Hot Wheels AcceleRacers

Hot Wheels AcceleRacers
The second film's DVD box art
Genre	Action Adventure Sci-fi
Created by	Andrew Duncan
Written by	Mark Edens
Directed by	Andrew Duncan Gino Nichele William Gordon William Lau
Starring	Lisa Ann Beley Dexter Bell Michael Donovan Brian Drummond Andrew Duncan Andrew Francis Adrian Holmes David Kaye Cusse Manukuma Kasper Michaels Kirby Morrow Kevan Ohtsji Will Sanderson Venus Terzo Kathleen Barr
Theme music composer	Brian Carson
Country of origin	United States
Production
Producer(s)	Ian Richter Gio Corsi Shea Wageman Ben Burden Smith
Running time	60 minutes
Production company(s)	Mainframe Entertainment Mattel
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network	Cartoon Network
Original release	January 8, 2005
Chronology
Preceded by	Hot Wheels World Race
Followed by	Hot Wheels Battle Force 5

Hot Wheels AcceleRacers is an animated series of movies by Mattel. It is computer-animated, produced by Mainframe Entertainment out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which also produced ReBoot and distributed by Warner Bros. Available on DVD and VHS, it has also been shown on Cartoon Network.

The show takes Mattel's Hot Wheels toy cars and puts them in a ReBoot-like situation, with racing somewhat reminiscent of Tron. This is a sequel series to Hot Wheels World Race. Both shows take place in California. A soundtrack was distributed by Sony BMG and toys were sold in stores and given away in McDonald's Happy Meal.

Plot

Two years after the end of the World Race, Dr. Peter Tezla continues to study the information he gathered on the Wheel of Power while it was in his possession. However, he finds that Gelorum has returned now fully repaired, now with her army of Racing Drones and she is attempting to steal the Wheel of Power again. Tezla enters Highway 35 himself and attempts to stop Gelorum but fails and is greatly injured as the Drones capture the Wheel. He manages to escape back to Earth and the Drones turn Hot Wheels City into their new headquarters.

Meanwhile, in present-day California, former World Race drivers Vert Wheeler, Kurt Wylde, Taro Kitano, and Mark Wylde have now become members of two street racing teams: the Teku and the Metal Maniacs. During a grudge race on the coastline, Dr. Tezla's robotic assistant Gig appears, telling the World Race drivers that Dr. Tezla needs their help. Arriving at Dr. Tezla’s old base from the World Race, with some of their new teammates, they find it partially destroyed. Former Dune Ratz driver Brian Kadeem appears and takes them to the AcceleDrome, Dr. Tezla's new base. After the drivers arrive, Dr. Tezla appears on a large hologram in the middle of the cavern and tells them what he has found: new Acceleron knowledge from the Wheel of Power's research. Now that the Wheel has been taken from its spire in Highway 35, the Drones have control over the dimension’s portals.

Each of the symbols on the Wheel represents one of the Racing Realms, inter-dimensional worlds that have tracks that go through a single element in the hardest way possible for driving conditions, providing even more challenge in comparison to the preceding World Race. With Kadeem guiding both the Teku and the Metal Maniacs to the new Acceledrome, they are greeted by the Dr. Tezla, who must now wear an exoskeleton due to the wounds inflicted to him, and former World Race driver Lani Tam. Shortly after the arrival of the first drivers, the Storm Realm opens, and the drivers quickly load their cars with the Nitrox gasoline, a booster developed only by Tezla himself.

Chaos ensues in the realm, as the cars used by the previous world race drivers are either abandoned in the realm or are damaged beyond repair, and both Kurt and Taro being injured during the race. Additionally, Kadeem was sent plummeting off-track, and Vert, who attempted to go back to find and save Kadeem, was forced to leave the realm after being suddenly informed by Lani of the realms only being open for an hour, and barely makes it out, with his car being torn in half during exit, and a racing drone also grabs hold of Vert's car and makes escapes to the Acceledrome with him. Shortly after, both teams contact other members in order to not only have additional drivers to race in the realms, but to also compensate for the cars that were either left behind or damaged. This leads to both Shirako Takomoto of the Teku and Porkchop of the Metal Maniacs arriving. After managing to salvage their losses, the Swamp Realm opens, but the swamp monster guarding the exit proves too much as the Nitrox boost by a single car as well as drafting with two cars proves ineffectual. Miraculously, however, Nolo manages to stay on the parts of the tracks with the most traction, and manages to evade the monster's grasp, and win the race.

