"Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines": Cartoon Characters In Races

[Anthonynotes]

In honor of today being the "greatest spectacle in racing" (the Indianapolis 500), my question of the day: what shows (or episodes thereof) have featured characters racing against each other?

To start:

- The most well known example is probably "Speed Racer".

- There's "Wacky Races", the late 60's Hanna-Barbera cartoon about 11 different cars with goofy custom themes in different road rallies each week, with Dick Dastardly and Muttley as the show's villains. (Understand this show was really popular for awhile in Japan, with a ton of Muttley merchandise produced. Weird...).

- An episode of "The Simpsons" parodied Speed Racer (in a dream sequence of Smithers during "Who Shot Mr. Burns?"), plus the catburglar episode had the townspeople racing to get to the supposed buried treasure (a la "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"). There's also the Simpsons episode "Saturdays of Thunder".

- An original series Flintstones episode featured Fred using a race car Barney built to enter the "Indianrockolis 500", to win the prize money for the kids' college funds. One of my favorite episodes of the whole series... the ending was (given the nature of Flintstone cars---though apparently Flintstone-style racing cars exclusively use engines/gasoline) fairly ironic.

Any others?

[Elven Moon]

There are a lot of boxcar derby events in cartoons, I don't know why :sweat:


Hey Arnold - The "Mauve Avenger" car against Helga, Wolfgang, and others.

Doug - Can't remember the episode name, but basically Skeeter and Doug race against Beebee and Chalky, Pattie, etc.

[King_of_doom]

two of dexters:
1.dexter plays as speed racer with mandark an dee dee.
2,parody of wacky racers but with the characters of dexter.

the grim adventures:
1.grim becomes a race kart for mandy against billy,irwing,pudding,mindy and sperg.

the real ghostbusters:
when the guys and slimer are competing when they go to the ghost world.

secret squirrel(1990):
when he goes racing up against a rooster.

family guy:
when chris was in the scouts,it was little but still they had a race.

tom and jerry kids:
when they go up against each other,so does a droopy episode.

whats new scooby doo:
they guys go againts other racers and stoping a worm monster.

bettlejuice:
i think he had a race too.

[Scirel]

There are a lot of boxcar derby events in cartoons, I don't know why :sweat:


Hey Arnold - The "Mauve Avenger" car against Helga, Wolfgang, and others.

Doug - Can't remember the episode name, but basically Skeeter and Doug race against Beebee and Chalky, Pattie, etc.
That HA ep was really odd about the name of the car.

It was the Mauve Storm and the Dark Avenger combined... so why couldn`t they just call it the Dark Storm?

[NozeNuggets]

Hey, did anybody remember the God-awful NASCAR Racers?

[King_of_doom]

yeah i remember,you notice that when they put a cartoon racing for a series they dont last long for example the recent alien racers.

[Rover_Wow]

There are a lot of boxcar derby events in cartoons, I don't know why :sweat:


Hey Arnold - The "Mauve Avenger" car against Helga, Wolfgang, and others.

Doug - Can't remember the episode name, but basically Skeeter and Doug race against Beebee and Chalky, Pattie, etc.

What these eps have in common? Neither show's main character won their race. (In fact, Doug actually quit! Quitter.)

Bart Simpson won a car race once in the ep that features the hilarious line "Well, don't use rever psychology" :D
Meanwhile, coming soon to All Grown Up!, "Rats Race" with Tommy vs. Angelica.

[Elven Moon]

That HA ep was really odd about the name of the car.

It was the Mauve Storm and the Dark Avenger combined... so why couldn`t they just call it the Dark Storm?
I guess Eugene was really determined to make it that, or something. They didn't want that title, really ;)


What these eps have in common? Neither show's main character won their race. (In fact, Doug actually quit! Quitter.)


Ah, but Doug stopped to help his friends! And THAT's what winning is all about :rolleyes: :D

[Rover_Wow]

Ah, but Doug stopped to help his friends! And THAT's what winning is all about :rolleyes: :D

Ah, but his friends didn't win either. As I said.... quitter!

