Drag Strip (G1)

The name or term "Drag Strip" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Drag Strip (disambiguation).

Drag Strip is a Decepticon Stunticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

One more word out of you, and I'll stomp my alt-mode.

Drag Strip has never heard of the term "graceful in victory". He doesn't just like to win, he loves it. Drag Strip would sooner die a miserable death than ever sacrifice a victory, as he thrives on the bragging rights which accompany first place. He can't keep himself from stroking his own ego and bragging about his accomplishments in excruciating detail.

The other Decepticons, Megatron included, hate his metal guts and would gladly pummel him to scrap for being plain obnoxious if it weren't for the fact that his insatiable lust for victory makes him a formidable foe against the Autobots. Not that he cares; they're just jealous.

Drag Strip combines with his fellow Stunticons to form Menasor.

Sometimes his name is parsed Dragstrip.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Ron Gans (English), Kōki Kataoka (Japanese), Show Hayami (Japanese, "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1"), Yū Shimaka (Japanese, "Masquerade"), Kenyū Horiuchi (Japanese, 2010), Willi Röbke (German, Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2), Tonio von der Meden (German, Generation 2 Dub of Starscreams Brigade), Willy Schäfer (German, Generation 2 Dub of Masquerade)

Long before fans, Rumble was inventing his own Toilet-modes for Transformers.

After a failed attempt to steal experimental superfuel from United States military, Megatron realized that while the Decepticons controlled the skies, the Autobots had supremacy on the ground, and so they needed new ground-based warriors who could out-drive and out-fight the Autobots on their terms. Rumble was sent to steal various human vehicles that would be rebuilt into the new Stunticons. In Drag Strip's case, Rumble targeted the winner of a Formula 1 race on national television, which was a bad idea really, as it alerted the Autobots to Megatron's scheme. The Decepticons journeyed to Cybertron, beat the Key to Vector Sigma out of Alpha Trion's possession and ordered the ancient supercomputer to give life to the Stunticons. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 Whilst the Autobots were trapped on Cybertron, the Decepticons returned to Earth with the newly awakened Stunticons who began wreaking havoc and damaging the Autobots' good name by attacking the US military base containing the experimental rocket fuel. Eventually, the Autobots returned with the newly built Aerialbots whose combined form Superion defeated the Stunticon combiner Menasor. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2

Despite this defeat, the Stunticons were the key component in Megatron's elaborate scheme to hold a fake charity race from Paris to Istanbul so he could steal U.S. driver Auggie Cahnay's experimental car which would be melted down to house the powerful Pearl of Bahoudin. One by one, the Stunticons disabled the Autobot participants assigned to protect Cahnay, but the downfall of Megatron's plan came when he ordered the Stunticons to stop going after the remaining Autobots. Together, Cahnay, Bumblebee, Tracks, and Bluestreak defeated Menasor and destroyed the Pearl of Bahoudin. Trans-Europe Express

Where'd he get this head from, anyway?

When Megatron needed additional equipment for his latest secret weapon, he sent the Stunticons out to steal it for him. Drag Strip and Dead End stormed a U.S. military base and scooped up a new experimental generator for their leader. On the way back, Drag Strip kept trying to taunt the disinterested Dead End into racing with him back to base. Their racing was interrupted, though, by the Autobots Tracks and Warpath. Drag Strip was knocked for a loop by Warpath's rapid-fire shells from his turret gun. Brought in to Autobot custody, the Stunticons were held prisoner while Optimus Prime and the Autobots used camouflage paint to disguise themselves as the Stunticons in order to enter Megatron's good graces and learn the purpose of the stolen equipment. Mirage, the Autobots' spy, took Drag Strip's place. The Stunticons did manage to break loose, though, and smashed their way out of the Ark as Menasor and made their rendezvous with Megatron, only to find themselves confronted with a faux Menasor, created by a combination of Mirage's illusions and Windcharger's magnetism. The real Menasor easily broke the delicately bonded "Menasor", but the Autobots had also sabotaged the equipment before handing it over to Megatron. After the super-cannon exploded, the Stunticons fled the battle. Masquerade

Come to Cuba, and let loose your wild side.