Over a series of different races between Ignition and The Speed of Silence, the drivers manage to acquire a wheel from the Drones's car, and this is reverse-engineered to reinforce the wheels of the drivers, and to allow drivers to switch tires during races without having to stop. They are also able to win the Cavern Realm's race and earn the Accelecharger. Additionally, Dr. Tezla also created the E.D.R, an escape mechanism to allow the driver to escape a realm should the situation become too dangerous. Shortly after, the Water realm opens, and a new selection process is revealed, which keeps some drivers in the reserve in case others do not make it out. During the race at the Water Realm, Porkchop nearly drowns when he is too stricken by his fear of water but is able to hit the E.D.R. Unfortunately, the escape plunges Porkchop to the gas tanks, injuring him in the process. Nolo later asks Lani about Porkchop's status, and later clarifies that he didn't hate the Metal Maniacs as a whole, simply hates one of them Meanwhile, Karma, who has been racing the drone that joined Vert's exit from the Storm Realm, realizes that each of the realms were designed to test specific traits of a driver, and informs Vert, who is in the lead, to watch his oversteer as he travels above water. Vert ignores the advise, and he is sent flying off-track when he oversteers above water, just a short distance from the realm's exit. Soon after, Taro, who is sandwiched by two drones exits the realm second, but unexpectedly finds himself in the drones' headquarters. Using Monkey's Nitrox 3.5, Taro boosts back into the realm while going in reverse, and now finds himself at the beginning of the Water Realm. With his E.D.R damaged due to the water, Taro successfully makes it out of the realm a second time, with help from Karma's constant stream of information. While many drivers rejoice at Taro's narrow escape, Vert becomes even more disheartened by his failure at the realms and opts to quietly leave.

Later, the Metro Realm opens up, and Dr. Tezla intentionally puts both Tork and Nolo in the same race despite knowing the open hostility between the two. Monkey, who had yet to completely replace his car from previous races, is ordered by Tork to use Wylde's car instead, much to Wylde's dissatisfaction. During the race, a sweeper appears for the first time, and manages to capture Nolo. Working with Monkey, Tork successfully rescues Nolo, at the cost of Wylde's car. Unbeknownst to other drivers, one of the cars belonging to the realm uses a hyperpod to go above the traffic. Eventually, Kurt manages to complete the realm before any of the other drivers and the drones but is surprisingly not awarded the Accelecharger. Despite Wylde's desire to dismantle Kurt's car, Tork chooses the less violent option, and simply allows Gig to search Kurt's car for trace of energy left by Accelechargers, further increasing Wylde's frustrations.

During the time between The Speed of Silence and Breaking Point, the drivers race through the Ice Realm. In the race, Taro nearly makes it to the exit, but Karma quickly swerves, and he is knocked out of the track. Despite Karma asserting that she never met Taro during the race, Taro continues to examine her car's camera due to how her camera was suspiciously damaged during the realm. Monkey was also revealed to have reprogrammed the drone in the Acceledrome into a more friendly creature dubbed "Sparky". At the same time, Wylde, having had enough of Tork, decides to challenge Tork for leadership of the team, and decide that the first one who can make a round trip to the original Acceledrome. Elsewhere, Gelorum speaks to Kadeem, who is revealed to have been captured by the drones after his fall from the Storm Realm. When Kadeem adamantly refuses to tell her the location of the new Acceledrome, she proceeds to transform Kadeem into a drone. The Pipeline Realm opens, and Tezla begins to confirm the suspect in the accounts of Taro's story. In the race, Shirako is downed by a drone, but he is seemingly rescued by Monkey. Dr. Tezla, who had entered the realm without the knowledge of most of the drivers, reveals that Shirako's saviour was an unknown driver that had disguised himself as Monkey, and the unknown driver proceeds to escape the realm after his cover is blown. The race between Tork and Wylde also concludes in Wylde's victory after he goads Tork that the only way he would win is to strike his opponent's car, which causes Tork to relent due to the trauma of his race with Tone. Meanwhile, Taro spots Karma's car near the end of the realm, but Lani and Gig find that Karma is in a separate location and attempt to encourage Taro to attack the car. Unable to hear Lani's words through a broken radio, Taro decides to stand down, and "Karma" takes to opportunity to create an energy wave which costs Taro another victory.

