The ride most people still call “the Dragster” at Cedar Point never really left, even though it was declared permanently closed back in 2021. Top Thrill Dragster was the Sandusky, Ohio park’s hydraulic-launch icon: it opened in 2003 as the world’s first 400-foot-plus “strata coaster,” briefly held the titles of tallest and fastest roller coaster on Earth, and spent nearly two decades as one of the most photographed thrill rides anywhere before a serious guest injury ended its run for good.
That same 420-foot tower is still standing at Cedar Point, and it’s still launching riders at 120 mph. It just does it three times now, as Top Thrill 2. Below is everything the dragster ride at Cedar Point actually involves today: how the original worked, why it closed, how its records stack up now, and what’s changed since it reopened.
Quick Answer
The dragster ride at Cedar Point is Top Thrill Dragster, a hydraulic-launch coaster that opened in 2003, hit 120 mph in under four seconds, and held the world’s tallest-and-fastest titles before closing permanently after a 2021 injury. Its 420-foot tower now powers Top Thrill 2, a rebuilt triple-launch version that reopened for good in May 2025 and still ranks among the tallest launch coasters on the planet.
Is the Dragster Still at Cedar Point?
Not under its original name, but the ride location and its signature tower never went anywhere. Top Thrill Dragster closed permanently after the 2021 season and was formally retired in 2022. Cedar Point then rebuilt the ride on the same footprint with a second 420-foot tower, new trains, and a triple-launch layout, reopening it as Top Thrill 2 on May 4, 2024.
A mechanical issue with the new vehicles forced an abrupt closure about a week later, and the ride sat shut for the rest of the 2024 season while manufacturer Zamperla reworked the trains. Top Thrill 2 reopened for Cedar Point’s 2025 opening day, May 3, and has operated regularly since, so as of the 2026 season the dragster ride at Cedar Point is open, just under a new name and with a very different launch sequence.
The Original Top Thrill Dragster Experience
Top Thrill Dragster was built by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel as an homage to drag racing, right down to a Christmas-tree-style launch light sequence at the station. A hydraulic launch mechanism fired each train from a dead stop to 120 mph in about 3.8 seconds, generating forces that pinned riders back in their seats.
The train then shot straight up the 420-foot top-hat tower, twisted slightly at the peak, and dove down the far side at a near-vertical angle before hitting the brakes. There were no inversions and no lift hill; the entire launch-to-brake sequence lasted only about 30 seconds, though riders typically spent closer to two minutes moving through the station and queue switchbacks. The tower’s height and shape made it visible from nearly anywhere in the park, and it quickly became one of Cedar Point’s most photographed landmarks.
Stats at a Glance
Top Thrill Dragster (2003-2021): Intamin hydraulic launch coaster, 420-foot top-hat tower, 400-foot drop, top speed 120 mph reached in 3.8 seconds, roughly 2,800 feet of track, zero inversions, opened May 4, 2003, permanently retired in 2022.
Top Thrill 2 (2024-present): rebuilt by Zamperla on the original Intamin tower, two 420-foot towers, 3,422 feet of track, triple-launch sequence reaching 74 mph forward, then 101 mph backward, then 120 mph forward, zero inversions, three trains with five cars each carrying 20 riders, 52-inch minimum height requirement.
Records and Legacy
When it opened in 2003, Top Thrill Dragster claimed the titles of world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster and created an entirely new category of steel coaster, the strata coaster, reserved for rides over 400 feet tall. Those records lasted about two years, until Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2005 at 456 feet and 128 mph. Top Thrill Dragster operated for 19 seasons and carried an estimated 18 million riders before its 2021 closure.
The story didn’t end there: when Kingda Ka was permanently retired after the 2024 season, Top Thrill 2 briefly reclaimed the world’s tallest roller coaster title. It never reclaimed the fastest title, though — Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi had reopened that same month after an 11-month refurbishment and kept its long-standing 149.1 mph speed record the whole time. Top Thrill 2’s height reign was short-lived too: Falcon’s Flight opened at Six Flags Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia on December 31, 2025, standing roughly 535 feet tall and reaching about 155 mph, topping both Top Thrill 2’s height record and Formula Rossa’s speed record. Top Thrill 2 remains the tallest and fastest roller coaster in North America.