When Megatron was infected with Cosmic Rust after a trip to the lost Autobot colony of Antilla, the Stunticons were assigned to capture the Autobot scientist Perceptor, who had developed the powerful anti-corrosion Corrostop. Drag Strip water skiied behind a speedboat driven by Wildrider, allowing him to force Perceptor to back into the waiting Motormaster. After Megatron cured himself and infected the Autobots with the Cosmic Rust, Menasor attacked the Statue of Liberty in New York City with the ancient Lightning Bug heat ray, intent on stopping the Autobots from matter-duplicating more Corrostop from the layer they sprayed on the statue. Superion defeated Menasor and destroyed the Lightning Bug. Cosmic Rust

After Starscream was banished for yet another failed coup, he returned with a powerful new Decepticon team called the Combaticons who were able to outfight Autobot and Decepticon alike. With Megatron needing a trump card, Soundwave attempted to call on the Stunticons to help, but Drag Strip said to tell Megatron to blow it out his exhaust pipe. However, the Stunticons belatedly arrived after the Combaticons' combined form of Bruticus defeated Devastator and forced Megatron to acknowledge Starscream as the new Decepticon leader. Realizing that Starscream would not stop at Megatron, the Stunticons merged into Menasor and disabled Bruticus in one mighty punch. Starscream's Brigade

In the wake of Unicron's attack on Cybertron in the year 2005 and the subsequent Decepticon exile to Chaar in 2006, the Stunticons were reduced to being scavengers, fighting like slaargs with their fellow Decepticons over the few scraps of energon they had. This changed when Cyclonus brought news of Galvatron's survival, and the Stunticons were among the first to donate their few remaining energon supplies to help revive their leader and give the Decepticons purpose. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 However, while Cyclonus and the Sweeps were resurrecting Galvatron, the Quintessons arrived on Chaar with an offer of energon in exchange for attacking the Autobots. Drag Strip was among those who were incredulous at their offer... but the Stunticons were instrumental in convincing the other Decepticons to go along with the Quintessons. Drag Strip was the very first Decepticon to board the Quintesson ship when ordered. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 After Galvatron returned to seize control of the Decepticons, the Stunticons were part of the Decepticon team attacking the Autobots on Earth. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

When the Decepticons took up arms in Europe, Drag Strip and the Stunticons were part of the troops Galvatron maintained out of their mobile headquarters, Trypticon. They joined forces to battle Defensor as Menasor. Later, the Stunticons were diverted away from Trypticon by Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, allowing the Witwickys to sneak inside and steal the city-bot's transforming cog. As diversions go, it was a good one—the Stunticons were beaten senseless by the two Autobot leaders, and were in no position to pursue the thieves. Galvatron expressed his disgust with their performance by punting Drag Strip into a tree. The Ultimate Weapon

Drag Strip made a very brief appearance on Chaar when Scourge used the power of the Matrix to temporarily wrest control of the Decepticons from Galvatron. The Burden Hardest to Bear Drag Strip and the Stunticons were also among the first Decepticons to be infected by the Hate Plague. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1

Japanese cartoon continuity

The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this continuity as detailed above, except the events of 2006 are pushed back to 2010. Japanese continuity inserts several new stories into the resultant gaps in the timeline.

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga

Drag Strip listened to Megatron boast about how Trypticon would trounce Metroplex once its construction was complete. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3

Drag Strip and the Stunticons decided to have a little fun and tear up a baseball stadium in Japan. Luckily, the Autobots' plucky young ally Kenji was present to radio for assistance. All the combiner teams assembled, and it was Menasor and Bruticus against Superion and Defensor! Defensor was forced to break apart by the combined Decepticon attack, but Superion and Kenji got the idea to shoot out the Decepticons' legs. Groove and Blades took advantage of the empty combiner ports and took over as Menasor's legs, launching him into the ocean. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5

While posing as Autobots, Drag Strip, Onslaught and the Stunticons rampaged through the city streets, smearing the good name of their adversaries. Later, Frenzy and Rumble posed as humans to rally people against the Autobots, and Motormaster's brigade staged an attack on the rally to drive the point home. The Autobot fire engines Hot Spot and Inferno arrived, however, and used their water hoses to wash off the Decepticons' fake insignia. Enraged, Motormaster planned to combine into Menasor...only to see his men were already retreating into the distance. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7

Full Throttle Scramble Power!

The Decepticons constructed a new weapon to pursue their energy-plundering campaign on Earth, the Omega Whip. With the device at the ready, the Stunticons headed out to retrieve some energy from a power plant. They were met with the Aerialbots, and both teams combined into the gestalt forms. As they battled, Menasor made great use of his modular nature, having his Stunticon components swap between being arms and legs. Atop of this, Superion was crippled by the Omega Whip, giving the Decepticons the advantage. But the Autobots turned the tide of the battle by sending out massive amounts of reinforcements into the field, and the Decepticons were sent packing. Full Throttle Scramble Power!

