Today’s Daytona 500 marks the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash. With his enormous success and signature aggressive racing style, the legendary racer left an undeniable mark on one of America’s most popular sports, NASCAR. In 2010, Carowinds opened a new roller coaster with the aim of thrilling guests with its height and speed [...]

I took this photo of the Carolina Cyclone spiraling over the midway on my first trip to Carowinds back in 2004. Years later I used it as part of the header of the first version of my blog (seen here). And after that, I ended up moving my family down to Charlotte, making Carowinds my [...]

Nighthawk & Batwing | Vekoma Flying Roller Coasters Flying roller coasters are about the closest thing to human flight that the amusement industry can offer. Riders are treated to a thrilling face down riding position with nothing between them and the ground, but the ride’s restraints. My first Vekoma flyer was Batwing at Six Flags America [...]

Intimidator vs. Intimidator 305 | Roller Coaster Showdowns In this edition of Roller Coaster Showdowns the two NASCAR-inspired Intimidator roller coasters do battle. We’ll look at Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion (Doswell, VA) and Intimidator at Carowinds (Charlotte, NC). Ever since the announcement of the two roller coasters with their similar themes and proximity (it’s about [...]

The Coaster Critic Joins Podcasts Based on the East Coast, West Coast, & Europe I’ve been lucky enough to join a few different podcasts this season. I joined The Season Pass Podcast while they were broadcasting live from Kings Dominion during the last leg of Theme Park Review’s East Coast Bash. I was invited to [...]

This is the final part of my coverage of Coaster Stock 2010 at Carowinds. After the Intimidator Tour, there was another break. Again, attendants dispersed throughout the park. I headed for the above average Arrow looper, Carolina Cyclone only to get caught by a thunder storm. All rides were halted for fear of lightning strikes. [...]

After signing a few waivers, the group of about 30 of us made our way to Intimidator. It was hours before the park opened to the public and it was neat seeing the normally busy park empty, but not lifeless. Maintenance and groundskeepers were hard at work making sure that Carowinds looked pristine as always. [...]

When we last left the Coaster Stock attendees they were enjoying lunch while being treated to a rare Q&A session with B&M rep Bob Mampe. Next, the attendees had a break for a few hours where they could enjoy the park at their leisure. Since I live about 30 minutes from the park, I headed home [...]