When all the drivers complete the realm, Karma asks Taro why he didn't take the chance to strike back at "her", to which he responds "I don't know". Dr. Tezla and Gelorum soon inform their drivers of the presence of a new group of racers that have won previous realms, the Silencerz. When Tezla is questioned why his car was so similar to that of the Silencerz, he replies that the Silencerz have been stealing his technology.

Soon, the Junk Realm opens, and Vert returns to the Acceledrome, shortly after the opening. Despite being unhappy with Vert leaving without informing anyone, Tezla decides to still allow Vert to race, and he is lent the Swamp Realm Accelecharger Nolo won. Meanwhile, Wylde attempts to get Porkchop to use Tork's car despite Porkchop not being called up for the next race, an order that Porkchop vehemently refuses.

During the race, Vert's car is disabled by a Silencerz driver, disguising himself as Kurt, but he manages to inform Lani and Karma that the skill for the realm is to be able to efficiently hit the apex of a turn. Elsewhere, Kurt and Wylde battle each other out, with Wylde's overaggressiveness leading to his defeat as he is struck off-track and knocked unconscious by one of the revolving flails of the realm. Eventually, Kurt takes the lead with a Silencerz disguising himself as Kurt once again. During this time, a drone spots the unconscious Wylde, and captures him. Taro, who sees Kurt fighting against the Silencerz, pushes himself in between the two, and proceeds knock the Silencerz driver off the track, leading to Kurt winning the race. Eventually, all the other drivers make it out, save for Wylde. Much to sadness and astonishment of the other drivers, the realm closes, with Wylde seemingly still inside. Unknown to them, Wylde would be brought before Gelorum, and he refuses to tell her the location of the Acceledrome, only to be confronted by Kadeem, who was now a drone.

In the time between Breaking Point and The Ultimate Race, Dr. Tezla is able to find more about the Acceleron's culture thanks to glyphs found in the Ruins Realm.

At some point in time, Kurt managed to gather together members from both Teku and Metal Maniacs, and managed to plan a rescue for Wylde, who was revealed by Tezla to be in the Drones' headquarters. All members agree to follow the plan, except Vert, who believes himself to be more of a liability than an asset. The racers stage their plan at the Cosmic Realm, taking over a sweeper, and using it to enter the Drones' headquarters. During the race, the Swamp Realm's Accelecharger malfunctions, and Lani secretly exits the communications room to find that the real Accelechargers the drivers won were tucked away among the gas tanks by Gig, who was revealed to be a double-agent for the Silencerz. Gig proceeded to reveal that, contrary to Tezla's claim, Tezla had been the one stealing technology from the Silencerz, including Gig himself.

Meanwhile, the drivers complete the Cosmic Realm and enter the drones' headquarters, Gelorum leads a separate group of drones to overrun the Acceledrome during the absence of the other drivers. The drones later take the Teku and Metal Maniacs' Accelechargers and the Accelechargers won by the Silencerz, which was left behind when a Silencerz driver cloaked himself from the drones. With all the Accelechargers together, Gelorum proceeds to use the hologram of the wheel in the Acceledrome to open the path to the Accelerons, but Vert intervenes with Sparky's help, and races Gelorum in the path. Vert is later contacted by Lani and Dr. Tezla, and he reveals that he and Gelorum have begun travelling through the realms once more. The speed that the two drivers pass through the realms become astonishing as even Lani has difficulty communicating the specific skills that the current realm should test. Tezla states the wheel has likely created a mix through all the realms to create the ultimate race between the two.

At the Drones' headquarters, Kadeem feigns being captured, and requests the other drivers to rescue him atop a tower. Though the other drivers are able to stall the other drones, Wylde is found by Kurt, having lost an arm to drones. Kadeem soon appears and attacks Kurt, having lost his previous affiliation with Tezla's drivers, but Wylde intervenes, and the two battle at the top of the tower. The fight ends with Kurt punching Kadeem, causing him to fall off a ledge. When Kurt attempts to help Kadeem up, he simply retorts, "Kadeem is gone!", before dropping himself from the tower with a maniacal laugh.