The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers manga

In the year 2010, Drag Strip participated in a Decepticon attack on the planet Feminia. He and his team merged into Menasor in order to battle alongside Bruticus and Devastator against their Autobot counterparts Superion, Defensor and Omega Supreme. The fight was fairly evenly matched until Galvatron called up his ace-in-the-hole, Predaking, whose power was unmatched by any of the Autobots... except for the Omnibots, who essentially tied Predaking's shoelaces together until he fell over, straight into Menasor and his chums, sending them all toppling to the ground and knocking them to bits. The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5

Drag Strip only appears as a component of Menasor

Scramble City: Mobilization

Drag Strip and the Stunticons are summoned by Megatron to put an end to the Scramble City project, and succeed where Starscream had failed. Their first strike was impressive, holding back Optimus Prime and a cadre of Autobots and shooting the Aerialbots out of the skies. When the Aerialbots formed Superion, Drag Strip and his teammates followed suit and merged into Menasor. Scramble City: Mobilization

The Great Transformer War

Galvatron kidnapped Doctor Dalton of Eran to upgrade the might of his combiner warriors. When the Autobot combiners arrived to save Dalton, Drag Strip and his teammates were deployed at high speeds from Motormaster's launcher mode. They met Superion in mid-air, and the force of their deployment enabled the combiner teams to tear him apart. The Stunticons then merged into Menasor to move in for the kill. They were ultimately outwitted by the Autobots, however, who rescued Dalton and safely returned to Metroplex. The Great Transformer War #1

The Headmasters cartoon

Drag Strip and the Stunticons participated in Galvatron's siege on Cybertron. They managed to gain the high ground against the Dinobots and Throttlebots, and rained laser fire down on their opponents. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky Drag Strip and his team formed Menasor to fight their Autobot counterparts, but were steamrolled by the might and firepower of the Battleship Maximus. Transporting back to Earth, they attempted to interfere with Hot Rod's quest for the Matrix. Drag Strip and the Stunticons were confronted by the Aerialbots in the desert, but the battle of their combiner forms eventually led them to the Arctic. The Mystery of Planet Master

When Vector Sigma began perfecting the new super-metal Cybertonuron on Cybertron, Galvatron ordered another all-out attack on the planet to seize the metal for the Decepticons before the Autobots could make use of it. Drag Strip and the Stunticons journeyed to Cybertron with the strike force, and confronted their old enemies, the Aerialbots. The Aerialbots got the drop on Drag Strip's group by forming Superion and lashing out before the Stunticons could form Menasor as well. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 Drag Strip and the Stunticons were still in a firefight sometime later, as Chromedome passed by looking for Mindwipe and the Decepticon Headmasters. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2 In San Francisco, Drag Strip and the Stunticons assisted Bruticus in using a carnivorous plant to distract the Autobots from Scorponok's plans on Zarak. They fought against the Technobots and Computron. Head On!! Fortress Maximus

Sometime later, Drag Strip and the Stunticons gathered in the desert as their Ninja Commander Sixshot began issuing orders. They assembled as Menasor, and took part in the escalating Decepticon war effort as five separate Autobot outposts were attacked simultaneously at Sixshot's command. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg Drag Strip was also among the Decepticons who assembled to welcome Scorponok as their new Emperor of Terror following Galvatron's fall. I Risk My Life for Earth

Zone cartoon, manga, and story pages

Seeking to create a Decepticon Zone to counter the Autobot Zone, Decepticon Emperor Violen Jiger gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Drag Strip was among those summoned, but only as a part of Menasor. Zone Part 1 Zone Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

Drag Strip and the Stunticons, along with the other Special Teams, were first conceived within Buster Witwicky's mind shortly after the human had relinquished control of the Creation Matrix to Optimus Prime. Together, they shared a vision of the Stunticons and Combaticons fighting the Aerialbots and Protectobots at the Pullen Power Plant. The Special Teams Have Arrived Shockwave was able to view this data remotely and prepare for their development. Second Generation!

And thus Drag Strip was born! Oh, and all those blue guys, too, we guess.

Upon learning that the cerebro-shell implanted in Optimus Prime had also granted them access to the powers of the Creation Matrix, Megatron and Soundwave immediately built a team of Decepticons. The new Stunticons, which included Drag Strip, were sent to find the Autobot Skids, who had earned new trust for the Autobots by publicly saving a human. After Drag Strip and the others knocked over every car in their way to get to Skids, they turned to "protect" him from the new Aerialbots, hoping to confuse the public and discredit the Autobots. Drag Strip combined with his fellow Stunticons to form Menasor, and they fought the Aerialbots' Superion. Heavy Traffic!

Drag Strip and the other Stunticons watched in horror as Megatron bludgeoned Motormaster with a boulder for suggesting that he might need their assistance in defeating Optimus Prime. Prey!

Megatron gathered Drag Strip and the rest of the Stunticons before him to escort him in gun mode to Florida, where they would be air-lifted to the Decepticons' new island headquarters. In the wake of the death of Optimus Prime, Megatron's paranoia had grown so great that Drag Strip and the others left their leader behind to deal with a random human truck. Gone but Not Forgotten! After Megatron's apparent demise, Drag Strip stood by while his new commander, Shockwave, spoke to Ratbat on Cybertron about the temporary use of Trypticon on Earth. King of the Hill!

