The aging Xcelerator launch coaster that has been closed for more than a year will soon get a new lease on life when Knott’s Berry Farm finishes replacing the launch system and puts the lightning fast thrill ride back into service.

Knott’s Berry Farm’s goal is to reopen the Xcelerator roller coaster later this summer, according to Knott’s officials.

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The late summer time frame gives Knott’s until late September to get the 1950s dragster-themed coaster up and running again. Xcelerator closed in March 2022 shortly after returning with a new red, orange, yellow, blue and gray color scheme following a paint job.

Visitors to Knott’s Berry Farm ride Xcelerator in Buena Park, CA, on Thursday, May 6, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Xcelerator closed to replace and refurbish components of the ride’s launch control system, according to Knott’s officials. Replacement parts for Xcelerator have arrived and Knott’s is working with the ride maker on an installation schedule, according to Knott’s officials.

“Safety is always the top priority at Knott’s Berry Farm and all Cedar Fair parks,” according to Knott’s officials. “When the ride reopens to guests, it will have been thoroughly tested and recommissioned.”

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Xcelerator’s troubles are part of a series of setbacks in recent years suffered by hydraulic launch coasters made by Liechtenstein-based Intamin Amusement Rides.

Cedar Point closed Xcelerator sister coaster Top Thrill Dragster for the entire 2022 and 2023 seasons after a metal piece flew off the ride and seriously injured a woman waiting in the attraction queue in August 2021. The Knott’s sister park in Ohio has announced a reimagined Top Thrill Dragster will open in 2024.

Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure closed in early June after a mechanical failure involving the hydraulic launch system, according to Theme Park Insider. The record-setting ride at the New Jersey amusement park is the tallest and second fastest coaster in the world.

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Kingda Ka (456 feet, 128 mph) and Top Thrill Dragster (420 feet, 120 mph) both dwarf Xcelerator in the height and speed categories when it comes to Intamin top hat coasters.

Xcelerator accelerates from zero to 82 mph in 2.3 seconds with the assistance of a hydraulic launch, according to Roller Coaster Database. The Intamin Accelerator coaster trains quickly transition into a 205-foot-tall vertical top hat element before sending riders plunging downward. The relatively short ride covers 2,200 feet of track in a minute.

Knott’s paid $13 million for the Intamin extreme coaster in 2002, according to RCDB.