Over-the-Top / The Racer
| Other Name(s) | Derby Racer Over-the-Top The Racer |
|---|---|
| Type | Roller Coaster Track Ride |
| Park Section | North |
| Built | 1917 |
| Opened | 1918 |
| Closed | 1937 (park closure) |
| Materials | Wood |
| Length | 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) (track length) |
| Height | 82 feet (25 meters) |
| Vehicle Type | Cars |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Cost | More than $250,000$5.32 million in 2025 dollars |
The Over-the-Top, sometimes styled as Over the Top, roller coaster was built in 1917[1] and opened in 1918 at Olentangy Park, next to the Shoot-the-Chutes.[2][3] Originally named the Derby Racer, manager Will D. Harris changed the name to "make it more appropriate to the present times and give it a name that would indicate more of the nature of the ride." It was 82 feet tall and 1.25 miles2 kilometers in track length.[4][5] It cost more than $250,000$5.32 million in 2025 dollars to build.[6] More than 5,000 parkgoers rode the Over-the-Top on the opening day of the ride.[7]
It was renamed to The Racer by 1926 and was described as "two rides in one."[8] It was operational until the park closed in 1937.[9]
The coaster was a "racer" type where two sets of cars "raced" around the tracks.[10]
References
- ↑ "Lavish Park Plans." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch, September 23, 1917. Page 56.
- ↑ "Are You Going Over the Top?" Columbus Evening Dispatch, April 27, 1918. Page 12.
- ↑ Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. Sanborn Map Company, 1922 Vol. 3, 1922, 1922. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn06656_008/.
- ↑ "Are You Going Over the Top?" Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 27, 1918. Page 12.
- ↑ General Map, The Olentangy Amusement Co., Columbus, Ohio, 1924.
- ↑ "Quarter Million Spent." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 25, 1918. Page 24.
- ↑ "Park Open Three Days Weekly." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 5, 1918.
- ↑ "Rides, Etc. at the Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch, July 31, 1927. Page 68.
- ↑ Franklin Survey Co. 1937. Map. City of Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio, Vol. 1. Accessed through Ebay.com https://www.ebay.com/itm/235251834706
- ↑ "Park's Favorite Rides." Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 8, 1937. Page 18.