"I was the first one to know your plan sucked, Shockwave!"

Drag Strip was at Shockwave's side when the Decepticon leader ordered his warriors to try and gun down Galvatron as he breached the defenses of their underwater base. However, upon his arrival, Galvatron told the Decepticons that he had only wished to talk, and that Shockwave's decision to meet him with violence had only served to assure they had made a powerful enemy. Drag Strip turned to his leader, utterly unimpressed over how Shockwave had handled the situation. Enemy Action!

During a battle on the Moon between Blaster and Grimlock for command of the combined Earth/Nebulos Autobot forces, recently promoted Decepticon commander Ratbat orchestrated a surprise assault on both groups. Motormaster led Drag Strip and the entire Earth-based Decepticon army from their space-faring Decepticon headquarters. But when Blaster and Grimlock noticed the ambush, they teamed up and turned the tide against the Decepticons. Drag Strip was defeated by a shot from Grimlock's missile launchers, and after many casualties, the Decepticons were forced to retreat. Totaled!

Drag Strip will take your bags up to your room.

Ratbat moved their space-traveling island base back to Earth's seas, where it became a human travel resort to smokescreen the Decepticons' efforts to locate a key to finding the powerful Underbase. Drag Strip was advertised on television as part of the island's smiling welcoming party. The Autobots sent Blaster and Jessie to rescue Buster Witwicky, and Jessie was able to sneak into the Decepticons' base and past Drag Strip and Vortex (who were telling jokes to each other) to find Buster. Though the infiltrators were found out, both were able to escape the Decepticons. The attempt to subdue Blaster resulted in a firefight with him however, spooking many of the human vacationers. Drag Strip saw many of them off the island afterwards. Club Con! After the Decepticons found what they were looking for, Drag Strip was seen escorting Buster Witwicky back to his cell so that Starscream and Ratbat could review the data they had acquired privately. The Flames of Boltax!

Earthforce

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

"It doesn't matter if we all got here at the same time. All ties go to me."

Back in action on Earth, Drag Strip and his Stunticon partner Dead End began working for a faction of Decepticons led by Megatron. Megatron had created an ozone-warping rocket, designed to trap heat in the atmosphere which could be tapped for a new source of energy, even though it would virtually destroy all life on Earth. Their plan was interrupted by two Autobots, Wheeljack and Prowl. Starting Over! While Wheeljack kept the Stunticons busy, Prowl leapt onto the rocket itself, his weight knocking it off course and causing it to crash before it reached the apex point in the atmosphere it was meant to travel to. Drag Strip and Dead End raced to the crashsite, hoping to retrieve the atmospheric poisons Megatron had loaded it with. At the fallen rocket, however, they ran into Runabout and Runamuck, who were interested in securing the equipment for their commander, Shockwave. The four Decepticons began to tussle, little realizing Prowl had already snuck away and neutralized the canisters. Life in the Slow Lane

Drag Strip attended an Enclave in an attempt to unite the disparate Decepticon factions, but Autobot sabotage ensured that it was unsuccessful. The Bad Guy's Ball!

Later on, when the united Decepticon forces attacked the Autobot Earthbase, Drag Strip was seen charging into battle in robot mode for some reason, even though the Battlechargers and his fellow Stunticons were all racing forward in vehicle mode. Divide and Conquer! When the Decepticons needed to kidnap the Autobots' human ally, Irwin Spoon, Drag Strip and the Stunticons ran interference for Motormaster so that he could get away with the human stored inside his cab. Front Line! After Breakdown took himself out of action, though, only Drag Strip and Dead End were left to stop Bumblebee and Tracks from catching up with their leader. The two Stunticons raced up onto the rear bumpers of their foes, only to be caught off guard when the Autobots suddenly broke away, sending the Decepticon cars hurtling into the back wheels of their own boss, Motormaster, knocking all of them off the road. End of the Road!

Drag Strip and Dead End are mistakenly named as Shockwave's troops in "Life in the Slow Lane", just as the Battlechargers are mistakenly identified as working for Megatron.

Marvel UK future timelines

"Ha!! I punched the old fart first! I win!"

In 2003, Ravage uncovered information about a new city the Autobots were planning to build, and sent the Stunticons out to intercept Kup, who was carrying the schematics to their human allies. Demonstrating the same skills that earned them high honors in Skywarp's "Schoolyard-Bullying 101" seminar, Drag Strip and the Stunticons ganged up on the wily old Autobot and demanded his lunch money the data disk. Kup was relatively willing to give it up (the disk was, after all, a fake), but Drag Strip still had two of his buddies grab the Autobot's arms so's he could get in a few gutshots for good measure. And, to make a good day even better, a few minutes later Drag Strip and his cronies got to beat up Hot Rod too! Ark Duty

"First arm to punch through the wall wins! You on, Dead End??"

