Skid Z's Choice
Detailed synopsis
The Autobots are watching a Formula-1 race. The announcer is ecstatic at a certain car that just entered the race, Number 16, and comments that it looks like the car owned by the famous racer 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 whiz by, blowing her hat onto the road, where it gets turned into roadkill, as Kelly puts it.
Prowl and Number 16 tie for the win, but Prowl loses his target by crashing into a wall of tires after a tight turn.
Back at base, Optimus Prime suspects that the race car was an Autobot named Skid-Z. Railspike backs him up, stating that Skid-Z just arrived from Cybertron, but no one knew what vehicle he scanned. No one knows why Skid-Z was racing in the first place, either. Koji then comments that the car that Skid-Z scanned looked like Auggie Cahnay's car and suggests that the racer spent so much time in the car that it took on his "Got to Win" personality. As a result, when Skids scanned the car, he also ended up with Auggie's spirit. This spooks Midnight Express, who claims that Skids is haunted.
Meanwhile, Koji's theory is proven in a nearby forest. Skid-Z is pondering to himself how, ever since he scanned a race car, he's had to be in a race every time he heard one start. He's very angry with himself--after all, he came to help the Autobots, not race. But Auggie's spirit continues to get 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 Skid-Z, asking him to join the Predacons. Skid-Z refuses, and Sky Byte attacks, but he's surprised when the Autobot dodges his attacks. Skid-Z then hears another race start and speeds off, leaving a worn out Sky-Byte behind.
Back at the Autobot base, T-AI confirms that Skid-Z has somehow ended up with Auggie's personality. Concerned for human safety (especially after Skid-Z trampled through a hurdle race) the Autobots decide to find him and tell him what's wrong but have no idea where to start looking. Koji then explains that Auggie Cahnay won every single race except the International Grand Prix, a race that anything with wheels can enter! The Autobots decide to enter the race so they can catch up with Skid-Z. T-AI initially enters all their fastest cars in the race, which upsets Team Bullet Train. Optimus then tells them all that they are ALL going to enter the race, even the trains.
At the starting line, the Autobots look out for Skid-Z while Prowl and X-Brawn wonder where their little brother is. Elsewhere in the starting line is Sky-Byte, who has entered the race (poorly) disguised as a red sports car so he can destroy the Autobots. As he daydreams of success, he fails to notice Side Burn admiring his paint job. He thanks the Autobot for the compliment (in rather pathetic attempt at a feminine voice), but when Side Burn tries to pull the old "Haven't we met somewhere before" routine, Sky-Byte tells him to get lost. Side Burn returns to his brothers, who are shocked that he found a red sports car that wasn't his type.
The race begins, but Sky-Byte gets off to an unpromising start: Unaware that someone has tied his tail to a wooden post, he is quickly yanked back to the starting line. Now X-Brawn and Prowl realize that the red sports car is Sky-Byte and wonder how Side Burn knew. Their brother retorts that this was the first red sports car that ever spoke back to him.
The Autobots then notice a car zooming up behind them. Believing it to be Skid-Z, they call out, but are shocked when the pursuer turns out to be Megatron. The Spy Changers stay behind to slow down Megatron so he can't stop the others, but he takes them out with his Ultra Traction Drive, which gives Hot Shot an ultra-headache. Soon, Megatron spots another driver and, thinking it's another Autobot, attacks with his Ultra Traction Drive again...sending a surprised Sky-Byte into the air. The car's cry of protest sounds familiar, but Megatron ignores it.
Up ahead, the rest of the Autobots let X-Brawn go on ahead to make sure the upcoming mountain area is safe for driving. Meanwhile, the Predacons set up a rockslide to trap them. They are successful with Team Bullet Train, but Optimus blasts them out of the picture.
Optimus and the Autobot Brothers take a quick break to ponder how the Predacons knew they were there. X-Brawn then notices someone coming up the track. He thinks it's Megatron, but Optimus recognizes the new arrival as Skids-Z. Prowl and Side-Burn put out traffic cones and call out to their teammate, but he drives off screaming that he has to win.
Back on track, Sky-Byte is following behind Skid-Z, but once again, Megatron mistakes him for an Autobot and shoots him down. Megatron then sends a giant boulder down to crush the Autobots. The Autobots catch it but are unable to fight Megatron, so they call out to Skid-Z for help.
Skid-Z hears the cry and stops, but Auggie's spirit isn't making it easy for him. Still, Optimus has faith that Skid-Z will come back to help them. Sure enough, just as Megatron is about to deliver the final blow, Skid-Z returns and blows up the boulder, stating that winning his own internal battle was the greatest victory ever. After he and the rest of the Autobots get rid of Megatron, they all continue the race.
Waiting at the finish line, Koji is relieved to see Skid-Z with the other Autobots. Skid-Z wins, and the Autobots congratulate him, complete with Optimus throwing oil over him. Skid-Z believes that he won't have any problems now...until he hears Koji's watch alarm and runs off, thinking that another race is starting. Optimus still has faith that he'll come back...sooner or later.
At last report, Skid-Z is 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
|
|
Notable quotes
"I win! Sorry tortoise."
- —Skid-Z ruins the fable
Optimus Prime: Hmmm... Very well then. We're all going to be in that race, Team Bullet Train included.
T-AI: You think they'll allow that?! No one's ever heard of a race train!
Koji: Sure T-AI. They've got wheels, don't they?
Sideburn: Hi there, cutie. Nice paintjob.
Sky-Byte: Huh?! Oh, thank you. How nice of you to notice!
Sideburn: I bet you get noticed all the time. I've been thinking that you look kind of familiar. Have we met before?
Sky-Byte: *Hummina, hummina, hummina!* Just who do you think you're talking to? Do you think I'd fall for an old line like that? Not this car - now go away!
Sideburn: Whoa, the uppity type. Sorry, didn't mean to offend you. Just trying to have a little friendly conversation. See ya.
- —Sky-Byte's disguise goes horribly wrong
Optimus: I'll go check it out. *jumps up falling rocks*
Slapper: That's not fair! He's ignoring the laws of gravity!
Sky-Byte: Megatron?! It's me! Sky-Byte! Don't shoot!
Megatron: I can't hear you, Autobot, but if you're begging for mercy, request denied! Hahaha!
Sky-Byte: Waaaaaiiit! *buried by rocks* Ooof. The rocky path is sometimes unavoidable...
- —Jet-mode Megatron doesn't give a slag about friendly fire
Other notes
Animation and/or technical glitches
- Auggie Cahnay's Formula-1 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. In the original Car Robots version of this episode, however, driver's name was Goldback, an apparently inexplicable reference to Goldbug's Japanese name.
Miscellaneous trivia
- Apparently, the Europa 400 from the episode's beginning takes place (at least partially) in public streets where anyone can risk getting run over, and no stands are set up for crowds to watch. Weird.
