SANDUSKY, Ohio -- A new beast is casting its towering shadow over Sandusky.
The twisted mix of wood and steel stretches into the sky where Mean Streak's rickety lumber once dominated FrontierTown.
Steel Vengeance is finally here.
Its first hill claws at the clouds with a clickity-clack climb to heights of 205 feet.
But the calm doesn’t last for long…
Atop Steel Vengeance’s crowning moment -- a 90-degree perilous plummet -- riders then plunge toward the earth at 74 mph.
See photos of Steel Vengeance in action:
PHOTOS | Steel Vengeance media day at Cedar Point
The trio of trains then race through 5,740 feet of track with 27.2 seconds of total airtime, which marks the most gravity-defying maneuvers of any roller coaster in the world. Not enough? There’s also four inversions that take thrillseekers head-over-heels within the wooden structure.
Steel Vengeance introduces a new classification of roller coaster -- the “hyper-hybrid.” The coaster not only combines a hybrid construction of smooth steel track set atop a wood support structure, but also reaches a height of over 200 feet, which is the defining feature of a “hyper-coaster.”
WKYC was dared to dive on Steel Vengeance with a special media preview event Wednesday. The general public will be given their first opportunity to ride when the park opens for the 2018 season on Saturday, May 5.
With the addition of Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point has the most roller coaster track in the world with 11.4 total miles. It’s also the only amusement park with six roller coasters taller than 200 feet.
Mean Streak, which first opened in 1991, closed forever last September. More than 26 million people climbed aboard its towering lumber by the end of its 25-year run.
CLICK HERE to see a timeline featuring key moments between Mean Streak's demise to the announcement of "Steel Vengeance."
STEEL VENGEANCE RIDE STATS
Ride time: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Maximum speed: 74 mph
Capacity: 1,200 riders per hour
Model: Hyper-hybrid (Wood-steel coaster higher than 200 feet)
Lift hill height: 205 feet
Angle of first drop: 90 degrees
Vertical drop height: 200 feet
Total track length: 5,740 feet
Ride: Three, 24-passenger trains named after ‘Wanted’ characters “Blackjack,” “Digger” and “Wild One.”
Restraints: Lap bar with redundant safety belt
WORLD RECORDS
Tallest hybrid roller coaster (205 feet)
Fastest hybrid roller coaster (74 mph)
Longest hybrid roller coaster (5,740 feet)
Steepest drop on a hybrid roller coaster (90 degrees)
Longest drop on a hybrid roller coaster (200 feet)
Most inversions on a hybrid coaster (4)
Fastest airtime hill on a hybrid coaster (73 mph)
Most airtime on a hybrid coaster (27.2 seconds)
Most airtime on any roller coaster (27.2 seconds)
World’s first hyper-hybrid roller coaster