In 2008 Drag Strip was serving under Shockwave on Cybertron. When the renegade Decepticons Scourge and Cyclonus teamed up with the freelance peacekeeping agent Death's Head to assassinate the Decepticon leader, Soundwave summoned the Stunticons to form Menasor and Drag Strip helped punch through the blast doors that cut them off from the battle. They succeeded but were too late, as Shockwave was already dead and rather than execute them for treason, the Decepticons were forced to accept Cyclonus and Scourge's leadership. The Legacy of Unicron!

Marvel Generation 2 comic

"Which is mostly all of him, turns out."

Drag Strip participated in the Decepticons' first battle with the Cybertronians. It, uh... didn't go too well. Any fight you can walk away from may be a good one, but any fight that leaves you scouring a planet for the impact crater your leader made after he was knocked out of space can't have been that good. New Dawn

Classics

Classics continues from the Marvel US series, and does not include the UK stories or any subsequently published stories.

I look like Mirage now!

After the war officially ended on Klo, Drag Strip was one of the handful of Bludgeon's Decepticons who scattered to the far corners of the universe. He, Overkill, and Acid Storm were waiting on a dusty planet when Springer's rogue team of Autobots attempted to hunt them down. At Fight's End

The Special Teams

Drag Strip and the rest of the Stunticons were being kept a secret from the Autobots until Megatron was ready to dispatch them on a raid on the Pullen Power Plant. Once in position, the Stunticons raced forward, ready to take whatever Autobots might be guarding the location by surprise. Encountering the Protectobots en route, Motormaster ordered Drag Strip and the other Stunticons to combine into Menasor to do battle. The fight soon began to weigh in the Autobots’ favour, prompting Menasor to split up into individual robots once more, who dispersed away from the battlefield. The Special Teams

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

At some point in Cybertron's recent history, the Stunticons were deemed psychotic and too dangerous to function in society, and as a result were placed into perpetual stasis lock inside of a prison facility. Later, in an attempt to create a diversion while he set his final plans in motion, Shockwave arranged for Rumble and Frenzy to release the Stunticons. Cold War They formed into Menasor and ran amok for a while, until Ultra Magnus arrived and began insulting them. Unable to reconcile with this, the five Stunticons began to bicker with each other over whose fault it was that they were failing, temporarily stopping Menasor and allowing Ultra Magnus to ram the combiner in the chest, forcing him to separate into his component parts and disabling the Stunticons. Passive Aggression

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Along with many other Transformers, the Stunticons were transported into Earth's past when Teletran 3 went wild. Ending up in 1930's Chicago, Drag Strip was deactivated and locked into the form of a '30s car, which was fairly sporty for the time but not nearly as fast as his usual race car mode. He and the other Stunticons were briefly used for organized crime by a group of humans, until a group of G.I. Joes and Cobra members showed up to bring them back to the future. As soon as Drag Strip was awakened from his car mode, however, he and his comrades starting chasing after the humans and their Autobot friend. The chase ended when the humans found and activated the lost Motormaster, which allowed all the time-travelers to return to the future. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2

The Stunticons later joined Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army and helped him capture a team of Autobots and G.I. Joes. As Menasor, they then participated in an attack on an Autobot peace ceremony. The Art of War #3 Drag Strip was later seen preparing to defend the Decepticon headquarters from a combined Autobot G.I./Joe assault. The Art of War #4

The Beast Within

Drag Strip participated in a savage all-out Decepticon offensive against the Autobots. With the Decepticons maintaining the advantage throughout the battle, Drag Strip was amongst those who approached a crippled Optimus Prime, ready to dispatch the Autobot leader. Before they could deliver the finishing blow, the Dinobots combined into The Beast, shifting the Decepticons’ priorities. Drag Strip then joined with the other Stunticons to form Menasor and do battle with The Beast. The Beast Within

Mystery of Convoy strategy guide manga

For further information, see: #Games

The five Stunticons confronted Ultra Magnus as he reached the end of the Floating City, combining into Menasor and opening fire on the Autobot. Menasor's Weak Point is His Forehead!

IDW Generation 1 continuity

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

"So Blurr, you entered this race just to let me beat you? Great! Always happy to meet a fan!"

Before the war, Drag Strip was a professional racer, with over six thousand victories under his belt thanks to his ruthless nature. He got involved with Megatron when the miner-turned-gladiator began to make a name for himself, and as a result, the Autobot Outback tried to assassinate him prior to a race against Blurr. Drag Strip's life was saved by Ironhide, a race track security guard. Iron in the Blood

"Well...there goes the neighborhood...again."

