Race for Revenge Read online

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Title Page

  Chapter 1 - PRACTICE PERIL

  Chapter 2 - MIDNIGHT MARAUDER

  Chapter 3 - SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS!

  Chapter 4 - X-3 STRIKES AGAIN!

  Chapter 5 - PICNIC DELAYS!

  Chapter 6 - RAILROAD CROSSING

  Chapter 7 - LET ʼEM EAT CAKE!

  Chapter 8 - THE MYSTERIOUS MÉLANGE

  Chapter 9 - DEADLY PROMISE

  Chapter 10 - “START YOUR ENGINES!”

  Chapter 11 - “GO, SPEED RACER!”

  Chapter 12 - A BABE IN THE BOOT!

  Chapter 13 - REMOTE CONTROL REVENGE

  Chapter 14 - LET IT SNOW

  Chapter 15 - DIGGING OUT!

  Chapter 16 - OUT OF CONTROL

  Chapter 17 - TEARS AND LAUGHTER

  SPEED’S BONUS RACE

  GROSSET & DUNLAP

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  Copyright © 2008 Speed Racer Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Speed Racer is a trademark of Speed Racer Enterprises, Inc. and is used under license. Published by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. S.A.

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  eISBN : 978-1-101-17536-1

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  The Marvels of the mach 5

  The mach 5 is one of the most

  powerful and amazing racing cars in

  the world. Pops Racer designed the mach 5

  with features you won’t see on any other car.

  All of the features can be controlled by

  buttons on the steering wheel.

  This button releases powerful jacks to boost the car so Sparky. the mechanic. can quickly make any necessary repairs or adjustments.

  Press this button and the mach 5 sprouts special grip tires for traction over any terrain. At the same time. an incredible 5.000 torque of horsepower is distributed equally to each wheel by auxiliary engines.

  For use when Speed Racer has to race over heavily wooded terrain. powerful rotary saws protrude from the front of the mach 5 to slash and cut any and all obstacles.

  Pressing the D button releases a powerful deflector that seals the cockpit into an air-conditioned. crash and bulletproof, watertight chamber. Inside it. Speed Racer is completely isolated and shielded.

  The button for special illumination allows Speed Racer to see much farther and more clearly than with ordinary headlights. It’s invaluable in some of the weird and dangerous places he races the mach 5.

  Press this button when the mach 5 is underwater. First the cockpit is supplied with oxygen. then a periscope is raised to scan the surface of the water. Everything that is seen is relayed down to the cockpit by television.

  This releases a homing robot from the front of the car. The homing robot can carry pictures or tape-recorded messages to anyone or anywhere Speed Racer wants.

  1

  PRACTICE PERIL

  Speed Racer shifted down for turn one. The powerful engine of the Mach 5 moaned as he released the clutch. The tires screamed in protest as the race car drifted high on the steeply-banked curve.

  So far, so good. The Mach 5 was tracking perfectly, holding its line. Speed smiled with pure pleasure as he floored the accelerator and roared out of the turn, down the long straightaway.

  As he shifted up to gain speed, Speed checked his rearview mirror out of long habit. There were no cars behind him.

  Did this mean Speed was running last? Hardly. There were no cars in front of him, either. The sleek Mach 5 was alone on the racetrack.

  This was a practice session, and Speed was racing against time. The track was deserted and so were the stands, which were usually filled with thousands of cheering fans.

  Today, only two people were watching. Both were racing fans. One was Sparky, Speed’s best friend and top mechanic. The other was his girlfriend, Trixie.

  “Forty-four seconds—average speed 180!” said Sparky, consulting his watch. He wore a red baseball cap and a wide smile.

  “The new engine is making the Mach 5 much faster! ” said Trixie, clapping her hands.

  “It sure is,” agreed Sparky. “And now Speed has a good chance of winning the race at Danger Pass.”

  They both cheered as Speed raced past in a blur. “Go, Speed Racer!” they shouted.

  Sparky was proud. Even though he was young, like Speed and Trixie, he was an experienced mechanic—responsible for tuning the engine of the Mach 5.

  “Speed is the best,” said Trixie. Her eyes were glowing with excitement and pride.

  “And he has the best car,” Sparky added.

  The Mach 5 had been designed and built by Speed’s father, Pops Racer. It had the engine and suspension of a true racing thoroughbred. And it had lots of secret features that other race cars didn’t have.

  Features that would come in handy in the dangerous days ahead!

  Down on the track, Speed executed another turn. His tires screamed, gripping the asphalt. Speed loved the competition of racing, where he was always running against the pack. But it was even more fun racing alone, against time, where he didn’t have to worry about sharing the track with the other cars.

