Deep within the Dark
Forest lies a long abandoned raceway, now overtaken by the vines and
undergrowth of the surrounding woodland. The heady days of grand prix
are now a distant memory and just one competitor remains as a reminder
of the former bustle of activity.
Once the Queen of
Speed, now Rita speeds her way through the dereliction all around her.
But don't be fooled by lonesome appearances, Rita will still provide
racers with an almighty rush as
the racers are launched from 0 to 100 kph in 2.5 seconds from the station
pulling 4.7g's straight into a banked turn and then around Dark Forest
via air time hills and steep turns.
Ride
History
It was September 20th 2004 and something strange was happening to Ug
Land, fences going up, rides and theming taken apart. Over the coming months and after much speculation it became clear Ug Land was home to a brand new Intamin rocket coaster to be called Rita - Queen Of Speed!
This was Alton Towers' first Launched coaster since the Thunder
Looper was removed back in 1997.
As the competitors lined
up for the Thunder Rock Rally for the first time in 2005, this feisty female stood out from the
crowd. For the first five years of her life
Rita, the wild, fast, sexy lady took part in the Thunder Rock Rally
which wove its way around Ug land and the area's prehistoric theming
added an interesting twist to the coaster's racing theme.
By the end of
2009 Ug Land's time at the park had come to the end. For 2010 the
area was transformed into the Dark Forest, and Rita became part of
this ancient woodland, loosing the "Queen of Speed" tagline and
receiving a brand new look.
