History Main / WackyRacing

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' takes the wacky racing ''Mario Kart'' is known for and makes it the hat of the Jungle Kingdom; the Kongs use their karts quite dangerously in the most mundane ways, with a Kong driver throwing a BananaPeel onto the ground with no concern for the next Kong who slips over it and gets flung into a building, causing the kart to explode. A later scene in the film where the Koopas attack with karts of their own brings some power-ups from ''Mario Kart'' with it; besides the banana peels, there are also Bob-Ombs and cannons that shoot Koopa shells.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' takes the wacky racing ''Mario Kart'' is known for and makes it the hat of the Jungle Kingdom; the Kongs use their karts quite dangerously in the most mundane ways, with a Kong driver throwing a BananaPeel onto the ground with no concern for the next Kong who slips over it and gets flung into a building, causing the kart to explode. A later scene in the film where the Koopas attack with karts of their own brings some power-ups from ''Mario Kart'' with it; besides the banana peels, there are also Bom-Ombs and cannons that shoot Koopa shells.

Also see UnconventionalVehicleChase, VehicularCombat, ChariotRace, FictionalSport, {{Pseudolympics}}, NoRulesRacing.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cyberchase}}'': "The Creech Who Would be Crowned" is about Matt, Jackie, Inez, and Digit helping Princess Creech enter such a race so that she can become Queen of Tikiville, but at the same time, The Hacker also wants to rule Tikiville, and therefore he resorts to cheating in the race so he can win.

* VideoGame/{{Wreckfest}}. Where else can you race a motorized port-a-potty against a V8 powered sofa?

In RealLife, the racing of any kind of vehicle is very dangerous, and many people have died or suffered serious injury while doing so. Things have gotten better, but it is still a potentially deadly sport truly only kept in the reins of safety by [[BadassDriver the skill of the drivers]]. However, there is also the fact that in real life, except for off-road rallies and endurance races, most races simply involve going from point A to point B, or driving in a circle for 500 or so laps. Because of this, writers tend to spice things up a bit. The result is a Wacky Race, a race so improbable, so outrageous, so dangerous, that it makes [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7amgj1DpSA Pikes Peak]] look like a Sunday drive.

* The "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POQIH5KyUjI Japan World Cup]]" is a horse racing WidgetSeries that is all about this. For starters, half the "racehorses" [[HorseOfADifferentColor aren't even]] ''[[HorseOfADifferentColor horses]]'' (and one is clearly just [[PantomimeAnimal two guys in a horse costume]]), and even the ones that are have their own bizarre and eclectic themes[[labelnote:*]]A kinky [[EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench French]] stripper/dominatrix who rides a horse wearing lingerie and prefers a whip to a riding crop, a [[JapaneseDelinquent bosozoku biker]] who rides a [[DelinquentHair pompadour'ed]] racehorse like a motorcycle and an American duo who ride tandem on an elongated horse that seems to stretch out over time.[[/labelnote]]. Only the first horse seems perfectly normal... right up until it stands on its hind legs and starts doing ''the Charleston'' across the finish line. [[SerialEscalation And it gets even wackier with]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2HOdLeUC0E each]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-haQwla2ao sequel]].

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Cyberchase}}'' is about Matt, Jackie, Inez, and Digit helping Princess Creech enter such a race so that she can become Queen of Tikiville, but at the same time, The Hacker also wants to rule Tikiville, and therefore he resorts to cheating in the race so he can win.

** The double-decker car racing, depicted above. The catch is simple: you sit above, your partner sits below. You have the steering, he has the acceleration. The first race of this type pitted [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny England vs. Germany]]. The same challenge was repeated in the Ashes Special, against the ''Top Gear Australia'' hosts. Except the steering car has been turned upside down, but only for the Australian team.

-->-- '''Creator/JeremyClarkson''' remarking on the madness seen at right, ''Series/TopGearUK''

[[caption-width-right:350:The bottom car controls the gas and brakes.\\
The top car steers.\\
WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong]]

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[[caption-width-right:350:Bottom car controls the gas and brakes, top car steers, Main/WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong]]

%%* ''Sugar Rush'' from ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' is one big candy-coated {{Expy}} of ''VideoGame/MarioKart''.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': {{Downplayed}} in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' by the podracing sequence. The race is fast and dangerous, and elements like Sebulba's flamethrowers definitely fit the trope, but the emphasis is still on "drive faster than the other guy and make it to the finish line first" as opposed to "DemolitionDerby that happens to take place on a racetrack."

