Dale Earnhardt’s Legacy in His Hometown Takes a Sad Turn as Beloved Landmark Loses Licensing Deal

Dale Earnhardt Sr, famously known as “The Intimidator,” lived up to his nickname by dominating the race track and scaring the competition. He’s still remembered as one of the greatest in NASCAR, but his impact went way beyond just racing. His hometown even named rollercoasters after him, capturing his daredevil spirit.

That’s because apparently, the rollercoasters were as thrilling and heart-stopping as Earnhardt himself, towering at 230 feet and ranking among the world’s tallest and fastest rides. But here’s a bit of news that’ll probably hit Dale Earnhardt Jr hard—the coaster’s been renamed.

It’s no longer “The Intimidator,” but rather changed to “Thunder Striker”

The famous roller coaster once called “The Intimidator,” in honor of Dale Earnhardt’s iconic nickname, has gotten a new name: “Thunder Striker.” After the licensing deal with Earnhardt’s estate wrapped up in December 2023, Cedar Fair, the folks running the show, decided to switch things up for the 2024 season.

The ride hit social media to share the news about the name change. They didn’t spell out exactly why they’re making the switch, but the rights to the “Intimidator” name are held by Earnhardt’s wife. However, the intriguing part is that the name actually served them a good deal. Right before Carowinds was about to shut down its NASCAR-inspired ride for the 2023 season, they announced a cool milestone: a million thrill-seekers rode it last year. Still, instead of extending the partnership, they decided to give up the name.

This beast of a ride, originally dubbed the Intimidator, kicked off its adrenaline-pumping journey at Carowinds back in 2010. Towering at a hair-raising 230 feet and hitting speeds of 80 mph, it’s a giant among coasters. Carowinds is all set to welcome thrill-seekers for the 2024 season, starting March 4.

And it’s not just this coaster getting a name shake-up. Cedar Fair’s got another “Intimidator” ride at Kings Dominion in Virginia, and that one’s getting a temporary new name as “Project 305.”

The Kings Dominion coaster is a different beast altogether. Instead of chasing the sky with massive hills for those stomach-dropping moments, this ride stays close to the ground, channeling its energy into making riders feel like they’re in a NASCAR race on steroids, with crazy over-banked turns and maneuvers that’ll have you gripping your seat.

When it first opened its doors in 2010, the Intimidator 305 was so intense that it actually caused some riders to briefly lose their vision or even blackout because of the g-forces! They had to put the brakes on and tweak it a bit to make sure everyone got off the ride pumped, not passed out. Now, it’s a wild three-minute ride that’ll have your heart racing.

As for Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s take on the coaster’s name change, we haven’t heard a peep yet. But from the sounds of it, fans aren’t exactly jumping for joy over the new names.

Disappointed fans do not like the name-change phenomenon

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Right after Kings Dominion tweeted about switching up the coaster’s name, saying, “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://bit.ly/3UVrs4Y,” NASCAR fans were quick to air their grievances.

One fan didn’t beat around the bush, blaming Teressa outright, “DONT TELL ME TERESSA PULLED THE PLUG ON INTIMIDATOR 305 BRANDING 🤬” Another fan chimed in, backing up that sentiment, “I’m pretty sure she did. Carowinds had to rename their Intimidator rollercoaster because the license expired.”

Read More: Dale Earnhardt Jr Divulges Unknown Story Behind “Drawing Ideas” Inked on the Intimidator’s First Cup Win Firesuit

Then, we saw the NASCAR die-hards, with one saying, “I still wear my intimidator 305 shirt.” And there’s this one fan who’s practically a fixture at the park, going, “nah this too far i go to this park almost every weekend in the summer and this is my favorite ride. planning a riot as we speak.”

What’s your take on the whole name change drama?