When Megatron launched his brutal rebellion, Drag Strip participated in the battle of Kaon alongside Dead End, defending themselves against Sentinel Prime and his Apex Armor. Megatron Origin #4 The Stunticons were among the Decepticons that deserted rather than serve under Megatron usurper, Scorponok, becoming robbers on Magmara Nine instead. One day while robbing Strongbox they found their victim wasn't carrying valuables, but rather Thundercracker, sent to tell them Megatron was back. Primacy #2 The team subsequently returned to the fold and participated in the battle of Iacon, during which they were blown away by Omega Supreme when they tried to stop Optimus Prime from reaching Megatron. Primacy #4 During the war for Cybertron, Drag Strip killed a yellow Autobot on the front lines. Drift #2

Centuries later, Drag Strip was among the Decepticons who had been left behind following the Decepticon retreat from Earth. Along with several other Decepticons, he helped rescue Thundercracker, who referred to him as an "idiotic Stunticon" in return. Jerk. Seasons in Flight Led by Swindle, Drag Strip and the other abandoned Decepticons attacked Omega Supreme, until Swindle suggested that they team up with the Autobots with the goal of getting off the planet instead. New Arrivals, Old Encounters

A while later, Drag Strip and Wildrider were sent to retrieve Breakdown, the only Stunticon missing from the group. They found him in the hands of Spike Witwicky and began attacking him (after all, he could always be repaired after the human was squished). Spike fought back, puncturing one of Drag Strip's tires, but the Stunticons eventually won and took Breakdown back to their starship-building site. There, they revealed that Swindle had modified them into combiners, and attacked their former Autobot allies in the form of Menasor. Enemies of the System

"What do you mean I didn't come in first in this crowd shot?! You two cheated!"

Swindle's hasty application of the combiner technology did not properly integrate the personalities of the Stunticons, leaving them arguing amongst themselves while combined. The Autobots managed to distract and overwhelm Menasor by targeting his components individually, bringing the gestalt down. Drag Strip and many of his comrades were taken into custody by Skywatch. Earthworks

After a few months in captivity, the Stunticons were broken out by the main Decepticon force once they returned to Earth. Drag Strip watched as Optimus Prime confronted Megatron near the Decepticon base, and was caught in an explosion when Prime suddenly had a satellite dropped on his nemesis. Enemy Mine Megatron then allowed himself to be captured and taken to Cybertron so that his army could follow him using a space bridge, but Bumblebee infiltrated them in an attempt to sabotage the bridge. The Stunticons stayed behind on Earth to kill the little Autobot, only to be knocked out by an electric surge when Bumblebee interrupted the space bridge's power flow, allowing the Autobots to recapture them. The Question

Once the war had ended and the Stunticons had returned to Cybertron, they took up residence in the growing Decepticon ghetto outside of Metroplex. Unwitting pawns in Starscream's scheme, Swindle convinced them that a better life was right around the corner... if they attacked the planet Caminus and pillaged the place. The Enigma of Combination reunited them into a new and improved Menasor; Swindle and the Stunticons travelled through Metroplex's space bridge and stormed Caminus. First Contact

Things quickly went downhill for the Stunticons and Menasor was summarily trounced by the similarly rebuilt Superion. The Stunticons were disassembled, sent back to Cybertron, and imprisoned. The Sum and Its Parts Along with the other Stunticons, Drag Strip was soon liberated by Swindle, forming Menasor and inciting a Decepticon riot at Metroplex's space bridge. You, Me, and the Universe The Stunticons fared poorly in this fight as well, and after Menasor fell the Stunticons were put away for good. All That Remains

e-HOBBY comics

Grand Scourge dropped in through a tear in space-time during a fight between the Autobots and Decepticons, and used his Matrix Breaker sword to disassemble Menasor with a single blow. After grappling Dead End, the dimensional intruder realized he could forcefully combine with the Stunticons. Before Drag Strip could react, he was grabbed by Grand Scourge and forced to serve as the left arm of the rogue Decepticon's gestalt mode. Decepticon Dark Commander Grand Scourge

Commercial appearances

Drag Strip and the rest of the Stunticons drove over a barren, rocky terrain to meet against the Aerialbots. Both teams combined, and their gestalt forms engaged in a no-holds-barred slug-fest. Aerialbots and Stunticons commercial

Games

Bot Shots Battle Game!

Drag Strip participated in numerous one-on-one matches against other Autobots and Decepticons, using his fists, his sword, or his gun to defeat his opponents. Sometimes, he even faced off against himself! Bot Shots Battle Game!

