Safari, 2017
Engine 86, 2020
Time Tinker, 2025
ReferenCES
Air Race 6.4. Zamperla.com, accessed 12 Jan 2017.