Abstract:
E. Pat Hall, a Charlotte real estate developer, opened Carowinds in 1973; however, the fuel crisis of the period and dwindling funds forced him to sell to Ohio-based Family Leisure Centers in 1975. When the park reopened in 1976, its big draw was Thunder Road, a roller coaster standing ninety feet high. Its unique feature was two tracks with cars running side-by-side, then splitting apart and coming back together near the finish. The coaster's tracks covered 4,000 feet.