The crowd hushed as the two contenders approached the finish line.
The announcer continued, “Only a few seconds, and the great No-Limit World Race will be all over!”
The Mammoth Car and the Mach 5 sped forward.
“Here they come! ” yelled the announcer. The crowd buzzed with excitement.
The Mammoth Car and the Mach 5 both burst forward toward the finish line, where a man stood waving a black-and-white-checkered flag.
“They’re at the finish line!” the announcer yelled. “And as they cross it, they’re in a dead heat. It’s an absolute tie for first place!”
The Mach 5 and the Mammoth Car were tied, nose to nose. There was no clear way to call a winner.
The crowd roared. The applause was deafening.
The announcer continued, “It may be the momentum from the speed at which both cars have been racing, but they haven’t slowed down! The Mammoth Car is going even faster than before! ”
Sure enough, though it had crossed the finish line, the Mammoth Car showed no sign of stopping. It had sped up and was shooting ahead as if the race was still on.
Confused but determined, Speed kept driving, too.
The Mammoth Car and the Mach 5 left the roars of the crowd behind. They were still racing, but it wasn’t to win any race. Something else was going on.
16
IMPOSTER
Inside the cavernous segments of the Mammoth Car, Spritle and Chim Chim were tied up with rope and hanging from the ceiling so that they couldn’t cause any trouble or try to escape.
Spritle tried to negotiate with the thug who had tied them up. “We won’t do anything. Cut the rope. Please let us go.”
The thug looked up at them and sighed. “You’ll behave yourselves?” he asked.
“We will! We will!” Spritle said. “I promise we won’t do anything we shouldn’t.”
“Okay, then,” the thug said. He lowered the rope so Spritle and Chim Chim were on the ground. But before he could cut the rope and set them free, Spritle and Chim Chim ran a swift circle around him, catching his ankle in the rope and tripping him. The thug fell with a loud thump, flat on his face.
“We had to do that,” Spritle told Chim Chim. “So, see? I kept my word.”
Not minutes later, a funny-looking thug in the Mammoth Car’s red crew uniform walked through the long length of the Mammoth Car toward the front, where the driver sat.
He was walking strangely.
His legs didn’t seem to connect properly to his body. His arms flopped around in empty sleeves. He wobbled. His helmet was way too big. And his face looked like a monkey’s.
It was Spritle and Chim Chim in disguise!
Chim Chim had climbed on top of Spritle’s shoulders, and they had stolen the thug’s uniform to make it seem like they were a big, tall man. Now they just had to keep anyone from looking at them too closely.
When one of the Mammoth Car’s real crew members happened to pass Spritle and Chim Chim, he waved and smiled as usual and then did a double take. Had he just said hello to a monkey?
Before he could figure it out, Chim Chim conked him on the head with a wrench.
They kept moving through the Mammoth Car’s compartments. Whenever a Mammoth Car crew member would emerge, Chim Chim and Spritle found a way to stop him. Once they reached the head of the Mammoth Car, they’d figure out a way to get control of the huge vehicle and help Spritle’s big brother, Speed.
The Mammoth Car came into sight. It had reached the docks, where the ship Cruncher Block had sent was waiting. Cruncher Block himself had come to the docks to make sure that his precious Mammoth Car made it on the ship as planned.
But just beside the Mammoth Car was the Mach 5. Speed had caught up to them. Both the Mammoth Car and the Mach 5 came to a stop on the docks.
Cruncher Block growled when he saw the Mach 5. “Those two kids are still with ’em,” he said. He stood with his men on the deck of a giant ship that was tied to the dock.
“Don’t worry, I’ll cut them off,” one of Cruncher Block’s men called up from below. He hopped in his car and barreled over to the Mach 5, forcing Speed to go into reverse to avoid a collision. Cruncher Block’s man wouldn’t let up. He rammed the Mach 5 sideways to the edge of the dock. Speed almost skidded off into the ocean.
Meanwhile, the Mammoth Car was headed straight for the large ship. A giant door-large enough to fit a vehicle as big as the Mammoth Car—had opened in the cargo hold of the ship.