At the same time, Vert and Gelorum begin the race at the Cosmic Realm, the final realm that was completed. Using the Nitrox After Burner, Vert manages to catch up to Gelorum. Kurt, having rescued his brother, informs the remaining Teku and Metal Maniacs that the plan was successful, and the drivers begin returning back to the Acceledrome using the E.D.R, where they are greeted by the drones. Unknown to the drones or to the other drivers, a Silencerz driver manages to infiltrate the Drones' headquarters, and seizes the real wheel of power. In the final stretch of the race, Vert attempts to stop Gelorum from reaching the sphere, the gateway of to the world of the Accelerons, by crashing into her, but his car lands upside-down while Gelorum's lands perfectly.

An Acceleron soon comes out to meet Gelorum and Vert, with Gelorum demanding to become an Acceleracer as she had obtained all the Accelechargers and completed the realms, but the Acceleron states that though she had done so, she had only used the Accelechargers to proceed. Vert, on the other hand, was noted to have used his own skills to finish, and the Acceleron states that that was the test, and proceeds to change Vert's clothing, and states that he is the true Acceleracer. Gelorum, enraged by the decision, reveals a more robotic form, and attempts to kill Vert, but the Acceleron proceeds to use his telekinetic powers to fling Gelorum into the abyss. As Vert moves to enter the sphere, Lani informs him that the other drivers have been captured.

Ultimately, Vert decides to head back to rescue the other drivers, but is given a wheel of power by the Acceleron and is sent back to the Acceledrome. Upon seeing Vert's victory, the other drivers begin fighting back, and Dr. Tezla begins planning his attempt to destroy the Acceledrome by igniting all of the Nitrox tanks, but Gig controls Tezla's exoskeleton, and forces both Lani and Tezla to escape the dome without him using Nitrium. With Vert stalling and distracting the drones in the Acceledrome, the other drivers manage to seize a sweeper, and use it to escape. Vert, himself, is able to travel into the hologram of the wheel right before Gig destroys the Acceledome, and all the drones within it. Surprisingly, Vert and Sparky land in the base of the Silencers, who proceed to seize the Wheel given to Vert, the Accelechargers, and Vert himself. Sparky, however, hits the E.D.R and lands in the ruins of Highway 35 and is later rescued by the other drivers. After Sparky states that he doesn't know where Vert is, the Teku and the Metal Maniacs decide to find Vert together. Nolo proceeds to hang Tone's necklace on the Highway 35 sign, having let go of his grudge on Tork.

The final film ends with one of the Silencerz revealing himself to be none other than Vert's father, and the series ends in a cliffhanger, with Vert's father telling his Vert, "Son, we need to talk".

Films

Name		First Air Date	Runtime
	Hot Wheels: AcceleRacers – Ignition	January 8, 2005	60 minutes
	Hot Wheels: AcceleRacers – The Speed of Silence	March 19, 2005	60 minutes
	Hot Wheels: AcceleRacers – Breaking Point	June 25, 2005	60 minutes
	Hot Wheels: AcceleRacers – The Ultimate Race	October 1, 2005	60 minutes

There are four DVDs in the series. They constitute one continuous story. In story order they are:

• Ignition (60 min)
• The Speed of Silence (60 min)
• Breaking Point (60 min)
• The Ultimate Race (60 min)

The first film was split up into three episodes of around twenty minutes each for DVDs packaged with HyperPod vehicles, in addition to being released as a sixty-minute feature. The four complete films have also been released in a box set.

Characters

Metal Maniacs

The Metal Maniacs are one of the two racing teams in the Hot Wheels AcceleRacers series. They are a group of muscular, wrestler-like, rough neck drivers whose vehicles are a mixture of scrap metal and racing car components reminiscent of old-style muscle cars. They have a raucous and reckless driving style with the cars to match. They have a fierce rivalry with the Teku.