Transformers Legends

Drag Strip and the rest of the Stunticons were created in response to the failure of a Decepticon campaign to acquire Autobot superfuel. Realizing they needed a strong ground force, Drag Strip and his kin were created by modifying Earth vehicles with Cybertronian technology, and then bringing them before Vector Sigma to be imbued with the spark of life. The Autobots brought the Aerialbots to life at the same time, and the Decepticons found themselves on the losing side until the Stunticons merged into Menasor. The Decepticons lost nonetheless, though they acquired the key to Vector Sigma as a consolation prize. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 Later, Drag Strip participated in a fight on Earth as the Decepticons attempted to use the power of the key to transform Earth into a new Cybertron. Even though he and his fellow Stunticons merged into Menasor, the battle was still lost to the Autobots, and the Decepticons fled. Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2

Even Megatron had trouble controlling the Stunticons. The team went on a crime spree in the back alleys of human cities until they were tracked down and stopped by Prowl and his team. The Thin Blue Line Drag Strip later aided Unicron when the planet-eater attacked Cybertron. 'Til All Are One After Megatron and his men, including Drag Strip, found a Lightning Bug on an old Autobot colony world, they found they'd contracted Cosmic Rust. Back on Earth, they stole corrostop and cured themselves, before inflicting the disease on the Autobots. The Decepticons were unable to stop the Autobots getting a sample of corrostop from the Statue of Liberty and curing themselves, however. Cosmic Rust

Transformers: Battle Tactics

"This game is pointless. You know I'm going to win every time, right?"

Drag Strip participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Uncommon character who could be recruited by collecting 105 units of Cybermetal and 48 units of Transmetal. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Transformers Online (2016 video game)

“

Only those who crossed the finish line first survive.

”

In battle, Drag Strip wielded a pair of "Shadow Daggers" and the "Lightspeed Current Slingshot". His active skill was "Blademarang":

• Blademarang — Transformers Online

Toys

Generation 1

I think my cannon might be affecting my racing profile.

• Drag Strip (Stunticon, 1986/1987)
  • US Team ID number: S4
  • Japanese ID number: D-52
  • Accessories: Gravito-gun, plasma-energy cannon, cannon connector

Drag Strip transforms into a Tyrrell P34 Six-Wheeler race car. He comes with a purple double-barreled plasma energy cannon that attaches to the back of his vehicle mode. In robot mode he is armed with a small purple "Gravito-gun". Since he was designed with the Scramble City-style combination, he can form the arm or leg to any similarly-constructed robot combination, though his nominal placement is as the right arm to Menasor. Due to the difference in his frame construction, Drag Strip is the only Stunticon whose car body faces forwards rather than backwards when used as a combiner leg.

Drag Strip was available as a European Classics toy in 1990. At around this time he was offered as a mail away by the Weetabix Breakfast Cereal in the UK. Aerialbot Fireflight was available in the same offer.

The Drag Strip in the adjacent photo is mis-transformed—the chromed section that forms Drag Strip's chest should fold back to cover the Decepticon sigil and form an engine block for the car mode.

• More information on Drag Strip at TFU.info

• Menasor (Giftset, 1986)
  • Japanese ID number: D-55
  • Accessories: Gravito-gun, plasma-energy cannon, cannon connector

Drag Strip was also available as part of the Menasor giftset. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individually-packaged versions.

Generation 2

Yeah, G2 sure was nothing but neon.

• Drag Strip (Stunticon)
  • Team ID number: S4
  • Accessories: Gravito-gun, plasma-energy cannon, cannon connector

For the Generation 2 line, Hasbro intended to release redecoes of the Stunticons in 1994, with Drag Strip being cast in primarily black plastic, with blue accents. Ultimately, however, the toys never went into mass production and remained officially unreleased. Only the four limbs are known to have made it to the sample packaging stage, having turned up in very limited numbers over the years (with the exception of Generation 2 Breakdown, who was available at BotCon 1994 in somewhat larger quantities). All the Generation 2 Stunticons are known to catch high prices on the secondary market.

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious. Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Universe (2008)

He's got a bit of a yellow streak.

• Decepticon Drag Strip ("Special Edition" Deluxe, 2008)
  • Accessories: Front spoiler/gun

Universe Decepticon Drag Strip is a redeco of Classics Mirage. He transforms into a closed-canopy Formula racer concept car. (With only four wheels, alas.) The front "wing" of the car mode detaches to become a handheld weapon. In spite of having clear red plastic in his light piping segment, Drag Strip's light piping gimmick was neutered... with red paint.

Drag Strip suffers from sticky paint around the red cockpit similar to the sticky paint found on most Universe Prowls.

Like the other "Special Edition" figures, Drag Strip comes in a black book box-style packaging with monochrome art. Though initially an Asian/Australian-market exclusive, Drag Strip was made available for purchase in the United States via Hasbro Toy Shop and, bizarrely, at Marshall's stores.