** Racing "the post." They basically raced against an abstract concept. [[spoiler: And lost.]] Ostensibly, they were racing a relay team; mail boat takes the letter from the island to the mainland, where a series of planes and trucks carry it further until it reaches the local post office where a dude comes round and delivers it.

* The AnimatedMusicVideo for Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti's ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL3TyeREyRw Ogni adolescenza]]'' is a homage to Wacky Races, with avatars of the three musicians and of other indie musicians and comic book characters participating. In the end, [[spoiler:the Dick Dastardly expy, who's probably supposed to stand in for music majors, wins by cheating.]]

%%* ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing.''

* ''VideoGame/ExciteTruck.'' Feels like a G-rated ''VideoGame/{{Carmageddon}}'' crossed with ''Monster Truck Madness.'' Lots of nitro and ludicrous jumps contribute to the over-the-top feel.
** How about ''Excite'' '''''Bots,''''' which is like Truck, except with vehicles styled after animals and minigames ''in the middle of the races.''
* ''VideoGame/ExtremeG:''

* ''Videogame/HSXHypersonicExtreme'' (also known as ''G Surfers''). Think of F-Zero X, ''20 times faster'' and taking place on a ''Real-Scale rendition of the world''. It also features a very powerful track editor which takes advantage of said ''Real-Scale rendition of the world.''

* ''VideoGame/{{Kinetica}}.'' The racers ''wear'' their vehicles, with the wheels attached to the ends of their arms and legs, and they race on the walls and/or ceilings of large skyscrapers. And more than half the racers are hot chicks whose "vehicles" [[{{Fanservice}} show lots of skin]], and that the game is NintendoHard.

* The entire ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed:'' franchise is basically ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' as a racing game franchise with real-life licensed ''cars'' instead of ''characters'' as fighters for you to slam each other. A few notable ones put here:

* ''VideoGame/Slipstream5000.'' TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture racing with, essentially, flying cars. Through twisting valleys and down fjords in Norway, through the winding highways and tunnels of Chicago, down Grand Canyon... Oh yeah, and you had missiles, too.

* In ''VideoGame/SplitSecond2010,'' you can blow up things around the track, as well as drop ships and ''airplanes'' on your opponents.
* ''VideoGame/StarWarsEpisodeIRacer,'' based on the ''Phantom Menace'' race mentioned above. Settings include underwater cities, mining facilities, volcanic planets, and zero-gravity space prisons.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/DofusKerubsBazaar'' features a [[HorseOfADifferentColor Dragoturkey]] race that acts as a WholeEpisodeReference to ''Wacky Races'', complete with the villain of the episode being a female {{Expy}} of Dick Dastardly.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' features [[Film/CannonballRun Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise]] recruiting Vin Diesel's character from ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' to take part in a race against famous TV/Toy car characters, including Franchise/{{Batman}}, [[VideoGame/MarioKart Mario and Luigi]], ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'', [[Series/CHiPS Ponch and John]], [[WesternAnimation/{{MASK}} Matt Tracker (with Scott and T-Bob in the back seat)]], ''Anime/SpeedRacer'', and one of the vehicles from ''WesternAnimation/JayceAndTheWheeledWarriors''.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' has the eponymous characters making a Wacky Car Race with all cars allusive to each smurf's personality.
* The ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode ''Handicar'' culminates in an homage to Wacky Races (which have been banned by international convention) between various ridesharing and new-fuel vehicles complete with a Canadian Penelope Pitstop and the appearance of Dick Dastardly and Muttley.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpeedBuggy'' is usually wacky races mixed with the Franchise/ScoobyDoo mystery formula.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' takes the wacky racing ''Mario Kart'' is known for and makes it the hat of the Jungle Kingdom; the Kongs use their karts quite dangerously in the most mundane ways, with a Kong driver throwing a BananaPeel onto the ground with no concern for the next Kong who slips over it and gets flung into a building, causing the kart to explode. A later scene in the film where the Koopas attack with karts of their own brings many power-ups from ''Mario Kart'' with it; besides the banana peels, there are also Bom-Ombs and cannons that shoot Koopa shells.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' takes the wacky racing ''Mario Kart'' is known for and makes it the hat of the Jungle Kingdom; the Kongs use their karts quite dangerously in the most mundane ways, with a Kong driver throwing a BananaPeel onto the ground with no concern for the next Kong who slips over it and runs into a building, causing the kart to explode. A later scene in the film where the Koopas attack with karts of their own brings many power-ups from ''Mario Kart'' with it; besides the banana peels, there are also Bom-Ombs and cannons that shoot Koopa shells.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' takes the wacky racing ''Mario Kart'' is known for and makes it the hat of the Jungle Kingdom; the Kongs use their karts quite dangerously in the most mundane ways, with Swanky Kong throwing a BananaPeel onto the ground with no concern for the next Kong who slips over it and runs into a building, causing the kart to explode. A later scene in the film where the Koopas attack with karts of their own brings many power-ups from ''Mario Kart'' with it; besides the banana peels, there are also Bom-Ombs and cannons that shoot Koopa shells.