• Tork Maddox (voiced by Adrian Holmes) - The current leader of the Metal Maniacs. Tork has a rivalry with Nolo Pasaro, the current leader of the Teku, who blames Tork for the death of his older brother, Tone. In truth, Tork did not cause Tone's death, but allows Nolo to blame him because Tork believes himself to be responsible nevertheless. Often suffering from nightmares of the race, during which he hits Tone's rear bumper causing him to spin out and crash. He always restrains himself when Nolo tries to get revenge on him for killing his brother, telling him he doesn't want to fight him. When Nolo comes to terms with that fact, they eventually become friends. Tork also loves sports, fighting, and racing. His only car in the AcceleRacers series is "Hollowback".
• Taro Kitano (voiced by Kevan Ohtsji) - A former racing champion and former team leader of the Scorchers in Highway 35, he is a millionaire that has climbed Mount Everest and skied down it twice. A calm and collected racer who respects the Teku's Vert Wheeler and Karma Eiss. He used to date Lani Tam, but they broke up as she later commented, "They didn't talk much". He appears to be attracted to the equally calm and collected Karma, whom he admits is an extremely good driver. His first car in the series is '70 Plymouth Road Runner, a repaint of his car from Highway 35 and then Riveted. Taro received an unusual redesign since Highway 35, notably having an unusual skull shape.
• Deezel "Porkchop" Riggs (voiced by David Kaye) - Undefeated in racing until he raced against the Teku. He has a rivalry with Teku member Shirako Takamoto, mainly because he doesn't like the music Shirako listens to. Porkchop has a strong relationship with Maniac mechanic Mitchell "Monkey" Mclurg. He initially drives the car "Jack Hammer" and motorcycle "Jaw Jammer", but changes to the car "Piledriver" towards the end of the series. He usually comes to the rescue of Monkey, such as when the Racers needed to hijack one of the Racing Drones' "Sweepers"(basically a big rig the Drones use to capture racers) that Porkchop and Monkey had to get inside. The Sweeper's driver caught Monkey and Porkchop came through the wall and punched its head off. Porkchop had a childhood fear of water, which caused him big trouble in the Water Realm, then he froze up and didn't hit the EDR(emergency driver return) device until water came in and was about to drown him. He came out of the portal at the same speed he was going, landing on a conviently placed pile of cardboard boxes and supplies, though he was still hurt. Later in the infirmary Monkey talked to him about it. Porkchop then told him about how he saw his father drowned when he was a kid. Monkey comically asked if that was why he's never taken a bath. Angered, Porkchop replied by saying that he took a bath... ONCE. Since then he seemed to get over his fear.
• Mark "Markie" Wylde (voiced by Will Sanderson) - A former member of Vert's old team, the Wave Rippers. Far from the innocent racer who reconciled with his older brother, Kurt Wylde, at the end of Highway 35, Mark is aggressive, short-tempered, and easily riled by his older brother and Tork. Apparently before the AcceleRacers saga began, Kurt talked Markie into joining a "business deal", but he ended up arrested when things went wrong and he refused to give up. After two years in prison, Markie joined the Metal Maniacs and refused to acknowledge his brother for abandoning him. He is determined to prove himself, even if it means breaking the rules. After the Metro Realm, he gets extremely angry towards Monkey and Tork; at Monkey for losing his car to the Sweeper, and at Tork for letting Monkey take the car in the first place. After this, Tork doesn't let Markie drive in the Realms because of his determination to get back at Kurt, other than winning. His first car is "Spinebuster", his second is "Flathead Fury". His previous World Race Wave Rippers car was a Corvette Stingray. It is unknown what happened to it after the World Race. He was a convict and him being a racer meant that he probably tried to drive away when the police were after him. Seeing as he was caught with his car might have been taken as evidence and later auctioned off. Between Tork letting Monkey race in and lose his car, and Tork not letting him race, Markie had enough of Tork and challenged him for leadership of the Metal Maniacs, racing to Dr. Tezla's old base and back. In the final leg he and Tork were neck-and-neck for the lead. But Tork remembered Tone's crash during their race. The shock of almost reliving the event caused Tork to hit the brakes, letting Markie win. However, his victory was short lived as a racing portal had opened when he and Tork were racing, and the other Maniacs had left. When the next portal opened Markie tried to get back at Tork by having PorkChop race instead of him. PorkChop, however, still had respect for Tork and wouldn't race in Tork's place. No one else on the team would either. Outraged, Markie left the team. Though in the Junk Realm, Markie still tried to get the Maniacs to do what he said. In the Junk Realm he crashes his car and has been captured by the Drones, leading Kurt to bring the Metal Maniacs and Teku together to infiltrate the Drones' headquarters using a Sweeper, Kurt soon sees that the Drones had replaced his arm with a Drone arm. After saving Kurt from a Drone controlled Kadeem, Mark thanks Kurt for coming back for him, which ends their conflict for good.
• Mitchell "Monkey" Mclurg (voiced by Andrew Duncan) - The jumpy (both figuratively and literally) mechanic of the Metal Maniacs, who has a bit of a crush on Lani Tam; his feelings are unreciprocated and Lani shows no interest in him aside from disgust at times. Monkey would rather be in the garage than on the race track, but is a capable racer nonetheless. He formulated the more powerful "Nitrox-3½" fuel and constructed Sparky the Robot from recovered Racing Drone parts. He dislikes his real name and prefers to be called Monkey. Monkey's first car is "Rollin' Thunder", his second car is "Spinebuster" that he raced at Metro Realm and he had gotten into trouble with a Sweeper, his third car is the "Rat-ified". Together, he and Porkchop drove a big rig they liked to call "Old Smokey". Monkey usually doesn't think things through. Such as when he told Sparky, who is always shooting off sparks, to fill up Old Smokey's tank with highly explosive Nitrox-3½. Luckily Lani pointed it out and Monkey stopped Sparky before anything could happen. Another example of this was when the racers were in the Junk realm (which he considered beautiful) and they were outnumbered by the Racing Drones "Sweepers". Monkey and PorkChop drove Old Smokey filled with Nitrox-3½ through the portal. Confident that they would just use the EDR to escape. Dr. Tezla then reminded him that it was meant to return only one person. Horrified, Monkey pleaded to PorkChop to slow down so he could jump out the window before they got to the portal.
• Sparky - A funny and annoying robot created by Monkey. He was an RD-S1 before he was pulled through the portal by Vert on his Deora II and he was soon ramed into a wall by Karma. He was also tested by Karma and Gig to learn how the Drones win the realms. In "The Speed of Silence" he used a transmitter and stole a car to escape, but he was smashed by Markie. In "Breaking Point" Monkey re-built him with different parts, including a mop basket, baseball cap, bicycle flag, a new robotic arm and mouth, goggles, racing start lights, and a MD-01's legs brought from Shirako. In "Ultimate Race" Sparky helps Vert to win the race with racing skills so he can become an AcceleRacer.