  Suddenly, he saw a shape in his rearview mirror.

  There was another car on the track, and it was coming up fast!

  “Huh?” Speed floored the accelerator, but the other car was still gaining on him.

  It came out of the turn, a black shape growing larger and larger in his rearview mirror.

  It was catching up with him, even though he was going almost 180 miles per hour!

  Speed’s racing instincts took over. He edged to the right to keep the car from passing him. Speed hated to be passed!

  The strange car dodged left, and Speed edged left to block him. He grinned with pleasure. “So,” he cried, “you want to play! ”

  The answer was a sudden jolt as the str
ange car clipped the Mach 5’s rear fender.

  Speed frowned. An accident, or a threat? He looked in the rearview mirror and saw two glowing eyes under a metal helmet shaped like a pirate hat. He saw what looked like an evil grin.

  Suddenly, the strange car lunged forward to ram the Mach 5. Just as it was about to hit, Speed pressed a button on his steering wheel. The Mach 5’s special auto jacks lifted it off its wheels, into the air, just in time.

  The mystery car passed underneath with inches to spare.

  Up in the stands, Trixie and Sparky saw it all.

  “Close call!” breathed Trixie. “Where did that car come from?”

  “It sure was fast,” said Sparky, checking his watch. He did a few quick calculations in his head. “It went more than 220 mph!”

  They both ran down to the track to meet Speed, who had pulled up in the pit. He was already pulling off his safety helmet.

  “Oh, Speed, you’re safe! said Trixie.

  “No thanks to him,” muttered Speed angrily.

  “That was a close call,” said Sparky. “Where did that black race car come from?”

  “I don’t know,” said Speed. “But the man behind the wheel is a reckless driver. He almost caused me to crash!”

  Sparky nodded in agreement. “If that car is in the race at Danger Pass, you’ll have to be extra careful!”

  “You’re right,” said Speed. He remembered the glowing eyes and spooky smile of the driver. “I think that car means bad luck. I hope it’s not for me!”

  2

  MIDNIGHT MARAUDER

  After midnight, it gets quiet in the city. Even the criminals go to bed. The last thing Mr. Black expected was trouble.

  He had worked late, very late, and he was tired. He was driving home from his office at the Racing Car Association. He was glad to see that there was no traffic.

  Suddenly he saw lights in his rearview mirror. They got brighter and brighter, coming up fast. As they got closer, he could see that it was a black race car. But what was a race car doing on the city streets?

  The race car came closer, and Mr. Black saw a number flashing on the front:

  X-3!

  Mr. Black shivered with sudden fear. His hands gripped the wheel in terror.

  He stepped on the gas, but the strange car kept coming, faster and faster.

  “Can that really be the X-3?” he muttered.

  As if in answer to his thoughts, a strange, ghostly voice came from the race car:

  “The Mélange still races!”

  “No!” said Mr. Black. “I can hear his voice!”

  The race car whipped right past him. Then it did a sudden U-turn and sped back toward him. In a matter of seconds, they would have a head-on collision!

  “AAAH!” Mr. Black cried as the race car rammed his front bumper, flipping his sedan into the air.

  The race car sped off unharmed as Mr. Black’s sedan crashed through the concrete guardrail and burst into flames.

  Luckily, Mr. Black jumped out just in time to save his life. As he crawled from the wreckage, Mr. Black could still hear the ghostly voice, taunting him as the black race car sped away.

  “The Mélange still races ...”

  And he saw a scrap of paper drifting down from the roadway above. On it were two letters:

  X-3.

  3

  SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS!

  The next morning, Speed got a phone call. “It’s for you,” said Pops Racer, handing Speed the telephone. They were in the Racer family shop, working on the Mach 5.

  Pops looked at his son suspiciously. “Who was that?” he asked when Speed hung up the phone.

  “It was Inspector Detector,” said Speed, hurrying out. “I’m wanted at police headquarters.”

  Speed hurried downtown. He was always eager and willing to help the police in their efforts to fight crime. He found Inspector Detector waiting in his office. A racing official was also there.

  Inspector Detector was investigating a strange accident from the night before, and he wanted their help.

  “A racing official, Mr. Black, was run off the road and almost killed last night,” he said. “By a strange race car.”

  “A race car?” exclaimed Speed.

  Inspector Detector described the incident.

  “Hmmm! It sounds like the strange car I saw at the track yesterday,” said Speed. “The driver was reckless and dangerous!”

  Inspector Detector twirled the ends of his black beard with his fingertips. He always did that when he was thinking.