The Mammoth Car sped for it, but just seconds before it reached the giant doorway, it made a sharp right turn and sped away from the ship.
Cruncher Block looked down in alarm. “What happened?” he yelled. “Why didn’t it come on the boat?”
Cruncher Block was thoroughly confused. The Mammoth Car was now driving away.
17
SMUGGLED GOLD
Inside the Mammoth Car, Spritle and Chim Chim had reached the driver’s seat. They stood behind the driver menacingly, and Spritle spoke in a deep, low voice. Thinking a big giant man had come to take over, the driver was shaking in his boots and did whatever the man said. That’s why he’d turned away from the ship-the scary man had told him to.
Chim Chim was still on Spritle’s shoulders. “Good,” Spritle said in the big, scary man’s voice. “Now keep the Mammoth Car going straight. And no monkey business!”
That’s when the driver looked into the rearview mirror and caught sight of the big, scary man’s face for the first time. He looked just like a monkey!
“Wh-wh-who are you?” the driver stuttered. The monkey-man had crazy red-rimmed eyes that scared him.
“Eeeeee-e-eeee-eeee!” the monkey-man responded.
“Monkey business!” the driver burst out. He turned in his seat to get a good look behind him. Chim Chim conked him on the head with the wrench.
The driver collapsed-which was good, because now Chim Chim and Spritle had full control of the Mammoth Car.
But that was also very, very bad ... because neither one knew how to drive it!
“How do we stop the car?” Spritle cried. “We’ve got to find the brakes and use them.”
Spritle and Chim Chim hopped behind the wheel, but the Mammoth Car was harder to steer than they thought. The brake was far down on the floor, and they couldn’t reach it. The Mammoth Car veered wildly from left to right. Its long length whipped back and forth like a dizzy centipede. Spritle and Chim Chim clung to the steering wheel, trying to keep from flying out of the driver’s seat.
“I’ve gotta reach the brake or we’re gonna crash!” Spritle cried. “Hang on!” He tried stretching out his leg to find the brake, but his legs weren’t long enough.
Outside, Cruncher Block and his men had left the ship and were running toward the retreating Mammoth Car.
“Stop!” Cruncher Block yelled. “Stop the car before it crashes!”
At the wheel, Spritle yelled. “Help! We’re heading right for that big oil tank.”
Chim Chim hooted in panic.
A gigantic oil tank was straight ahead—and the Mammoth Car was about to ram into it. If it did, the oil tank would blow up!
Back in the Mach 5, Speed and Trixie had gotten free from Cruncher Block’s driver, and were staring at the out of control Mammoth Car in alarm.
“Something’s wrong with the Mammoth Car! ” Trixie cried. “It’s going to crash into that oil tank! ”
Spritle and Chim Chim caught sight of the Mach 5 in the Mammoth Car’s side-view mirror. The Mach 5 was driving up alongside them. “Help us, Speed!” Spritle cried, hoping his big brother would save him.
Somehow, Speed knew to help.
He kept driving and turned to Trixie. “You’ve gotta take the wheel, Trixie,” he said. She grabbed it, and Speed leaped over her to the passenger seat. Speed jumped up and grabbed hold of the Mammoth Car’s ladder. Then he jumped up on it and started climbing toward the window.
When he jumped into the car, he found Spritle and Chim Chim
driving. “Spritle!” he cried.
“Speed, we’re going to crash!” Spritle cried.
Speed leaped into the driver’s seat-the big oil tank straight ahead-and took control of the Mammoth Car. “Hang on!” he yelled as he stomped his foot on the brake.
Cruncher Block, who was watching from afar, yelled, “This is gonna be the end of my Mammoth Car!”
But Speed wasn’t giving up yet. He slammed the brake again and hoped the Mammoth Car would stop in time. It skidded, its many tires squealing as it slowed just a few feet from the oil tank. It stopped, but not before hitting the side of the oil tank. Oil burst out and exploded—the Mammoth Car was engulfed in flames!
Trixie screamed. She stopped the Mach 5 and jumped out of the car.
