Speed Racer

From TeeVeePedia, the Internet TV Encyclopedia.

Speed Racer is a documentary done in the style of anime. The documentary tells the story of an international underground racing league, and Speed Racer, a driver in the league. Most races in the league were conducted under extreme conditions, including:

• A race held on a mountain during a blizzard,
• An 800-mile race through a volcano that only opened up for a short time,
• A track that ran through quicksand, and
• A race in which drivers were required to carry grenades in their cars. The grenades were referred to as "pineapples" by participants.

In a typical race, approximately half of the starting field would be killed due to the track conditions. In order to cover their tracks, the league planted explosives in every car, set to go off should the driver crash. The only way most surviving drivers managed to make it to the finish line was to install several gadgets into their vehicles, including some that were used as weapons against other drivers. Racer was no exception, making use of a bullet-proof vest, oxygen tanks and sawblades, among other things.

The league was in operation during the mid-to-late 1960's. It was broken up when a race around the world ended tragically, as a leg in Southeast Asia saw all drivers except for Racer waylaid by land mines. Racer was apprehended by American soldiers and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.