Clearance testing begins at Universal Studios Florida

A post on r/rollercoasters first showed a Dodge Charger ride vehicle on the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift track at Universal Studios Florida, with a winch installed at the top of the wave turn. That set-up matters because it marks the point where Universal starts checking whether the train can move through the layout cleanly before powered testing begins.

Inside Universal later confirmed that Universal Orlando has begun vehicle testing on the coaster, with pull-through and clearance checks now underway. During this phase, the vehicle is moved slowly through the full course while equipment simulates the reach of a rider’s arms and legs, allowing crews to verify that the clearances are correct all the way around the ride. The project is still slated to open in 2027.

What the winch is for

The winch at the top of the wave turn is part of that validation process. It will be used to pull the test vehicle through the route so crews can check the ride’s tightest points under controlled conditions. The Dodge Charger vehicle is currently on the track near launch one, which is the clearest sign yet that the testing phase has moved from preparation into active clearance checks.

From the team behind Universally Bedford

Web design in Bedford. Not a national agency.

Aethus builds fast, conversion-focused sites for Bedford businesses — bespoke and custom-coded, from £5,000.

See what we build

What happens next

The next stage after pull-through testing is powered testing, but Universal has not confirmed when that will start. For now, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is at the stage where the track, vehicle movement and clearances are being validated in detail, which is a key step on the way to the 2027 opening window.

Update: 1 October 2026

Switch track testing has officially begun at Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift in Orlando, marking another clear step forward for the coaster’s commissioning phase. The move follows more than two weeks of pull-through testing, and the latest progress was first spotted on r/rollercoasters.

Universal is still understood to be targeting a possible spring to early summer opening, which keeps the ride on track for a debut within that window if testing continues to progress as expected.