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Wacky Soap Box Racers

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Wacky Soap Box Racers was a steeplechase coaster that operated at Knott's Berry Farm from 1976 to 1996.

History[]

The coaster was manufactured by Arrow Development and originally opened as Motor Cycle Chase on June 12, 1976 as part of the "Airfield" expansion of the Roaring 20's themed area. Due to injuries sustained by some riders at its high speeds, the attraction was closed in 1979 to undergo modification and re-theming. The motorcycle-themed vehicles were replaced by slower soapbox cars for improved safety.[1][2]

On July 4, 1980, the ride was re-opened as "Wacky Soap Box Racers" with Marion Knott and race driver Parnelli Jones at the opening ceremony.[3] It was closed in 1996 and replaced by Windjammer Surf Racers, which opened in 1997.[4][5]

Ride description[]

The ride featured 4 single-rail roller coaster tracks in parallel. Each cart had 2 seats, one in front of the other. Each seat could sit 2 people for a total of 4 passengers per cart (up to 16 per race cycle). There were no restraints. 4 parallel carts were loaded with passengers and the carts were chain lifted and released simultaneously. Leaning into turns with the weight of the riders enabled carts to move at different rates for the racing aspect. The tracks each had 2 chain lifts and two bunny hills, reaching a maximum elevation of 27 feet.[2][6]

Vehicles[]

  • Motor Cycle Chase: 3 tandem bikes per train. Riders were arranged inline on 2 seats per bike for a total of 6 riders per train, with a maximum speed of 40 mph.
  • Wacky Soap Box Racers: Single-cart trains. Riders were arranged inline in 4 rows for a total of 4 riders per train, with a reduced maximum speed of 30 mph.[2]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. ↑ Knott's to Open Roaring 20's Airfield, Good Time Gazette vol.3, no.73. Knott's Berry Farm. 1976. Archived 2021-06-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Motorcycle Chase (Wacky Soap Box Racers) at Knott's Berry Farm in 1978. by Historic Coaster Foundation, Facebook. 2020-05-01.
  3. ↑ History. by Sotto Studios, Knott's Wacky Soap Box Racers. 45 years later. Accessed 2025-04-15.
  4. ↑ Knott's Berry Farm Historic Timeline, Knott's Berry Farm. 2023-01-01.
  5. ↑ The Failure Of Windjammer Surf Racers: The End Of TOGO International by Expedition Theme Park, YouTube. 2020-08-01.
  6. ↑ Wacky Soap Box Racers Knotts Berry Farm CA 1994 by Hbvideos, YouTube. 2010-11-17.

External links[]

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