NASCAR Racers

NASCAR Racers

The opening title screen for NASCAR Racers
Genre Animated Series
Action
Created by NASCAR
Directed by Dennis Woodyard
Joe Barruso
Voices of Ian James Corlett
Rino Romano
Kathleen Barr
Roger R. Cross
Andrew Francis
Paul Dobson
Dale Wilson
Ron Halder
Scott McNeil
Kirby Morrow
Theme music composer Jeremy Sweet
Composer(s) Jeremy Sweet
Shuki Levy
Kussa Mahchi
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 26 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Eric S. Rollman
Producer(s) Dennis Woodyard
Running time 20 min.
Production company(s) Saban Entertainment
Distributor Disney–ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original network FOX (1999–2001)
Toon Disney/Jetix (2005–2008)
Rai 2 (Italy)
ZDF (Germany)
France 3, Canal J, Boomerang (France)
Original release November 20, 1999 (1999-11-20) – March 24, 2002 (2002-03-24)

NASCAR Racers is an animated television series by Saban Entertainment which features two rival NASCAR racing teams, Team Fastex and Team Rexcor, competing against each other in the futuristic NASCAR Unlimited Division. The series ran from 1999 to 2001 on the Fox Network's Fox Kids block.

Background

26 half-hour episodes were produced by Saban Entertainment, in conjunction with the Vancouver-based Ocean Productions voice cast, who had worked with Saban on other projects — such as Spider-Man Unlimited and Dragon Ball Z. The show's theme song was performed by Jeremy Sweet. Before beginning it's proper run in 2000, NASCAR Racers premiered as a special three-part TV movie on November 11, 1999, although subsequent re-airings have the first three episodes separated from each other. It ended in 2001, with reruns airing on Disney's Jetix after the company's purchase of the Saban Entertainment library. As with many Saban properties acquired by Disney, they have not made any home video releases for the series.

A video game was published in 2000 for PC and Game Boy Color by Electronic Arts and developed by Hon2 Games Inc. A PlayStation version was planned but cancelled before release. NASCAR Racers books were authored by Gene Hult under the name J. E. Bright, and published by HarperEntertainment. The show was produced before Fox showed NASCAR races, and the show's broadcast history only overlapped with the network's coverage of the real series for one month.

Premise

While real life NASCAR tracks are mainly ovals, NASCAR Racers is anything but. The racers compete on a wide variety of courses, including road course, off-road, mountain, and Motorsphere. The Motorsphere track starts with a typical race track leading into a sphere, then tracks are wrapped around the inner surface of the sphere, which look like the AcceleDrome track from AcceleRacers.

The NASCAR Unlimited Division features cutting edge, over the top technologies (from the show's point of view). To protect drivers from crashes, each race car has an inner Rescue Racer that ejects from the outer body if an accident happens. XPT racers, introduced in season 2, are the new race cars for Team Fastex. XPT racers use atomic fuel run by forced-combustion systems. Nitro Racers contain high-flux fusion units that can get maximum power out of atomic fuel.

The change in body design from the XPT racers to the Nitro Racers was similar to the Sprint Cup transition to the "car of tomorrow". XPT racers were sleeker than the boxy Nitro Racers.

The characters often race on simulators to hone their skills before actual races; this is also done by real NASCAR drivers (Often using off-the-shelf games).

Cast and characters

Team Fastex

Mark "Charger" McCutchen (Ian James Corlett)
Mark is the son of racing champion Mack McCutchen, Jr. and an excellent driver. Mark wants to follow his father's racing career and proceeds to win the cup for Team Fastex in season 1 . He is Lyle Owens' main rival even before the Unlimited NASCAR started. He has a crush on Megan Fassler.
Megan "Spitfire" Fassler (Kathleen Barr)
Megan is the daughter of Jack Fassler, owner of Team Fastex, and the only female member of the team. At first her father disapproves about letting her race for the team, but he changes his mind over the course of the series. In season 2, Garner Rexton hires a woman to pose as Megans real mother to confuse Megan about her past. Afterwards, Megan forms a team with Eve "Wild Card" Kilder and "Chrome", with Zorina becoming a part of the team later on. In the end, she finds out about her true past and re-joins Fastex.
Carlos "Stunts" Rey (Rino Romano)
Carlos tries to win the money from NASCAR Unlimited races for his ill father. After having his money stolen by a man hired by Garner Rexton, Carlos is persuaded by Rexton to win the last race of the season by betraying Fastex, but chooses to side with Team Fastex and helps Flyer win the championship. Carlos wins the first race in season 2, but due to an investor running off with the money, he does not receive anything.
Steve "Flyer" Sharp (Roger R. Cross)
Steve joined the U.S. Air Force years ago, but retired when a barrel exploded in his face during a mission. He survived, but suffered serious brain damage. Many years later, the explosion still haunts him and makes him vulnerable in a real race. He wins the championship in season 2.
Jack Fassler (Paul Dobson)
Owner of Team Fastex and adoptive father of Megan Fassler. When he chose the team members for the championship in the first season, Jack disapproved of two things: letting Lyle Owens become a member of Team Fastex and letting Megan race for the team. He changes his mind about letting Megan become a member of the team since a four-man team is needed to enter the championship. In the episode "Hostage", Jack is kidnapped by some gang members (the same gang which Junker was part of) under Garner Rexton's orders. He is saved and tells Megan the truth about her past as she re-joins Fastex.
Douglas "Duck" Dunaka (Dale Wilson)
He is the crew chief of the team, although he competes for Team Fastex as "Rubber Ducky" in the season 2 episode "Duck Unlimited".
Lugnut
Team Fastex mechanic, hired by the team at the start of the second season.

