West Coast Racers is Six Flags Magic Mountain’s launched, side-by-side dueling coaster, where two 12-passenger trains race through the same layout at once, crossing paths more than a dozen times before either one crosses the finish line first.
Built by Premier Rides and opened on January 9, 2020, the ride pairs a West Coast Customs-themed pit stop with four separate launches, making it one of the more technically involved coasters in the park’s lineup. Here’s everything riders ask before getting in line: how tall you need to be, how the racing actually works, where to find it in the park, and how it stacks up against the rest of Magic Mountain’s coasters.
Quick Answer
West Coast Racers is a launched dueling roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain that sends two 12-passenger trains through four separate LSM launches on parallel tracks, reaching 55 mph and crossing paths 14 times across two laps. Riders must be at least 54 inches tall, and the full experience, including the mid-ride West Coast Customs pit stop, runs about three minutes.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California
Manufacturer: Premier Rides
Opened: January 9, 2020 (soft opening December 21, 2019)
Height: 67 feet
Top speed: 55 mph
Track length: about 4,000 feet
Launches: 4 individual LSM launches, two per lap
Inversions: 4 (three zero-g rolls, one zero-g stall)
Height requirement: 54 inches
Trains: 3 total, each with 2 cars seating 12 riders (2 across, 3 rows)
Ride duration: roughly 3 minutes, including the themed pit stop
Height Requirement and Who Can Ride
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall to ride West Coast Racers, and Six Flags Magic Mountain lists it as a Thrill Level 4 attraction, its upper-middle tier for launches and inversions. That puts it in the same general height bracket as many of the park’s other launched coasters, though it’s noticeably shorter than the 48-inch minimum on family-style rides in the same section of the park.
Because both trains launch and duel at speed, there’s no walk-through or bypass option for riders who don’t meet the height requirement — unlike some flat rides, there isn’t a scaled-down version of the experience. Parents planning a visit with younger kids should check the requirement against the child’s actual height before waiting in line, since Six Flags enforces it with an in-queue measuring stick rather than an honor system.
The Ride Experience: Four Launches, One Race
Six Flags markets West Coast Racers as the world’s first single-track quadruple-launch racing coaster, and the name is literal: each train gets its own pair of LSM (linear synchronous motor) launches, one per lap, rather than a single launch followed by pure momentum. The two trains leave the station together and run on parallel tracks that Premier Rides designed to weave past each other repeatedly rather than staying a fixed distance apart.
Over the course of the layout, the two trains interact more than 30 times, including 14 direct track crossings and a signature “high-five” moment where the tracks run directly alongside each other at speed. Riders get three zero-g rolls and one zero-g stall spread across the course, plus banked turns and airtime hills built in side-by-side pairs so each train’s hill lines up with its rival’s.
Between the two laps, one train peels off into a recreated West Coast Customs garage while the other continues on the course outside, so the two racers aren’t always moving in sync — part of what makes the outcome of each race unpredictable rather than a fixed photo finish.
Where to Find It: The Underground
West Coast Racers anchors The Underground, the themed area Six Flags Magic Mountain built around the coaster’s opening in place of the park’s former Cyclone Bay section. The area leans into an auto-shop aesthetic that carries through the queue, the mid-course West Coast Customs garage, and the exterior structures riders pass while waiting in line.
Because the ride sits in a dedicated themed zone rather than being tucked into an older section of the park, it’s easy to find from the main paths near the center of Magic Mountain — look for the garage-style entrance and the twin launch tracks running side-by-side above the queue.
The West Coast Customs Partnership
West Coast Racers is built around a licensing partnership with West Coast Customs, the Los Angeles-area car customization shop that became famous through MTV’s Pimp My Ride and its own reality series. The queue and mid-ride garage recreate the shop’s look, and riders hear recorded narration from company founder Ryan Friedlinghaus while their train pauses in the garage between launches.
It’s a real theming layer rather than just a name license: the cars, tools, and shop signage in the queue and mid-course area are modeled directly on West Coast Customs’ actual Burbank facility, tying a real-world car culture brand into the coaster’s high-speed, competitive framing.
Development and Opening Timeline
Six Flags announced West Coast Racers on August 29, 2018, promoting it as the first launched racing coaster of its kind. Construction ran into delays, including late delivery of track sections in early 2019, which pushed the originally planned 2019 debut into a soft opening for passholders on December 21, 2019, followed by the full public opening on January 9, 2020.
Planning Your Visit
West Coast Racers is included with standard Six Flags Magic Mountain admission — there’s no separate charge to ride it, though Fast Lane and Flash Pass options can cut wait time on busy days the same way they do for the park’s other headline coasters. Regular one-day tickets, season passes, and membership plans are all sold directly through the park rather than at a fixed walk-up price, and rates change seasonally, so it’s worth checking current pricing before a visit rather than relying on an old figure.
Magic Mountain’s operating hours shift with the season and can extend later during summer weekends, holiday periods, and special events like Fright Fest, while running shorter hours on slower weekdays. Parking is available on-site for a separate fee, with preferred and VIP parking options closer to the entrance for an added cost. For current hours, ticket prices, parking rates, and any temporary closures affecting The Underground, check the official Six Flags Magic Mountain site before you go, since these details change more often than the ride’s stats do.
West Coast Racers roller coaster FAQs
How tall do you have to be to ride West Coast Racers?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall. Six Flags enforces this with an in-queue height check, and there’s no reduced-height version of the ride.
How many launches does West Coast Racers have?
Four. Each of the two trains gets its own pair of LSM launches, one at the start of each lap, which is why Six Flags calls it a quadruple-launch racing coaster.
How fast does West Coast Racers go?
The coaster reaches a top speed of about 55 mph during its launches.
Is West Coast Racers a true racing coaster?
Yes. Its two trains launch at the same time and run on parallel tracks that cross paths 14 times and interact more than 30 times in total before both trains return to the station.
Who manufactured West Coast Racers?
Premier Rides built West Coast Racers, the same company behind other LSM-launched coasters using linear synchronous motor technology.
Where is West Coast Racers located at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
It’s the centerpiece of The Underground, the themed area built around the coaster’s 2020 opening on the site of the park’s former Cyclone Bay section.
Does West Coast Racers have inversions?
Yes, four total: three zero-g rolls and one zero-g stall, spread across the two-lap layout.
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