Speed Racer
Age: 18
Height: 5'9
Weight: 170 lbs
Profession: Race car Driver
Vehicle: Mach 5
Although important, winning races isn't Speed's primary goal. Sometimes, he will intentionally lose a race to aid a total stranger, but more often, he will win a race while aiding the likes of Inspector Detector in whatever mysterious situation he encounters.
Trixie
Age: 17
Height: 5'3
Weight: 110 lbs
Special Skills: Pilot, Martial Artist
Relation: Speed's Girlfriend
Usually arriving in her helicopter, Speed's girlfriend Trixie is always ready to aid Speed in a time of crisis. Whether performing search and rescue missions or smoke-bombing Speed's adversaries, Trixie never backs down in the face of danger. And, like Racer X, she happens to arrive just in the nick of time. She's one tough gal with enough spunk to keep up with her beau's high-octane adventures. She isn't afraid to speak her mind, either to Speed or to any of the villains she comes up against.
Known to throw more than one surprised criminal for a loop, she'll do it again if fools cross her path. Loyal and protective, Trixie is direct and clear to Speed's female oglers and to various heads of state (who wish to betroth their daughters to Speed) that he is taken. After all is said and done, Trixie usually gets her way - even if she has to stow aboard the Mach 5
Real Name: Rex Racer
Age: 24
Height: 6'4
Weight: 225 lbs
Profession: Race car Driver
Vehicle: Shooting Star
Undeniably, Racer X is the least understood driver on the Formula 1 racing circuit. Both feared and revered, he inspires rumors that whenever he competes, crashes are sure to occur. A face mask used to conceal his true identity further shrouds him in mystery, only adding to his reputation as a jinx.
Unbeknownst to Speed (and his family), Racer X is really his older brother, Rex Racer, a fact we are frequently reminded of throughout the long series. Long ago, while competing in a race, Rex crashed a car Pops built. Subsequently he ran away from home when Pops told him he lacked the necessary experience to race professionally. Aided by his mentor, Kabala, Racer X hones his driving skills, learning how to drive on "tortured roads and broken trails." After this internship, he becomes a professional driver.
Along the way, he adds "secret agent" to his resume. He uses his experience as a race car driver as cover for his primary occupation at the Paris-based International Police.
Story.
Speed Racer began as a Japanese "Manga" entitled Mach Go Go Go created by Tatsunoko Productions in 1966. In 1967, the 52 episodes of the series were dubbed into English and syndicated nationally on television. For nearly 20 years, Speed Racer ran in the afternoons five days a week. During this time the world of Speed Racer was deeply etched into the memories of millions of youngsters who would rush home from school to see the show.
Mach 5
Designed and Built by: Pops Racer
Driver: Speed Racer
Head Mechanic: Sparky
Control A: "Releases powerful jacks to boost the car so that Sparky, our mechanic, can quickly make any necessary repairs or adjustments." Although designed for this practical function, the auto jacks have also been used to "leap" the car short distances at high speeds, as a wedge to prevent the car from toppling over a waterfall, as an alternative braking systems, and as a tool to crush cars in a car-wrestling match.
Control B: "Sprouts special grip tires for traction over any kind of terrain. At the same time, 5,000 horsepower is distributed equally to each wheel by auxiliary engines." Definition of "any kind of terrain": firm, icy, or unsteady ground; ocean floor; vertical mountainsides.
Control C: "For use traveling over heavily wooded terrain. Powerful rotary saws protrude from the front of the Mach 5 to slash and cut any and all obstacles." The rotary saws have also been used as a means of self-defense.
Control D: "Releases a powerful deflector which seals the cockpit into an air-conditioned, bullet- and crash-proof, and water-tight chamber. Inside it, I am completely isolated and shielded." The deflector also protects against sleeping gas.
Control E: "The control for special illumination which can be traversed singly or in tandem, and which enables me to see much farther and more clearly than with ordinary headlights. It's invaluable in some weird and dangerous places that I race the Mach 5." When used with the "night shades" attached to Speed's helmet, his vision is enhanced with infrared light.