Teku

The Teku are the second racing team in AcceleRacers. The Teku cars have emphasis on looks and sound so their cars are tricked out to not only look good but to sound good as well, similar to Import Tuners. The word Teku is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the word "Tech", and the logo for the Teku is also the Japanese writing for it (テク).

• Nolo Pasaro (voiced by Dexter Bell) - After his brother Tone died, Nolo took over leadership of the Teku. Aggressive and stubborn, many of Nolo's early actions seemed to stem from his hatred of Tork, whom he blamed for his brother's death. Also a jealous leader, Nolo also doesn't seem to like any question of his judgment or abilities, which caused major strife between him and Vert (who was just itching for a chance to take over and prove himself). Nolo puts his hatred of Tork aside during the Metro Realm when Tork saved him from the Racing Drones. Interaction between Nolo and Tork was still strained in Breaking Point, most likely due to the vacuum left by Nolo's past hatred. Nolo isn't foaming at the mouth any more, which leaves time for Nolo to become a better leader of the Teku. During the events in The Ultimate Race, Nolo had finally let go of his hatred for Tork; They worked together in the Cosmic Realm and in the Racing Drones Headquarters. Nolo finally admits that Tone's death was the result of Tone's careless driving and not Tork's fault (of hitting the car so it would go out of control). At the end of the film, Nolo hangs up Tone's necklace on the Highway 35 sign and joins Tork to go look for Vert. He drove the car "Synkro", but later replaces it with "SpecTyte" and briefly drives "High Voltage". When Tone asked him if he wanted to be leader, Nolo said it would be a lot of work. But Tone said he just had to stay in the groove.
• Vert Wheeler (voiced by Andrew Francis) - Former leader of the Wave Rippers and winner of the World Race. Eighteen years old, Vert Wheeler is now a member of the Teku team helping Dr. Tezla. Vert at one time believed he was the better driver and leader and was at constant odds with Nolo Passaro, the leader of the Teku. After repeated personal failures in both Ignition and Speed of Silence, Vert finally realized that he's not as good as he thought he was. He gave up and left, disappearing before the teams went into the Metro Realm. After some time away for personal reflection, Vert returned in Breaking Point just in time to race in the Junk Realm. His time away seemed to mellow his relationship with Nolo. During The Ultimate Race, Vert was again feeling sorry for himself. Regretting his decision to not accompany the other drivers on the rescue mission to the Racing Drones' Headquarters, Vert stayed behind when the Cosmic Realm opened. It worked out for the best though, as he was the only one to avoid being capture and ended up following Gelorum into the Ultimate Race. During the race, Vert showed his maturity. Staying level-headed and using his driving skills flawlessly, he was able to keep up with Gelorum who had access to all the AcceleChargers. At the end of the Ultimate Race, Vert was granted the honor of being a true AcceleRacer by the Accelerons. Vert declined to follow the Acceleron to its home world, instead choosing to return to help his captured friends. He says: "Wisdom is a circle, what you receive you must give back". He succeeded in helping them escape, but was subsequently caught by the Silencerz. In the final scene, it was shown that his father was associated with the Silencerz as Vert's father says that they need to talk. He first drove "Deora II", a repaint of his car from Highway 35. But the Deora II gets cut in half coming out of the Storm Realm. He later switches to "Power Rage" and then "Reverb". He also drove a motorcycle named "Nightlife". Also there is an editing error between Highway 35 and AcceleRacers where Vert's eyes change from brown in World Race to light blue in AcceleRacers. Vert later appeared in Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 as the main character. However, he seems to be completely different aside from his blonde hair and blue eyes.
