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.
THE SHOW IS ABOUT A TEENAGE 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 EDGE OVER OTHER CARS.
HELPING SPEED WERE,HIS MECHANIC SPARKY, HIS GIRLFRIEND TRIXIE, & HIS LITTLE BROTHER SPRITLE (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.
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'S
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 FORESTED AREA. THEY SLICE THROUGH TREES
LIKE A KNIFE THROUGH BUTTER.
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 FLIES WHEREVER SPEED WANTS IT TO GO. IT CAN ALSO RECORD A SHORT
AUDIO MESSAGE TO SEND FOR HELP.
click thumbnail for larger picture
VOICE CREDITS FOR SPEED RACER
SPEED RACER & RACER X......PETER FERNANDEZ
TRIXIE, SPRITLE,& MOM RACER....CORINNE ORR
SPARKY & CHIM CHIM..........JACK GRIMES
POPS RACER & INSPECTOR
DETECTOR........JACK CURTIS
EPISODE GUIDE
2)THE GREAT PLAN PT.2
3)CHALLENGE OF THE MASKED RACER PT.1
4)CHALLENGE OF THE MASKED RACER PT.2
Did you know "Challenge of the Masked Racer" was voted the #89 greatestT.V. episode ever by T.V.Guide? It's true!
5)THE SECRET ENGINE
6)THE SECRET ENGINE PT.2
7)RACE AGAINST THE MAMMOTH CAR
8)RACE AGAINST THE MAMMOTH CAR PT.2
9)THE MOST DANGEROUS RACE
10)THE MOST DANGEROUS RACE PT.2
11)THE MOST DANGEROUS RACE PT.3
12)RACE FOR REVENGE
13)RACE FOR REVENGE PT.2
14)THE DESPERATE DESERT RACE
15)THE DESPERATE DESERT RACE PT.2
16)THE FIRE RACE
17)THE FIRE RACE PT.2
18)THE GIRL DAREDEVIL
19)THE GIRL DAREDEVIL PT.2
20)THE FASTEST CAR ON EARTH
21)THE FASTEST CAR ON EARTH PT.2
22)THE MACH 5 VS.THE MACH 5
23)THE MACH 5 VS. THE MACH 5 PT.2
24)THE ROYAL RACER
25)THE ROYAL RACER PT.2
26)THE CAR HATER
27)THE RACE AGAINST TIME
28)THE RACE AGAINST TIME PT.2
29)THE SNAKE TRACK
30)THE MAN ON THE LAM
31)GANG OF ASSASSINS
32)GANG OF ASSASSINS PT.2
33)THE RACE FOR LIFE
34)THE SUPERSONIC CAR
35)CRASH IN THE JUNGLE
36)CRASH IN THE JUNGLE PT.2
37)THE TERRIFYING GAMBLER
38)THE SECRET INVADERS
39)THE SECRET INVADERS PT.2
40)THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
41)THE CAR DESTROYER
42)THE DESPERATE RACER
43)THE DANGEROUS WITNESS
44)RACE THE LASER TANK
45)THE GREAT CAR WRESTLING MATCH
46)MOTORCYCLE APACHES
47)CAR WITH A BRAIN
48)JUNK CAR GRAND PRIX
49)THE CAR IN THE SKY
50)THE TRICK RACE
51)RACE AROUND THE WORLD
52)RACE AROUND THE WORLD PT.2