Skid Z's Choice
Detailed synopsis
The Story begins with the Autobots watching a Formula-1 race. The announcer is estactic at a certain car that just entered the race, No 16, and comments that it looked like the car that a famous racer owned by Auggie Cahnay. Suddenly Prowl enters the race demanding that number 16 pull over. The car ignores him and races on with Prowl in pursuit. Kelly makes her appearance claiming that her expensive hat was worth the trouble...until Number 16 and Prowl whizz by blowing her hat onto the road where, as Kelly states, got turned into roadkill!
Back at the race, both Prowl and Number 16 win but, Prowl loses him after a tight turn and crashes into a wall of tires.
Back at base, Optimus Prime suspects that the race car was an Autobot named Skids. Railspike backs him up stating that Skids just arrived from Cybertron but no one knew what vehicle he scanned. Plus no one knows why Skids was racing in the first place. Koiji then comments that the car that Skids scanned looked like Auggie Cahnay's car and explain that the racer spent so much time in the car it took on his "Got to Win" personality. So when Skids scanned the car he also ended up with Auggie's spirit, which spooked Midnight Express claiming that Skids was haunted.
Meanwhile in a forest Koiji's theory proved right. Skids was pondering to himself that every time he heard a race start he had to be in it and it all started when scanned a race car. Skids was very angry with himself saying that he came to help the Autobots, not race. But Auggie's spirit gets the better of him and he wins A kiddie go-cart race, a school run and even the race between the Tortoise and Hare! Sky-Byte then approaches him asking him to join the Predacons. Skids refuses and Sky Byte attacks, surprised that Skid dodged his attacks. Skids hears another race start and speeds off leaving a worn out Sky-Byte behind.
Back at Autobot base TAI confirms that Skids has somehow ended up with Auggie's personality. Concerned for human safety (especially after Skids trampled through a hurdle race) the Autobots decided to find and tell him whats wrong but had no idea where to start looking. Koiji then explained that Auggie Cahnay won every single race except the International Grand Prix and that anything with wheels could enter! The Autobots decide to enter the race so they could catch up with Skids. TAI enters all their fastest cars in the race which upsets the Bullet Train team. Optimus then tells them all that they were ALL going to enter the race, even Team Bullet Train! At the starting line the Autobots look out for Skids. Meanwhile Prowl and X-Brawn were wondering where their little brother was. At another part of the Starting line Sky-Byte, disguised as a RED sports car was planning to enter the race so he could destroy the Autobots. While daydreaming he failed to notice Side Burn admiring his paint job. Sky-Byte, using a rather pathetic girly voice, thanked him. Side Burn then asked if they met cause he looked really familiar. Sky-Byte told him to go away which Side Burn gladly did. Side Burn returned to his brothers who were shocked that Side Burn did bump into a Red Sports car but it wasn't his type!
After the race started Sky-Byte races by not knowing that someone tied his tail to a wooden post, causing him to fall back near the starting line. X-Brawn and Prowl realised that the Read Sports car was Sky-Byte and asked how Side-Burn knew. Side-Burn just said that he was the first car that spoke back to him!
The Autobots then notice a car zooming up behind them. Thinking that it was Skids they call out to him but to their shock it turned out to be Megatron! Megatron tries to stop them so the Spy Changers stay behind to slow him down. Unfortunately he took the out with his Ultra Traction Drive, which gave Hot Shot a Ultra Headache. Up ahead Megatron spots another driver. Thinking it's an Autobot he uses he's Ultra Traction Drive and attacks sending a surprised Sky-Byte into the air crying out, "MEGATRON! IT'S MEEEE!"
Megatron thought the voice was familiar but ignored it. Up ahead the rest of the Autobots let X-Brawn go on ahead to check if the mountain area was safe for driving. Meanwhile the Predacons plan to start a rock slide to trap them. They were successful with team Bullet Train but weren't expecting Optimus to Blast them to oblivion.
Optimus and the Autobot brothers took a quick break to ponder how the Predacons knew they were there. X-Brawn then notices someone coming up the track thinking it was Megatron. Optimus then realises that it was Skids. Prowl and Side-Burn put out cones and called out to Skids but he drove off screaming that he had to win!
Sky-Byte was following up behind Skids but was shot down by Megatron who thought he was an Autobot (Megatron needs to get his Optics checked!) Megatron then sends a giant boulder down to crush the Autobots. The Autobots catch it but unable to fight Megatron call out to Skids for help.
Skids hears the cry and stops. Unfortunately Auggie's spirit wasn't making it easy for him. Optimus had faith that skids will come back to help them. Megatron was about to deliver the final blow until Skids appeared and blew up the boulder stated that winning the battle within him was the greatest victory ever! After assisting the Autobots of getting rid of Megatron, the Autobots continue the race.
Koiji waiting at the finish line was relieved to see Skids with the Autobots. Skids won the race and the Autobots congratulated him with Optimus throwing oil over him. Skids believed that he wouldn't have any problems now...until he heard Koiji's watch go off. He ran off believing that another race was starting. Optimus had faith that he would come back...sooner or later.
Skids was last seen in Africa still looking for a race!
Stats
Original airdate: September 19th, 2001 (North America)
Written by: Tom Wyner
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulars
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Notable quotes
Other notes
Animation and/or technical glitches
- Auggie Cahnay's formula one car has a gold Autobot symbol on it for some reason.
Continuity errors
Transformers references
- The human race driver whose spirit possesses Skid-Z in this episode was named after the Generation 1 character Auggie Cahnay, though in the original Car Robots version of this episode, the name of the driver Goldback - seemingly an inexplicable reference to Goldbug's Japanese name.