The Mammoth Car’s crew ran from the flaming wreck-they had gotten out safely. And soon, Speed was seen running out of the flames, Spritle and Chim Chim tucked in his arms. Trixie grabbed him. They stood off to the side, watching the fire surround the Mammoth Car.
Something strange was happening to the Mammoth Car. It seemed to be melting.
The entire body of the car was turning to gold liquid mush. After a few minutes, all that remained of the Mammoth Car was a gigantic pile of molten gold and some tires. The gold gleamed in the light from the flames.
“How can that be?” Trixie said.
“The Mammoth Car must have been made entirely of gold!” Speed said. “It wasn’t smuggling gold bars out of the country at all-it was the gold bars!”
Fire trucks had arrived to fight the blaze. And the police had come as well, bringing Inspector Detector to arrest Cruncher Block.
Cruncher Block was howling to himself. “My plan is ruined,” he cried. “I could have gotten that stolen gold out of the country, but not now. Not now!” He started for the wreckage, but Inspector Detector held him back.
“Don’t go any closer,” he said. “There could be more explosions.”
“My car,” Cruncher Block mumbled to himself. “My golden car.”
Another explosion lit up the sky, destroying what remained of the Mammoth Car.
18
A SWEET REWARD
Later, at the finish line for the No-Limit World Race, photographers surrounded the Go Team, snapping pictures of Speed holding the trophy high in the air. Trixie stood at his side, beaming. Speed laughed and smiled from the winner’s box. Not only did the Mammoth Car not win, but its smuggling secret was uncovered and the greedy Cruncher Block was behind bars where he belonged.
Inspector Detector pushed through the throng of photographers. “Congratulations, Speed,” he said, shaking Speed’s hand. “You certainly drove a great race.”
“Yeah, congratulations, Speed,” Sparky said, joining them. “And you, too, Trixie. You were the best assistant driver for this race.”
“Thanks, Sparky,” Trixie said.
Pops Racer walked over and stood beside Inspector Detector, gazing proudly at his son. “The Mammoth Car was disqualified,” he said.
“So even though the race was a tie, the Mach 5 has been declared the winner!” He turned to Speed and Trixie. “You both did a great job,” he told them. His smile was enormous.
“And besides,” Inspector Detector added, “you found the stolen gold!”
“Ahem!” came a loud voice from down below. Inspector Detector looked down toward his feet to find Spritle and Chim Chim standing there with stony looks on their faces.
“Well, what’s the matter?” Inspector Detector asked Spritle. “Why do you look so upset?”
Spritle spoke with his arms crossed over his chest. “Some people get rewards, and some people get nothing at all. Even though they deserve a medal, at least.” Spritle and Chim Chim climbed up on the winner’s box, taking the second-place spot as though it was theirs all along.
Pops leaned in to Inspector Detector. “They’re just jealous,” he whispered into the detective’s ear. “But maybe if you give them some little thing, they won’t be so hurt.”
“Hmm,” Inspector Detector said to himself. Then, raising his voice, he said to Spritle and Chim Chim, “And both of you have also done a very fine job.” He found a smaller, but shiny, gold trophy and brought it over to them. “Here. Please accept this small token of our gratitude.”
Even though the trophy was just as shiny and almost as nice as Speed’s, Spritle shrugged, unimpressed. Chim Chim wrinkled his nose.
“Is that all we get?” Spritle said. “Just a shiny gold trophy?”
Inspector Detector acted surprised.
“We were hoping for some candy,” Spritle explained.
Pops chuckled heartily.
Inspector Detector broke out into a smile. “Well then,” he said. “Why don’t you reach inside?”
“Huh?” said Spritle. Chim Chim sniffed the air and his eyes lit up. They shoved their hands inside the shiny gold trophy and pulled out fistsfuls of candy!
“Ahhhhhh!” was all Spritle could say. He and Chim Chim shoved the candy in their mouths and danced around with glee. They ate so much, they saw stars!
And Speed, Trixie, Sparky, Pops, and Inspector Detector watched the feast, laughing. Now what could be a bigger reward than that?