  “But Speed, Mr. Herring here of the Racing Car Association claims that he’s neither seen nor heard of such a car,” he said. “It makes the case even more puzzling.”

  “It’s important, Inspector, that you catch this wild driver immediately, before he causes even worse accidents! ” Mr. Herring said.

  “I agree,” said Inspector Detector. “And we’re doing the best we can. In fact, we already have a clue! ”

  Mr. Herring looked surprised. “You have? What is it?” he asked.

  “It was found at the scene of the accident,” said Inspector Detector. He pulled a sheet of paper from his coat pocket. It was marked X-3.

  “Here it is, Mr. Herring. What do you make of it?”

  Mr. Herring broke into a sweat. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. “Why, uh,” he said nervously. “It seems to be only a card.”

  “Do the letters X-3 mean anything to you, Mr. Herring?”

  Speed could tell that the older man wasn’t telling the truth. He was hiding something. But what? And why?

  “Uh, let me see,” Herring said. “Uh, no, sir. I can’t tell you a thing!”

  “That’s too bad,” said Inspector Detector. “I was hoping you might recognize it as a race car number.” He folded the paper and put it away. “However, rest assured, we will conduct a thorough investigation and bring that driver to justice.”

  Mr. Herring stood up and put on his hat. Speed noticed that his hands were shaking. “I’m sure you will, Inspector Detector. Now, I have important business, so if you will excuse me.”

  He hurried out the door.

  Downstairs, Mr. Herring got into his car and hurriedly dialed his cell phone. He looked worried.

  His fingers were shaking as he dialed.

  Miles away, in a huge mansion overlooking the sea, another racing official had been pacing impatiently when he answered his phone.

  “Green here, who’s this? Herring! What do you want?”

  Mr. Green scowled as he listened.

  “What do you mean the accident was caused by Marker’s car? The X-3? That’s not possible! ”

  Mr. Green scowled even more at the answer.

  “Forget it, Herring. It’s not possible. Now, I have work to do.”

  Mr. Green hung up. And scowled again.

  “Impossible!” he said. “Believing in ghosts!”

  4

  X-3 STRIKES AGAIN!

  Later that night, a midnight blue sedan sped along a narrow road overlooking an ocean cliff. At the wheel was the same Mr. Green who had taken the phone call from Herring.

  He saw headlights behind him. He sped up impatiently. He was a racing official, and he didn’t like to be passed. The blue sedan whipped around the narrow curves, faster and faster.

  The car drew closer. It was catching up.

  BEEP! BEEP! came the eerie sound of a horn.

  Mr. Green looked in the mirror and saw the markings on the front of the car:

  X-3!

  He broke into a sweat and his hands gripped the steering wheel. He jammed the accelerator to the floor.

  “Can that really be the X-3?” he muttered.

  As if in answer, a spooky voice rose above the sound of the racing engines.

  “The Mélange still races!”

  “No! I can hear his voice!” said Mr. Green, his eyes fixed on the car in his rearview mirror.

  The strange race car pulled out to pass, then edged closer and closer to Mr. Green’s
sedan. The driver had glowing eyes and he was grinning.

  Mr. Green tried to brake, but it was too late. He was trapped between the race car and the guardrail.

  Then, with a sudden turn, he was forced off the road, through the guardrail—

  And into the ocean below!

  CRASH!

  As Mr. Green swam to the surface, he saw the car that had wrecked him disappear into the night.

  He heard a voice: “The Mélange still races ...” And he saw a scrap of paper fluttering down through the air. As it twisted and turned, closer and closer, he was able to read what was written on it:

  X-3.

  5

  PICNIC DELAYS!

  The next day was beautiful and sunny. Speed was busy waxing the elegant lines of the Mach 5, getting ready for the big race at Danger Pass. It was only a few days away.

  He listened to the radio as he worked. All the news was about the recent accidents:

  “Inspector Detector of the municipal police has set up a special team to catch the mysterious race car that roars away from the scene of accidents, leaving only a card that says X-3.”

  “I wish I could be part of that team,” said Speed thoughtfully.

  Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a delicate hand reach into the car to turn off the radio.

  Speed looked around, startled.

  It was Trixie. She had a picnic hamper.

  “Sorry I kept you waiting, Speed,” she said. “But I was making a picnic lunch for us. Isn’t it the most beautiful day for a drive in the country?”

  “Uh, I suppose,” stammered Speed. He had forgotten all about their plans! He was too busy thinking about the recent accidents.

  Trixie was smiling, looking especially pretty in her summer outfit.