Amusement Park Changes Rollercoaster Name From ‘Rebel Yell’

Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2018/02/05/amusement-park-changes-rollercoaster-name-from-rebel-yell/

An amusement park in central Virginia is quietly changing the name of a popular rollercoaster from Confederate-tinged Rebel Yell — but it’s not so quiet anymore.

The amusement park, Kings Dominion, in Doswell, Virginia, won’t say whether the change has to do with the Confederate connection — but critics think it’s obvious and they’re hammering the park on its Facebook page:

 

A park spokesman wouldn’t answer when asked by the Richmond Times-Dispatch whether the Confederacy played a role in the name change to “Racer 75.” Instead, the spokesman said the park is “constantly evaluating elements of the park and we plan updates in existing areas when we invest in new products in the vicinity.”

“Rebel Yell” refers to an intimidtion technique Confederates used while charging the Union lines during the Civil War, which was fought from 1861 to 1865. Elderly Confederate civil war veterans reenacted it during a gathering in the 1930s that was recorded.

“Racer 75,” according to the park, refers to the year the rollercoaster opened (1975) plus a group called American Coaster Enthusiasts (the “ACE” in “Racer” — “rACEr 75 – get it?!”, the park said) plus the design of the rollercoaster, which is a “racer-style.”