SPEED’S BONUS RACE
The No-Limit World Race wasn’t the only time I was in an offtrack race. And that sure was awfully tricky of the Mammoth Car’s team to hide the stolen gold in the shape of a car, wasn’t it? Who would’ve thought they’d go to all that trouble? Sometimes thieves will hide things in the strangest places!
This reminds me of the time I raced in the Pineapple Grand Prix ... You won’t believe it when I tell you what was found, and where.
Read on!
Part One: The Pineapple Strategy
Speed Racer was in South America ready to compete in the Pineapple Grand Prix, the most prestigious car race in the Southern Hemisphere. The prize was an enormous amount of money, but Speed wasn’t in it for that. He wanted to master the mysterious, unfamiliar course that was like no race he’d ever driven in before.
The night before the race, Speed, Sparky, Trixie, Spritle, and Chim Chim met in their hotel to go over strategy.
Speed spread a large map across the table so the team could get a sense of the course.
“According to this map, part of the course runs through some of the most dangerous and unexplored territory in the Southern Hemisphere,” Speed said, pointing to the area on the map. “And it ends after we go through this area called the Valley of Destruction.”
“I’m not sure I like that name. It’s frightening,” Trixie said.
“So is the racecourse, I bet. It’ll be tough,” added Sparky.
“I’m afraid you’re right. Not many will finish. At least that’s what I heard,” Trixie said as she leaned in for a closer look at the map. “And to make things more difficult, there’s the matter of the pineapples.”
“What’s that?” Spritle called. “Does the winner get pineapples when he crosses the finish line? Chim Chim and I love pineapples.”
“Well, sure, I think you do win some pineapples, Spritle,” Speed said, chuckling. “But since the pineapple is the national fruit of this country, each driver will carry a pineapple with him during the race. The winner will be the first car to cross the finish line. But if a driver has lost his pineapple, he’ll be disqualified!”
“Speed, you’ll be the first to cross the finish line,” Spritle said confidently. “And then when you do, Chim Chim and I will eat your pineapple! ”
“Sure thing, Spritle,” Speed said.
Suddenly there was a knock at the hotel room door. When Trixie opened it, a local girl who was probably about sixteen years old stood on the other side. She had pale hair and seemed very frail.
“Excuse me,” she said in a soft voice. She spoke in English, but in the accent of her country. “I am looking for Mr. Speed Racer.”
Speed stepped up to the door. “Hello,” he said. “I’m Speed Racer. Please come in.”
The g
irl entered the room and lowered her eyes sadly. “My name is Eloisa Hazard,” she said softly. “I am the sister of Hap Hazard, one of the drivers who will be competing against you tomorrow.”
Speed gave Trixie a look. He wasn’t sure what this visit was all about.
“More than anything in the world, I want to see my brother win the Grand Prix, so won’t you let him win?” Eloisa asked quickly. She raised her eyes to Speed and held them for a long moment, pleading with him.
“You’re asking me to lose the Grand Prix?” Speed said, astonished.
“Yes. My brother wants you to lose and so do I, Speed,” Eloisa said. “We have heard how good a race car driver you are, and we know you came all this way to win this race. But can’t you win another race in your own country? Can’t you let my brother win this race, please?”
“But that would be cheating!” Speed exclaimed. “I never cheat!”
“But it would mean so much to my brother and me. If he wins he’ll have the chance to become the manager of a big factory that builds cars. Winning that race is all that matters to my poor brother,” Eloisa pleaded. “Please lose the race tomorrow, Speed.”
“I must ask you to leave,” Speed said in a cold voice. He was insulted. He always raced fair and square, and he just couldn’t believe that someone would ask him to do otherwise.
Eloisa sighed heavily. She turned and headed for the door, but then, all of a sudden, she fainted and collapsed on the floor.
“Oh!” Trixie cried. “She must be sick!”
Sparky rushed off to find a doctor. Trixie and Speed tried to help Eloisa up, but she could not stand up or even stay sitting on her own. Trixie covered her with a blanket. When she looked over at Speed, she saw a dark look on his face.
The Race Against the Mammoth Car Page 5