[Juu-kuchi]

Let's not forget the various characters including those in video games and reality in that Robot Chicken segment parodying "Cannonball Run".

There's also the first part of "SD Gundam Mark IV" that pitted various competitors from the Universal Century in a parody of Wacky Races, right down to the main characters channeling Dick Dastardly and Muttley.

[Steve Carras]

As an much older fan...

WACKY RACES (timely given DASTARDLY AND MUTTLEY and PERILS OF PENELOPE PITSTOP, discuyssed in the BOOMERANG forum are out on Warner Bros,. Home DVD!) from hanna-Barbera with the great wiritng in boithc ases of Mikew maltese and voices of Daws Butler,Mel Blanc, Janet Waldo , Paul Winchell,Paul Lynde,Dave Willock,Gary Owens,and Henry Corden.(Consilidating the VAs for the WACKY RACES & spinfoffs)

A 1927 Porky Pig, PORKY'S ROAD RACE ,mdirected by lengend Frank Tash, was made (and given the cheese 1960s "Bill lava-Seven Arts" muzak when the Seven Arts reissued were done..,odfd to hear a character seemingly voiceed by, and truly inspired by, MGM character and radio actress Edna Mae Oliver accompanied by IN MY MERRY OLDSMOBIL (RIP, Oldsmobile) c/o Carl Stlalings, then cut to BILL LAVA's Music...though some prints DID have (as should BE the case and as is on other W7arts reissues) the right music, end and on open.)
There is the aofrementioned FLINSTONES episode form 1965, written by Clint and Ron Howeard's dad, Rance as mentioned.

A very ambitious, m1965, Speedy Gonzales AND Road Runner (!!!!!) VERSUS Wile E. and Bad Ol' Puddy Tat short, THE WILD CHASE. IT used footage form Chuck';s 1957 ZOOM AND BORED. Of course with the enxt one, IT'S NICE TO HAVE A MOUSE AROUND THE HOUSE, by far one of the longest WB caroton titles if you count CHuck Jones's 1942 DOVER BOYS ... & RIVALS..ROFORTE HALL, in that
short, Granny, Daffy,and Speedy with a petrified Sylvester being a cameo, said "Enter Daffy",causing El Sharko Jumpo-as Fred Sanford would say.Sylvester of course is replaced by Daffy.)

[TnAdct1]

Two words that need to be mentioned in a thread about animated car races: Initial D.

The show is about Takumi, a high school student who's the son of a tofu cook/legendary downhill driver. Thanks to some late night tofu runs, Takumi has become quite an expert downhill driver himself. As a result, he ends up getting involved in the underground world of downhill racing, where various drivers put his racing skills to the test.

The anime itself is very popular, with it being referenced in FLCL, GTO, and School Rumble. Having seen the show at my former anime club, it's worth checking out, although I highly reccommend sticking to the sub version.

[Anthonynotes]

Let's not forget the various characters including those in video games and reality in that Robot Chicken segment parodying "Cannonball Run".

There's also the first part of "SD Gundam Mark IV" that pitted various competitors from the Universal Century in a parody of Wacky Races, right down to the main characters channeling Dick Dastardly and Muttley.


"Universal Century"?! I thought lengths of time were, well, pretty universally celebrated... ;-)

(Question I'd been meaning to ask: Do you live in Russia (or Eastern Europe), Juu-kuchi? Just making sure it isn't some error in my computer system re: the Cyrillic lettering in your signatures...).

[Zero-V]

The second season of M.A.S.K, which completly retooled the premise, characters, etc, to accomdate a series of races, the tasks ranged from delivering P.N.A documents or winning charity trophies.

Most fans lambast this season of the series, but it's interesting to note this has a great deal of character development in certain episodes, Vanessa Warfeild takes a greater role as the secondary commander of V.E.N.O.M, Matt and Miles' involvment in the creation of M.A.S.K is revealed etc,

[Mighty_Bojingo]

They had an episode of D.I.C.E with a race. Jett and the Phantom Knight were hired to enter the races as undercover racers to stop assassins.

