Can Nitro rise to the occasion after unexpected downtime at Six Flags, NJ?

Ever since I was a kid, I loved going to Great Adventure. In fact, one of my favorite rides in the park actually opened on my 17th birthday, April 7, 2001.

Since then, Nitro has remained a favorite of not only mine, but of so many thrill seekers who visit the Six Flags theme park every year. Even 24 years later, Nitro remains as popular than ever.

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One of the things I find so great about the ride is that it constantly delivers despite being such a simple roller coaster. No loops, no crazy twists, none of that. Just a ton of awesome airtime, along with a double helix all at very high speeds.

And because it's one of the more simpler coasters (when compared to those with a lot more elements), it's always been more reliable. Even on days when many of the other extreme rides are closed, you could always count on Nitro.

Six Flags Great Adventure / Linda W.[/caption]

Reliable, until it's not

That is, until now. After a year with so many rides removed and other unexpected closures at Great Adventure, Nitro's luck has finally hit a will heading in to Fright Fest 2025.

Nitro has been closed for at least a couple of weekends now as of September 15, 2025, with rumors swirling that something went wrong involving the chain lift. Yes, it's OK to get upset, but please keep in mind that this ride rarely ever has downtime for extended maintenance issues.

Even the most reliable vehicles that go well over 200 or 300 thousand miles eventually deal with some sort of failure. And that holds true for the most reliable and simpler theme park rides as well.

I know my son is disappointed in the downtime Nitro has been experiencing, but it will be back up and running at some point.

Fasttrack repairs

Although you can't predict when electrical components will fail, it's important to know which ones to prioritize when they do. And in my opinion, Nitro should be one of those priorities.

No, it's not the fastest roller coaster out there. And no, it's not the tallest. However, both those statements are true for the 2025 season at Great Adventure which makes Nitro a main draw for so many visitors. Not to mention it's high capacity and ability to move trains out of the station quickly.

But even before that, Nitro has remained extremely popular and always on the top of the list as a must ride. And it's for all the reasons mentioned above why I believe Six Flags should prioritize getting repairs done on Nitro sooner rather than later before the 2025 season concludes.

A 2026 request

Looking ahead, we already know the new record-breaking coaster won't be ready for 2026. But I can promise you I know one thing most frequent visitors of the park would love to see. A new paint job for Nitro.

Not a retheming. Not a reimagining. Just a fresh new coat of paint along with proper maintenance to help keep the ride as reliable as ever (the new paint job at the entrance of Nitro looks great - let's build on that).

In fact, I would make painting Nitro a priority since so many people have been asking for this. I personally would rather see the park take extra good care of Nitro rather than see it sidelined just to rush a new not-so-great ride in.

We already know the new record-breaking coaster is coming. Let's make 2026 the year we spruce up the rides we already have and make them shine bright once again (although to the parks credit, the park has been looking much better).

The queue line

Another thing often overlooked on Nitro is that completely non-landscaped and non-shaded portion of the queue line. Perhaps in 2026 we can see better landscaping while we wait along with more shade where it needs it the most.

In my opinion, the park has been doing a really good job this year focusing on aesthetics and making the park look more inviting. I'd love to see this care be given to Nitro too heading into 2026.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.