%%* There was a cancelled spin-off of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'' called ''The Billion Brick Race'' that would have parodied ''Film/TheCannonBallRun'' and similar movies.

%%* ''Film/{{Cannonball}}'' (1976), a classic Creator/DavidCarradine B-Movie Action Flick, takes inspiration from the "Cannonball Baker" cross-country race.

* ''Franchise/{{Lego}}'': ''VideoGame/Lego2KDrive'' is an [[WideOpenSandbox open world]] racing game with some rather eccentric opponents (crop duster pilot, astronomer) with vehicles to match (World War 2 fighter plane on wheels, moon buggy). There are weapons that can be used during races and the vehicles transform when they encounter different terrain.
%%** ''VideoGame/LEGORacers'' is basically ''Mario Kart'' [-[[RecycledInSpace WITH LEGOS!]]-]

* ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' follows on the footsteps of ''Mario Kart'' and adds its own twists, like Boss Battles and different vehicles, plus a surprisingly elaborate overworld.

* ''VideoGame/FullAuto'', which can be boiled down to ''Film/DeathRace: The Video Game''.

* The web racing game series ''[=GoKartGo!=]'' is essentially a browser-based game like ''Mario Kart'', with goofy animal characters.

* ''Franchise/{{Lego}}'':
** ''VideoGame/LEGORacers'' is basically ''Mario Kart'' [-[[RecycledInSpace WITH LEGOS!]]-]
** ''VideoGame/Lego2KDrive'' is an [[WideOpenSandbox open world]] racing game with some rather eccentric opponents (crop duster pilot, astronomer) with vehicles to match (World War 2 fighter plane on wheels, moon buggy). There are weapons that can be used during races and the vehicles transform when they encounter different terrain.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'', we see it done by Cassiel in Ash's race against Logan.

* ''Sugar Rush'' from ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' is one big candy-coated {{Expy}} of ''VideoGame/MarioKart''.
* There was a cancelled spin-off of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'' called ''The Billion Brick Race'' that would have parodied ''Film/TheCannonBallRun'' and similar movies.

* ''Film/{{Cannonball}}'' (1976), a classic Creator/DavidCarradine B-Movie Action Flick, takes inspiration from the "Cannonball Baker" cross-country race.

* Every ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' style game qualifies. Courses with cannons that launch you to the top of mountains aren't exactly common in real life. Even games that don't actually use karts are subject to this, such as ''[[Franchise/{{Kirby}} Kirby Air Ride]]'' or ''VideoGame/SonicRiders''.

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%%* ''WebAnimation/Supermarioglitchy4sSuperMario64Bloopers'': "Retarded64: Retard karts 101".
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%%* The twentieth episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|2003}}: Fast Forward''.

** ''The Need for Speed'' is no slouch either: You can have stock sports cars from Japan, Europe, and America battling each other on the highways. Subsequent games like ''Need for Speed II'' and ''III: Hot Pursuit'' up the ante by having varieties of European and American supercars beating each other up, with HammerspacePoliceForce launching HotPursuit turning the races into BloodSport since the latter.

** ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' 2005 and ''Carbon'': Same as before, but ''bring back German and Italian supercars'' last seen in classic era, and just to top the whole thing off, bring back [[HammerspacePoliceForce a police department]] [[WeHaveReserves with infinite funds and reserves.]]
** It gets better in 2010's ''Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit'', where you can play as the RabidCop wrecking the wacky racers' fun. Same goes to its 2013 SpiritualSuccessor, ''Need for Speed [[WideOpenSandbox Rivals]]''.
** ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted'' 2012 is ''VideoGame/BurnoutParadise'' with cops, licensed cars, a bigger social element, and slightly more realistic physics and handling.