And I could have sworn they had a race on Sonic the Hedgehog (2nd series)

I know there was one on the first series, Robotnik hosted a race to capture Sonic. Of course, we all know Sonic, his Ego wouldn't allow him to skip out on the race. But it gave Princess Sally a perfect opportunity to infiltrate the city and she couldnt let that opportunity slide.

[Sharklady]

One episode of TMNT qualifies. Raphael was once yanked into another dimension and wound up competing as a 'planet racer', driving a high-tech gig over *very* rough landscapes (against opponents who cheat, natch.)

[HellCat]

Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf. Shaggy gets turned into a werewolf by Dracula and is promised that if he can win a clearly Wacky Races inspired race against other monsters he'll be changed back.

[Rover_Wow]

I know there was one on the first series, Robotnik hosted a race to capture Sonic. Of course, we all know Sonic, his Ego wouldn't allow him to skip out on the race. But it gave Princess Sally a perfect opportunity to infiltrate the city and she couldnt let that opportunity slide.

Is that the one where Robotnik was initially pleased that he'd beaten Sonic in the race, but then PO'd that Sonic caused a blackout?

[PeppeRaskell1]

Seems I remember a Filmation-animated Fat Albert cartoon called Weird Harold from a few decades back. (Though Fat Albert is the star, somehow the Old Weird Harold character got the titular billing!:confused: :confused: :confused: ) Could this have been the pilot for Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids?:confused: :confused: :confused:

The plot seemed to revolve around the Junkyard Gang (Albert, Bill, Weird Harold, Rudy, et. al.) having some sort of Soapbox Derby race using stuff from the junkyard.

The parts I remember were a "car" driven by two babies (one with a loose diaper!), Dumb Donald and Mushmouth "starting their engines" ("Va-Boom! Va-Boom!" said Mushmouth.)
And Fat Albert's "car" ("Vrooom! Vroom!" followed by his soon-to-be-famous "Hey! Hey! Hey!")

Some of you might remember it (somewhere between 1971 and 1973, I think).

EDIT (almost forgot this!): Wasn't there a 'toon called Heroes on Hot Wheels a while back, which featured a character named Michael Valiant (the series was actually an animated series based on the French comic strip Michel Vaillant)?

[Zim999]

Fender Bender 500 of Wake, Rattle & Roll.

Yogi & BooBoo in the Jellystone Jamer.
Huckelberry Hound & Snagelpuss in the Half Dog Half Cat Track
Magella Gorrila & Wally Gator in the Swamp Stomper
Top Cat & ChooChoo in the Alley Cat
Quick Darw Mcgraw & Baba Looie in the Texes Twister
Pixie & Dixie in the Cheeder Sheeder
Augie Doggie & Doggie Daddy in the Lucky Trucky
Winne Witch & Lucky in the Sonic Broom
Dick Dastardly & Muttley in the Dirty Truckster

[Mighty_Bojingo]

Is that the one where Robotnik was initially pleased that he'd beaten Sonic in the race, but then PO'd that Sonic caused a blackout?Not sure. All I remember is Robotnik having some of his usual Hovercrafts in the race, and Sonic makes some wise-crack about them *Slo-mo's* in the race, then a very fast dog or something arrives. The whole race is basically about trying to lure sonic into a trap. I dont think Robotnik really cared about winning the race, only to trap sonic. And If my memory serves me right, I think Sally caused the blackout.

Oh why oh why can't they re-air those episodes?

[Umino]

From Cutie Honey, in A Shadow Stands in the Green Field, involes the Mt. Fuji race. Honey and Seiji enter, as well as Potchi-sensei and Miharu-sensei. In the end, it turns out to be a plan by Panther Claw to capture Honey.

[Gatomon41]

In Digimon Frontier, there was an episode in which the Digidestined raced each other in train-like digimon.

Interesting enough, one of the charecters (Dogmon) was done in the style of Muttley from Wacky Races.