Control F: "Used when the Mach 5 is under water. First, the cockpit is supplied with oxygen. Then, a periscope is raised to scan the surface of the water. Everything that is seen is relayed down to me by television." The 100-pound auxiliary supply of oxygen is enough to last for thirty minutes.
Control G: "Releases a homing robot from the front of the car. The homing robot can carry pictures or tape recorded messages to whomever or whenever I want to send them." The robot also can carry handwritten messages, X-ray film, rope, and small Egyptian statues, and it has been used as a means of defense. The bird-like device is operated by a built-in remote control within the cockpit. A separate button sends the robot "home."
Mom Racer
Skills: Baking, Needlepoint
Virtues: Compassion, Orderliness
Profession: Homemaker
- Mom Racer
While Trixie depicts an independent, all-things-equal kind of woman (a harbinger of the Equal Rights Amendment), Mom Racer is her mirror opposite. She is the cookie-baking, June Cleaver goddess of the Racer homestead. Always there for her family, she is the true backbone of the Mach 5 Go Team.
Previous Nickname: Dragon Racer
Blood Pressure: High
Profession: Auto Engineer
Relation: Speed's Father
The world's foremost automotive engineer, Pops Racer designed and built the fabulous Mach 5. Pops can always be counted on to be as loud and overbearing as any well-meaning father has the right to be. But his love for Speed and his faith in his son's ability as a top-notch racer car driver brings out the kinder, gentler side of his personality, particularly in light of his overprotective treatment of his first son, Rex.
The older boy ran away from home when he was Speed's age. But this doesn't mean that Pops isn't protective of Speed. On occasion, Pops will battle many a villain, putting to good use his skills as a former wrestling champion of the West Side Grunters and Groaners Club. Undoubtedly, his automotive genius, his enthusiasm (he was once hospitalized with exhaustion while outfitting the Mach 5 with winglets), and his advice help make Speed the superstar of the racing world.
Sparky
Profession: Head Mechanic
Height: 5'8
Weight: 165 Lbs
Traits: Loyal, Resourceful
An integral part of the Mach 5 Go Team, ace mechanic Sparky is also Speed's best friend. Along with Pops, Sparky knows the Mach 5 inside and out. His job is to make sure the supercharged vehicle outperforms any other car on the track. Sometimes this means making last-minute adjustments, often seconds before the race begins.
Like the rest of Speed's support team, Sparky assists Speed off the track, also. Sometimes this requires him to put down his wrench and to put up his fists. His loyalty shines through when he does whatever it takes to help Speed, even finding him an essential auto part after being scolded by his hero/friend. (Or is he more concerned about the Mach 5's welfare than Speed's?)
Also, he endeavors to improve the Mach 5. Motivated and curious, he's been known to snoop around a competitor's vehicle to get new ideas. Invariably, he gets into trouble. Sparky may not always be at Speed's side, but he's always behind the scenes, making things happen.
Spritle & Chim Chim
Middle Name: Trouble
Favorite Food: Candy
Favorite Place to Hide: Trunk of the Mach 5
For comic relief, there’s none better than Speed’s younger brother Spritle and his pet chimpanzee, Chim Chim. Spritle and Chim Chim are an inseparable team. They have a way of popping up at just the right time to pull Speed out of a jam so that he can go on to save the day. They do this with the disconcerting habit of sneaking inside the Mach 5’s trunk. It’s amazing how this pint-sized pair is able to challenge and overcome muscle-bound thugs or gun-toting gangsters using slingshots, small rocks, and food as weapons. Yet, oftentimes, in an attempt to prove themselves to the family, they will try to solve a mystery on their own. Of course, their efforts only make matters worse. Packing as much slapstick punch as “The Three Stooges.” These two love candy so much that they fight between themselves over whatever bribes they manage to collect. Needless to say, they eat a lot of candy!
Horsepower: Classified
With its throaty roar and bright yellow coat, the Shooting Star stalks its competition like a mysterious striped, jungle cat.
Number 9 gives Speed some of his toughest racing competition. In the capable hands of Racer X, the Shooting Star can rival and sometimes even beat the the Mach 5.
The Shooting Star is another example of the amazing car designs that The Tatsunoko Company created that still have us dreaming of being behind the wheel today.
Shooting Star
Episodes, in (Spanish)
Name: Meteoro
