Evel Knievel (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
American Thunder is a wooden roller coaster
that opened June 20, 2008, at Six Flags St. Louis
. The coaster was originally named after and themed to the famous motorcycle daredevil
Evel Knievel
. It was renamed American Thunder for the 2011 season.
To help promote the opening of the then-Evel Knievel Roller Coaster, Knievel's son, Robbie Knievel
, jumped a Honda
CR-500 motorcycle over 25 Dodge Charger
s on July 3, 2008.
wooden roller coaster features an 80 feet (24.4 m) drop with a top speed of 48 mi/h, going through a course of 2700 feet (823 m) of track. This ride features 16 hills and multiple high banked turns at up to 67° angles. The layout crosses over and under itself seventeen times. This ride also features two 24-passenger Millennium Flyer trains for better cornering.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
that opened June 20, 2008, at Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis , is an amusement park owned by Six Flags, Inc. It is located in Eureka, Missouri, USA . Opened in 1971 as the third theme park of the Six Flags chain, this was the last park that was built under the Six Flags name...
. The coaster was originally named after and themed to the famous motorcycle daredevil
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
. It was renamed American Thunder for the 2011 season.
To help promote the opening of the then-Evel Knievel Roller Coaster, Knievel's son, Robbie Knievel
Robbie Knievel
Robert Edward "Robbie" Knievel is an American daredevil and son of stunt performer Evel Knievel.-Family:...
, jumped a Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
CR-500 motorcycle over 25 Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
s on July 3, 2008.
Ride Experience
This $7 Million GCIGreat Coasters International
Great Coasters International, Inc. is a Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based roller coaster manufacturer which has created several award-winning rides since its formation in 1994. Starting in 2006 with Thunderbird in Finland, the company expanded beyond the United States and began building coasters in...
wooden roller coaster features an 80 feet (24.4 m) drop with a top speed of 48 mi/h, going through a course of 2700 feet (823 m) of track. This ride features 16 hills and multiple high banked turns at up to 67° angles. The layout crosses over and under itself seventeen times. This ride also features two 24-passenger Millennium Flyer trains for better cornering.