• Kurt Wylde (voiced by Brian Drummond) - Mark Wylde's older brother and former leader of the Street Breed in Highway 35. Now quiet and standoffish, he’s a much calmer Kurt that's attempting to prove himself to the Teku and the Metal Maniacs in AcceleRacers. Kurt is still facing the consequences of his actions in the World Race, however, through suspicions from the other drivers and hostility from his younger brother, Mark Wylde. It has been suggested on the AcceleRacers website (Cartoon Network) that Kurt is substituting his relationship with Nolo in place of the failed one with Mark. A major sub-plot in AcceleRacers is the relationship between Kurt and Mark Wylde. Mark ended up in prison because of a shady business deal Kurt involved him in. Kurt, fearing personal ruin, failed to help Markie with the subsequent legal troubles. In The Ultimate Race, Kurt redeems himself by bringing together the Teku and the Metal Maniacs in the rescue effort to get Markie from the Racing Drones. Markie seemed to forgive Kurt after that. Additionally, Kurt has been shown in a number of flashbacks opposing Markie's membership in the Metal Maniacs after Mark’s prison sentence. He drove "Sling Shot", a repaint of his car from Highway 35, until it gets flipped over and loses a wheel in the Storm Realm. He then changes to "Battle Spec".
• Shirako Takamoto (voiced by Kirby Morrow) - Primarily concerned with things besides being first to the finish line, Shirako almost always seems like he's back towards the rear of the pack. When he does take the lead, it’s during times when he can also look good doing it. Porkchop seems especially irritated by Shirako and his loud music (which Shirako listens to at almost all times). He drove the car "Bassline" and the motorcycle "Nightlife". Has a record from since the beginning of Ignition up to Ultimate Race.
• Karma Eiss (voiced by Lisa Ann Beley) - Calm and collected, Karma is all about overcoming challenges – the harder the better. Additionally, it seems that overcoming challenges means overcoming them perfectly to her. Determined to find the best way to solve problems, she's usually the first one to figure things out. Karma also worked with the captured RD-S1 in Speed of Silence to discover a better understanding of the Racing Drones, how they drive and how to beat them. Karma seems to have a lingering distrust of Kurt because of his shadowy past with Gelorum. On the other hand, Karma may be developing a relationship with Taro, a result of their similar personalities. Karma's car was "Chicane".
• Tone Pasaro (voiced by Craig Veroni) - Tone Pasaro was Nolo's older brother and founder of the Teku team. During a race with Tork Maddox, Tone lost control of his car, crashed and died in the explosion. For Nolo, Tone serves as a guide from the spirit world through various flashbacks. Though Tone taught his brother many useful social and driving concepts, Nolo's anger toward Tork over the accident colored many of Nolo's actions. In Speed of Silence, Karma Eiss expresses her opinion that Tone was not quite the driver that Nolo remembers. Later in the film The Ultimate Race, Nolo finally admits that Tone's death was caused by Tone, not Tork. Tone was driving "Synkro" during the flashbacks of the fateful race where he lost his life.

Racing Drones

The Racing Drones were originally built by the Accelerons as test drivers. These robots became a problem as they would do anything to win. The Racing Drones were abandoned on Earth when the Accelerons returned to their home world. Gelorum, their leader, ruled with an iron fist as she had no concern for life – robotic or organic. Now that the Racing Realms are open, the Racing Drones are free to enter and win AcceleChargers. The Racing Drones excel in manufacturing, building drivers and vehicles in mass quantities and to the required specifications. They also have the ability to reproduce and send AcceleCharger powers to drivers in need.

