Roller Coasters
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The Gravity Group W
ooden roller coasters have always been the passion of The Gravity Group, LLC. Originally formed
in 2002 by four experienced engineers in the amusement industry, The Gravity Group has spent the last two decades perfecting the wooden roller coaster, growing from a small engineering firm into a full-fledged turn-key ride manufacturer. They have taken a methodical approach, starting with redefining the structural details of wooden roller coaster to a more robust design with less maintenance. Next, The Gravity Group focused on improving
the trains. Seeing the need to reduce wooden roller coaster track wear and an advanced restraint system, the team developed the Timberliner cars in 2008. The resulting design showcased the first trains for wooden roller coasters with fully steering wheel assemblies and lap bars that meet Class 5, the highest safety level for restraints. Timberliner cars also have allowed the Gravity Group to design the unthinkable with wooden roller track, from extreme banking, super tight turns to complete inversions. To complete the design trifecta, The Gravity
Group created a brand-new style of wooden roller coaster track. To remove the imprecision of hand cut track and drastically increase the strength of the traditional wooden roller coaster track, the team developed a revolutionary, precision
34 APRIL 2024
machine-cut track creating a smooth track that is up to twenty times stronger than typical track. In September of 2023, The Gravity Group received a patent for this track system, known as Engineered Precut Track. Engineered Precut Track has now been installed
on twenty-eight projects since its first installation on Kentucky Flyer in 2019. Many signature rides now showcase Engineered Precut Track such as The Racer and The Beast at Kings Island, Megafobia and most recently The Bobcat at Six Flags Great Escape. When it opens this summer, The Bobcat will
be the first ride that is 100% tracked using The Bobcat is a wooden-structured family roller coaster that combines thrilling airtime moments with high- banked twists and turns.
It is the thirtieth ride from
The Gravity Group and the twenty-third ride to feature its Timberliner cars.
Bobcat
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