This mold was also used to make Movie Fracture, BotCon 2007's Hologram Mirage and BotCon 2013's Machine Wars Mirage.

• More information on Universe Drag Strip at TFU.info.

Classics mold: Mirage
Hasbro: Classics Mirage Transformers (2007) Decepticon Fracture Universe (2008) Decepticon Drag Strip Generations Mirage (Specialist: Autobots) Fun Publications: Timelines Hologram Mirage Mirage (Machine Wars) TakaraTomy: Henkei! Henkei! C-04 Ligier Million Publishing: Henkei! Henkei! Electro Disruptor Ligier

Construct-Bots

• Dragstrip (Elite Class, 2013)

Dragstrip transforms into a formula 1 racecar. He has one of the more convincing alternate modes of the 2013-era Construct-Bots. His front bumper becomes a hand-held blaster.

He is one of the few original series Construct-Bots that doesn't reuse other's parts, nor were his parts used on other figures making him one of the more unique sets.

Bot Shots

Surprisingly not a Mirage repaint.

• Stunticons (Multi-pack, 2013)
  • Number: T008
    • Fist strength: 245
    • Blaster strength: 880
    • Sword strength: 495

A redeco of the Jazz Bot Shot in yellow with red stripes, Decepticon Dragstrip automatically transforms between car and robot mode, when a sharp impact is applied to his front end. He was sold in a five-pack with Motorbreath, Dead End, Brake-Neck, and Breakdown.

• More information on Dragstrip at TFU.info

Generations

What, not a redeco of Generations Arcee?

• Decepticon Dragstrip (Deluxe Class, 2015)
  • 1 of 5: Menasor
  • Accessories: Sword, gun/fist/foot

Dragstrip is part of wave one of the Combiner Wars Deluxe Class toys and is a new-mold figure which transforms from an Indianapolis-style racer to robot and back! He is also be able to form either an arm or leg on any Voyager Class toys from Hasbro's Combiner Wars subline or any Unite Warriors figure but is, of course, intended to be combined with Motormaster, Breakdown, Dead End, Offroad, and Blackjack to create Menasor. He is also officially associated with Galvatronus and Ultra Prime, as well as being used with Superion due to Air Raid not being part of wave one. Dragstrip comes with a collector card featuring art from the episode "The Thin Blue Line" of Transformers Legends.

While the instructions have the spoiler in the proper position for the leg mode, they never actually show it pivoting up. Missing this step will result in a combiner with one leg slightly longer than the other, which will result in a lopsided stature unless another deluxe combiner with a spoiler-mounted peghole (such as Breakdown) is used as the other leg.

Dragstrip's included dagger includes a diagonally-oriented 5mm peg that seemingly serves no purpose, as his forearms are too large to allow it to be held as such. The dagger also has no unobstructive place to mount while Dragstrip is in vehicle mode, causing it to protrude outwards from the vehicle no matter where it attaches.

This mold was retooled into Mirage.

• More information on Combiner Wars Dragstrip at TFU.info

Dragstrip tries to increase his "emo" level by wearing a black leather jacket over a tacky yellow shirt. Should've just stuck with the bleeding optics.

• Menasor (Generation 2, 2015)
  • Accessories: Sword, Stunticon weapons/extremities

A redeco of the Combiner Wars Stunticons, this Drag Strip is based on his cancelled Generation 2 toy. Well, okay, technically, this set is based on somebody's digibash based on somebody's hand-painted recreation of the cancelled Generation 2 toys, including an erroneous purple and silver Breakdown and some other errors.

Unite Warriors

• Menasor (Giftset, 2015-08-22)
  • Japanese ID Number: UW-02
  • Accessories: Sword (formed from Motormaster's sword and gun), 4 hands/feet, 4 small weapons

Takara's version of Drag Strip is sold in a Menasor gift set that includes the five original Stunticons. He has numerous changes in deco to better match his look in the Generation 1 cartoon. Most obviously, he is predominantly bright yellow, has less details than the Hasbro version, and the little that remain are red instead of purple.

Notes

• Drag Strip's head design in the cartoon is completely made up - the only resemblance it bears to his toy is the color of his face.
• The prototype Drag Strip seen in the promotional panel on Motormaster's box shows him with red stripes on his front fairing instead of a black front to his cockpit cowling, red stripes that run the length of his car-mode sides, and a rubsign on his right arm.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Drag Stripe (ドラッグストライプ Doragu Sutoraipu)
• French: Démarro (Canada)
• Italian: Iguana
• Mandarin: Bēn-chr (Taiwan, 奔馳, "Gallop"), Qǐangjíe (China, 抢劫, "Robbery")
• Russian: Ruchnik (Ручник, "Hand-Brake")