Predator (roller coaster)

Predator is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Darien Lake. It was designed by Curtis D. Summers and built by Dinn Corporation and opened on May 25, 1990.^[1]

Predator
Predator's lift hill
Six Flags Darien Lake
Location	Six Flags Darien Lake
Coordinates	42°55′45″N 78°23′10″W
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 25, 1990
Cost	$2.5 million
General statistics
Type	Wood – Out and back
Manufacturer	Dinn Corporation
Designer	Curtis D. Summers
Height	95 ft (29 m)
Length	3,400 ft (1,000 m)
Speed	50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1:50
Capacity	1300 riders per hour
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	Single train with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Predator at RCDB

Design

The coaster is a double out-and-back design and does so in a fairly confined space. The main section of the coaster runs along the lake to its north.

Renovations and upgrades

At the end of the summer of 2006, a major re-tracking took place and some wood was replaced on the ride to help make it more enjoyable for guests. In 2001, during an earlier tracking job, part of the queue line was removed to make way for an expanded seating area for the nearby food stand.

In 2010, Six Flags Darien Lake purchased 12 PTC articulated cars from Holiday World, where they were used on The Voyage.^[2] These trains replaced the original PTC trailer-style trains which were known to have an extremely rough ride. With the closure of Raging Wolf Bobs at the defunct Geauga Lake in 2007, The Predator was the last roller coaster to operate with PTC trailered trains.^[3]

In 2020, it was revealed that Great Coasters International will be replacing some sections of Predator's track with their new steel Titan Track.^[4]

In 2022, Predator received its first section of Titan Track, Approximately 250 feet (76.2 m), Followed by 200 feet (61 m) in 2023, over 360 feet (110 m) in 2024, and nearly 370 feet (113 m) in 2025.^[5]