Team Rexcor

Lyle "The Collector" Owens (Philip Maurice Hayes)
"The Collector" is Rexcor's number one driver. He is ruthless, cruel, very arrogant and is considered a threat by every NASCAR team. With his deadly driving skills, he "collects" almost every driver from other teams by taking a part of their car as a trophy. Lyle is "Charger" McCutchen's number one rival even when they were both in team Fastex (before joining Rexcor). He is fired at the end of season 1, but re-hired in season 2 after he suffers mutations due to contact with toxic waste, making him stronger than any human being while scarring his face at the same time.
Hondo "Specter" Hines
"Specter" is one of the spookiest drivers in NASCAR. He can be quite sneaky and tries to cheat every time. He is also very naive and makes a good team with Zorina at cheating and destroying other cars.
Zorina
She is a punk rock-like driver, very ignorant and aggressive. She uses her driving skills to destroy every car around her, often teaming up with "Specter". In season 2, Garner Rexton decided to hire Tanker and fires Zorina. She subsequently joins the Spitfire Racers, a team led by Megan Fassler.
Diesel "Junker" Spitz
Years ago, Diesel was a gang member at the Grand Prix, trying to sabotage enemy cars. He was found by Garner Rexton and quickly became a member of Team Rexcor. He is clumsy and very slow, but still is a noticeable member of the team, mostly by trashing other cars. His voice resembles that of actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Garner Rexton (Ron Halder)
Owner of Team Rexcor and "master puppeter" of anything suspicious in the NASCAR championship. He is a very ignorant and greedy man, using his manipulation skills to control others around him. He is disqualified and arrested after the last race, due to Carlos "Stunts" Rey telling the officials about everything he did.
Spex (Richard Newman)
Team Rexcor crew chief and Garner Rexton's right-hand man. Spex is a cyborg who uses his special body tools to repair any damage to the cars.
Kent "Demolisher" Steel
Kent is an android designed for the destruction of Team Fastex. He first appears at the end of the first season, as a very powerful and destructive driver (with the same qualities as Collector). He later appears in episodes "Chain Reaction" as he tries to sabotage the fuel for the other teams, and "Rumble" as one of the drivers used for racing for the prize money.

Other characters

"Redline" O'Rourke
This driver is a mystery to many managers in the NASCAR championship. Using his extraordinary driving experience, "Redline" can get past every car he wants, making him a strong adversary and the number-two rival to "Charger" McCutchen. He has a crush on Megan Fassler.
Phil "Octane" Knox
He is known for the speed and power of his car. He secretly works for Rexcor, pretending to be "Flyer's" friend and poisoning his mind with the same liquid that exploded in his face years ago. In the end, he poisons himself by mistake before the final race.
Tanker
His true name is unknown. Years ago, he was in the army and a very good driver and pilot. Just like "Flyer's" car is modeled like a battle-jetplane, Tankers car resembles a tank, which he uses to destroy all the other cars in his way. That is also the reason why Tanker is chosen for Team Rexcor in season 2. Tanker is Flyer's #1 rival.
Grim Repo
A racer whose true name or face are unknown. He first appears at the beginning of season 2 together with the four other new racers (Redline, Tanker, Chrome and Octane). He once races for Team Rexcor, in the episode "Rumble".
Chrome
She is the only female member of the new drivers from season 2 and can be very intimidating. She later joins the Spitfire Racers.
Eve "Wild Card" Kildere
She is a stunt-driver like Carlos "Stunts" Rey, hired by Garner Rexton to lure him away from Fastex. She is arrested for trying to kill Team Fastex with some fireworks during a stunt. She is later hired by Rexcor to race in the Unlimited Series, but in the end competes for Megan Fassler's team. She is in love with Carlos "Stunts" Rey.
Libby Fassler
Wife of Jack Fassler and adoptive mother of Megan Fassler. She is kidnapped by bounty hunters secretly hired by Garner Rexton, who proceeds to send his team to try and save Libby so he can win her to his side. However, his plan is undone by Team Fastex.
Miles McCutchen
Younger brother of Mark McCutchen who aspires to race like his older sibling.
Farrell Longstreet
A former racing colleague of Mark McCutchen's father who comes out of retirement to race in the Unlimited Series in season 2.
Mike Hauger
A television presenter for Sports Network Interglobal Television (SNIT), alongside Pat Anther, who covers and commentates the NASCAR Unlimited Series races.
Pat Anther
A television presenter for Sports Network Interglobal Television (SNIT), alongside Mike Hauger, who covers and commentates the NASCAR Unlimited Series races.

Episodes


External links

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