Why Top Thrill Dragster Closed
On August 15, 2021, a small metal piece dislodged from a Top Thrill Dragster train and struck a guest waiting in the queue, causing a severe head injury. Cedar Point closed the ride immediately and never reopened it in its original form. After an extended investigation and redesign process, the park announced in 2023 that the site would reopen as Top Thrill 2, a reimagined coaster using all-new trains and a reinforced launch system rather than the original hydraulic mechanism.
Riding It Today: Top Thrill 2
Top Thrill 2 keeps the drag-racing theme but trades the single hydraulic launch for three linear-synchronous-motor launches. Riders first launch forward to about 74 mph and climb partway up the original 420-foot top hat before rolling backward into a second launch, hitting roughly 101 mph as they climb the brand-new second tower. A third forward launch then sends the train up and over the original top hat at its full 120 mph top speed.
Three trains, each holding 20 riders across five cars, keep the line moving, and riders must be at least 52 inches tall. For current hours, height-check procedures, and single-rider or Fast Lane options, check Cedar Point’s official Top Thrill 2 page before your visit, since operating schedules shift through the season. For a deeper look at the rebuilt ride’s full stats and history, see ThrillZing’s Top Thrill 2 guide.
Historic Photo Archive
ThrillZing’s original photo archive for this ride includes shots taken at Cedar Point on July 16, 2003, during Top Thrill Dragster’s record-breaking first season, plus a follow-up set from September 29, 2007, and a later shot from October 14, 2016, all restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the 420-foot top hat from the midway and the Space Spiral, the launch track and station, the entrance sign, and the twisted return tower. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Top Thrill Dragster Photo Archive: 2003 & 2007
These are original ThrillZing photos of Top Thrill Dragster taken at Cedar Point on July 16, 2003, in its record-breaking first season, and in September 2007, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the 420-foot top hat from the midway and from the Space Spiral, the launch track and station, the entrance sign, and the twisted return tower. Dragster ran until 2021 and reopened as Top Thrill 2 in 2024. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Top Thrill Dragster Photo Archive: 2003 & 2007
These are original ThrillZing photos of Top Thrill Dragster taken at Cedar Point on July 16, 2003, in its record-breaking first season, and in September 2007, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the 420-foot top hat from the midway and from the Space Spiral, the launch track and station, the entrance sign, and the twisted return tower. Dragster ran until 2021 and reopened as Top Thrill 2 in 2024. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
October 2016
September 2007
July 2003
Soak, snap and drape. A cooling towel takes the edge off a 45-minute midday queue in July.
Park apps, mobile ordering and photos kill a battery by 3 p.m. This one snaps on magnetically, so there's no cable to snag on a restraint.
Ride with your glasses on and keep them. Many parks allow glasses on rides if they're strapped, so check the ride rules first.
Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point) FAQs
What is the dragster ride at Cedar Point called now?
It’s called Top Thrill 2. The ride opened as Top Thrill Dragster in 2003, closed permanently in 2021, and reopened on the same 420-foot tower as the rebuilt, triple-launch Top Thrill 2 in 2024-2025.
Is Top Thrill Dragster still open at Cedar Point?
No. Top Thrill Dragster closed permanently after the 2021 season following a guest injury and was formally retired in 2022. Its site and tower were rebuilt into Top Thrill 2.
How fast did Top Thrill Dragster go?
Top Thrill Dragster’s hydraulic launch took riders from 0 to 120 mph in about 3.8 seconds, matching the top speed of today’s Top Thrill 2.
Why did Top Thrill Dragster close?
On August 15, 2021, a metal piece dislodged from a train and struck a guest in the queue line, causing a serious injury. Cedar Point closed the ride for good and later rebuilt it as Top Thrill 2.
Is Top Thrill 2 the same ride as Top Thrill Dragster?
It shares the same location and original 420-foot tower, but Top Thrill 2 has new Zamperla trains, a second launch tower, and a three-launch sequence instead of Top Thrill Dragster’s single hydraulic launch.
Is Top Thrill 2 still the world’s tallest roller coaster?
No. It briefly reclaimed that title in late 2024 after Kingda Ka closed, but lost it to Falcon’s Flight in Saudi Arabia, which opened December 31, 2025, at roughly 535 feet. Top Thrill 2 was never the world’s fastest, though — Formula Rossa in Abu Dhabi held that record at 149.1 mph the whole time, until Falcon’s Flight took it too. Top Thrill 2 is still the tallest and fastest roller coaster in North America.
Get More from Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point)
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point), and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.