Whizzer

Whizzer opened on May 29, 1976, as Willard's Whizzer — named for Marriott Corporation founder J. Willard Marriott — one of two identical Schwarzkopf "Speedracer" coasters Marriott built to launch its new Great America parks in time for the U.S. Bicentennial, the other opening earlier that year in Santa Clara, California. Designed by engineer Werner Stengel and manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf, the ride used an unusual electric spiral lift with drive motors built directly into the toboggan-style cars rather than a conventional chain, hauling trains 70 feet up a spiral tower before gravity took over for the winding, ground-hugging descent.

Early mechanical issues with the braking system caused several low-speed station collisions at both parks during the late 1970s, including a fatal accident at the Santa Clara installation in 1980 that led to a federal safety investigation and penalties against Marriott. Six Flags acquired the Gurnee park in 1984 and shortened the ride's name to simply Whizzer around that time, while the unrelated Santa Clara coaster was ultimately removed in 1988 after ownership changes at that park.

That closure left the Gurnee Whizzer as the last large Schwarzkopf Speedracer coaster anywhere in the world, a distinction American Coaster Enthusiasts recognized with a Roller Coaster Landmark award in 2012. Nearly fifty years after opening — and having survived a brief 2019 track modification to make room for the nearby Maxx Force — Whizzer continues to serve as many young riders' first "real" coaster, its tandem seating designed from the start to let a small child ride safely in a parent's arms.