Two roller coasters at Cedar Fair parks will no longer be themed around racing legend Dale Earnhardt’s “Intimidator” nickname.
Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia will change the name of Intimidator 305 to simply Project 305, the park announced on social media Wednesday.
One of the tallest and fastest coasters on the East Coast is undergoing a transformation. While the insane drops, twists and turns are the same, the look and feel of the coaster will evolve. Details are coming. In the meantime, brace yourself. #Project305 https://t.co/Cf6fTp8K9U pic.twitter.com/LJlm6FGTkY
— Kings Dominion (@KingsDominionVA) February 28, 2024
For Charlotte, North Carolina’s Carowinds, its 232-foot-tall Intimidator will be rechristened Thunder Striker.
A Carowinds spokesperson told WCNC that the naming rights allowing use of Earnhardt’s name for its coaster expired at the end of 2023. Both of the Intimidator coasters had opened in 2010.
The name changes come just ahead of the parks’ 2024 openings. Carowinds’ first day of the new season will be March 9, while Kings Dominion will be open to guests on March 23.