Derby Racer Postcard from Euclid Beach Park
Euclid Beach Park operated near Cleveland, Ohio, for 74 years from 1895 to late 1969.
During its life, Euclid Beach Park boasted seven different coasters, including the Flying Turns (like the one at Knoebels), the Thriller, and the Derby Racer that operated from the first decades of the 20th Century until the park’s closing on September 28, 1969. I’ve seen the Derby Racer also referred to simply as The Racing Coaster on several fan-based and historical sites.
The Derby Racer was built in 1913 by Frederick Ingersol and the famed designer John A. Miller. It was a möbius racing coaster in which the two tracks are actually one continuous circuit.
What’s a Möbious Coaster?
Imagine stepping onto what looks like a classic racing roller coaster, ready to race with the train on the opposite track. But here’s the twist: a Möbius roller coaster isn’t just any racing coaster. It’s got a clever trick up its sleeve. While it may look like two separate tracks, there’s really only one continuous track—just like a Möbius strip. You and your “opponent” both start at different stations, but by the time you’ve looped through the ride’s twists and turns, you’ll end up on the opposite side from where you began. It’s one long, seamless journey that plays with your sense of space and direction, creating a coaster experience where two trains share a single, intertwined track. It’s a brilliant piece of design that leaves you thinking: how did that just happen?
A current möbious coaster that you can experience is the Racer at Kennywood.
Back of the Euclid Beach Park Postcard
Sadly, this postcard was never mailed, so we don’t have a reliable time period, but is probably from the late 1920s or 1930s. Anyone have a date for this postcard?