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Kentucky Rumbler...elite airtime or mid GCI

LightningColossus46

LightningColossus46

Mega Poster
I had the pleasure of going to Bowling Green KY. a few times mainly for the National Corvette Museum, but last summer I went back as an enthusiast for the first time. And with a small credit count on a trip to Dollywood I wanted to check out this random GCI in a glorified FEC. Little did I know...

The park (Beech Bend) has two small spinning coasters as well as a medium sized GCI. Opening in 2006 and funded in part by ACE, it is very smooth. It also got Titan track before the 2023 season. It starts with a nice pre lift (think Twisted colossus) First turn has nice laterals, and first drop has great flojector in the back. The rest of the Ride is typical GCI goodness.

Most importantly sit in the front on the seat with the red restraint. It pops up about 6 inches on both of the incredible speed hills. Overall I think it is crazy underrated and is in my top 10.

I am curious if anyone has opinions or reviews...so please put them below so more people learn about this ride.
https://rcdb.com/2967.htm <---RCDB link...
 
Do you have anymore details about it being part funded by ACE? I remember the funding of this ride is somewhat interesting, with a few articles suggesting the park owner put a significant amount of his personal savings towards the ride. First I've heard about any ACE involvement though.
 
I've only visited Beech Bend once, back in 2019. Can't say I was that impressed with Rumbler. It wasn't unpleasant but the tracking seemed poor and awkward at points and took away from the 'fluid' experience I've found on most other GCIs. Of the GCIs I've done that are still operational, the only one I enjoyed less was Roar at SF America.

Good track maintenance has the power to transform woodies with dynamic layouts like this one though, so I can totally believe that it's running a lot better now, and happy to hear it.
 
Im not sure about the park owner...but in the exit gift shop there are pics and news clippings saying the ACE puts up a decent amount of money to preserve it being a smaller lesser know woodie. They kind of treat it like an ACE landmark even though it's only 19 years old. If I remember correctly there is also a plaque thanking ACE and their members

If I am not mistaken...they mostly fund the re-tracking efforts.
 
I am starting to think I rode it on its best day. Back defiantly isn't as good as the front. Maybe that is why I didn't find it rough. Only the turn into the station fly through is truly rough.
 
I rode Kentucky Rumbler a week after it opened for the 2023 season with the new Titan Track and other wooden retracked sections and it was shockingly very good.

The laterals were pretty good and the airtime was much stronger than I expected. It was also quite smooth and rerideable as I rode it 8 times and could’ve easily ridden it more. I do feel like the conditions I rode it in being fresh off the retrack on a hot day with close to full trains definitely helped.

I have it ranked above rides like Apocalypse and Lightning Racer but just below Thunderhead and far below Gold Striker and Mystic Timbers. I’d probably say it’s on the high end of mid-tier GCIs based on my experience.
 
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