APPEARED ON AMERICAN AIRWAVES APRIL 2 OF 1967 & AIRED 52 EPISODES, LASTING UNTIL MARCH 31,1968.
IT WAS THE FIRST COLOR ANIME TO AIR IN AMERICA.
IT'S ABOUT A TEEN RACE CAR DRIVER NAMED SPEED RACER WHO WOULD ENTER ALL KINDS OF WEIRD RACES AROUND THE WORLD.
SOMETIMES HE WOULD HELP THE POLICE OR THE C.I.A.IF THEY NEEDED HIM.
HE DROVE A CAR NAMED THE MACH 5 WHICH WAS BUILT BY HIS FATHER, POPS RACER.THE CAR HAD DIFFERENT ABILITIES & GADGETS THAT WOULD GIVE IT THAT LITTLE EXTRA PUSH OVER THE CLIFF,SO TO SPEAK.
CHECK THE GADGET SECTION FOR ALL OF THESE EXTRAS.
HELPING SPEED WERE,HIS MECHANIC SPARKY, HIS GIRLFRIEND TRIXIE, & HIS LITTLE BROTHER SPRIDLE(WHO WOULD ALWAYS HIDE WITH HIS MONKEY CHIM-CHIM IN THE TRUNK OF THE MACH 5.)
ALSO,HELPING HIM WAS HIS OLDER BROTHER REX WHO RAN AWAY FROM HOME WHEN POPS ORDERED HIM NOT TO RACE ANY MORE AFTER HE CRASHED DURING A RACE. IN ORDER TO HIDE THE FACT THAT HE STILL RACES, HE DISGUISES HIMSELF AS RACER X. A MYSTERIOUS MAN WHOM NO OTHER RACER LIKES.THEY BELIEVE HIM TO BE A JINX,& BELIEVE HE CAUSES CAR CRASHES. RACER X ALSO IS A SECRET AGENT WHO SOMETIMES HELPS SPEED WHEN HE'S HELPING THE AUTHORITIES.
IT'S THEME SONG IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS & GREATEST THEMES OF ALL TIME. I FOUND MYSELF SINGING IT TO MYSELF MANY A TIME AFTER THE SHOW WAS OVER.
THE SPEED RACER THEME SONG
HERE HE COMES,HERE COMES SPEED RACER,HE'S
A DEMON ON WHEELS
HE'S A DEMON & HE'S GONNA BE CHASIN' AFTER SOMEONE
HE'S GAINING ON YOU SO YOU BETTER LOOK
ALIVE
HE'S BUSY REVING UP THE POWERFUL MACH 5
AND WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST HIM & THERE'S DANGEROUS WORK TO DO
YOU'LL
BET YOUR LIFE SPEED RACER
GONNA SEE IT THROUGH
GO SPEED RACER,GO SPEED RACER,GO SPEED RACER
GO
HE'S OFF & FLYING AS HE GUNS THE CAR AROUND THE TRACK
HE'S JAMMING DOWN THE PEDAL LIKE HE'S NEVER
COMING BACK
ADVENTURE'S WAITING UP AHEAD
GO SPEED RACER,GO SPEED RACER,GO SPEED RACER GO
MACH 5 GADGETS
THE GADGETS ARE OPERATED BY PUSHING BUTTONS ON THE MACH 5'S STEERING WHEEL.
THE BUTTONS ARE MARKED A THROUGH G
A-BUTTON: ACTIVATES THE CAR JACKS.IF THE MACH 5 IS MOVING,IT CAUSES THE MACH 5 TO JUMP A SHORT DISTANCE
B-BUTTON:ACTIVATES SUPER-GRIP TIRES.5,000 HORSEPOWER IS DISTRIBUTED
EVENLY TO ALL 4 WHEELS.
C-BUTTON:ROTARY SAWS.FOR WHEN SPEED MUST DRIVE THROUGH A HEAVILY FORRESTED
AREA.THEY SLICE THROUGH TREES
LIKE A KNIFE THROUGH BUTTER.(RECYCLE SPEED,RECYCLE)
D-BUTTON:DOME
COVERING.BULLETPROOF & AIRTIGHT.WHEN IT IS
ACTIVATED,OXYGEN IS PUMPED INTO THE "COCKPIT".
E-BUTTON:SPECIAL
ILLUMINATION.FOR SEEING FURTHER & CLEARER
F-BUTTON:PERISCOPE.FOR WHEN THE MACH 5 IS TRAVELING UNDER WATER.ALSO ACTIVATES THE DOME
G-BUTTON:HOMING ROBOT:A REMOTE CONTROLLED ROBOTIC BIRD FLYS WHEREVER
SPEED WANTS IT TO GO.IT CAN ALSO RECORD A SHORT
AUDIO MESSAGE TO SEND FOR HELP.
DID
YOU KNOW?:THERE WAS A HORRIBLE
UPDATED SPEED RACER SHOW MADE IN 1993 THAT WAS A DISGRACE TO
THE ORIGINAL SHOW? IT'S TRUE !
VOICE CREDITS FOR SPEED RACER
SPEED
RACER & RACER X......PETER FERNANDEZ
TRIXIE,SPRIDLE,& MOM RACER....CORINNE ORR
SPARKY & CHIM
CHIM..........JACK GRIMES
POPS RACER & INSPECTOR
DETECTOR........JACK CURTIS
SPEED RACER PICTURES
CLICK HERE FOR SPEED RACER THUMBNAIL PAGE
NOTE:SOME PICTURES WERE SCANNED FROM THE OFFICIAL 30TH ANNIVERSARY GUIDE:SPEED RACER BY ELIZABETH MORAN.