• Gelorum (voiced by Kathleen Barr) - She is the primary villain from the World Race series and later became the main antagonist in the AcceleRacers series. In AcceleRacers, Gelorum is the member of her own team called the Racing Drones. In World Race series, Gelorum was the chief mastermind at CLYP Corporation. Then, she hired Zed-36 to sabotage the track and harm the racers, so Gelorum can get the chance of getting the Wheel of Power. Then, she sent Zed-36 and the other robots to get the Wheel of Power ahead of the other drivers. At Hot Wheels City, Gelorum got damaged by the wreck of her helicopter. Then, it was revealed that Gelorum was a robot. Then, she was able to prevent the return of the Wheel of Power to the Hot Wheels City, but was stopped by Kurt Wylde who was formerly Zed-36. Gelorum was able to get to a portal, vowing that "this is NOT the end of the race." In AcceleRacers, Gelorum's face and body bear the scars of her past battle at the end of the World Race series. In Ignition, she orders RD-L1 to destroy Tezla after crashing but when Tezla pulled the EDR and escaped, this caused the Racing Drone to get angry and throw Nitrium into pieces, she also orders RD-L1 to capture Kadeem after getting lost in the Storm Realm. In Breaking Point, she was a racing drone constructed by the Accelerons. In the Ruins Realm, the 3.3 mini episode on,^[1] Gelorum's origins were revealed that she was in her robot form to lead the drones exile on Earth. In The Ultimate Race, Gelorum shows her true form when she discards her "human" shell to attack Vert after losing the ultimate race to Vert because he used racing skills. The Acceleron attacks, sending Gelorum spinning off the road and into the void during her fight with Vert Wheeler.
• RD-L1 - Short for Racing Drone Lieutenant, they serve as Gelorum's second-in-command.
• RD-S1 - Short for Racing Drone Soldier.
• RD-W - Short for Racing Drone Worker.
• RD-M - Short for Racing Drone Motorcycle, also known as MD (which is short for Motorcycle Drone).
• Sweeper Drone Driver - A Racing Drone that drives the Sweeper.
• Recon Drones - Floating robots.
• Sweeper Drones - Small robots that hide under a Sweeper. Commonly used by drones to sabotage vehicles.

Silencerz

Of unknown origins and shadowy intents, the Silencerz are a secretive group of drivers who prefer to let the Teku, Metal Maniacs, and Racing Drones fight it out before making their appearance known. They rely on stealth and deception to gain the upper hand on their competitors. They name their cars after elements on the Periodic Table. Their cars are far more advanced than even the Racing Drones'. The main body is made of liquid "smart metal", can become invisible, change to appear as another vehicle, driver included, magnetize to tracks, and fire EMP bursts. Because of the cars designs, they were meant to lure the Teku and the others into a trap. Also, they jam their language so the Teku, Metal Maniacs, and the Racing drones won't know what they're saying.

• Major Jack "Rabbit" Wheeler (voiced by John Payne) - The leader of the Silencerz, a US Armed Force Major, and the father of Vert. He drives the Iridium, Magnesium and Anthracite. He and Vert don't seem to have a very close relationship, despite his apparent acknowledgement of Vert after winning Highway 35. In "Breaking Point". Jack told Vert that he should be more careful or quit racing with the Teku. When Vert ended up in the Silencerz headquarters at the end of the final movie, he encountered his father who told Vert that they need to talk. He is the only silencer to reveal his face.
• Silencerz Drivers - Drivers that never talk or show their faces which are hidden by helmets.
• Silencerz Technicians - Scientists in strange outfits that hide their faces and never talk.
• X-88 - Floating robots that have the same functionality and default program as Peter Tezla's floating robot GIG. They overwrite any re-program attempts.

Other

• Dr. Peter Tezla (voiced by Michael Donovan) - Dr. Tezla abandoned the Cube and went into hiding in the Acceledrome where he conducted research centered on the Wheel of Power. Once he discovered the nature of the Wheel of Power and the Racing Realms, Dr. Tezla recruited former World Race drivers to help him compete in the Racing Realms for the power of the AcceleChargers. Hunted by Gelorum and the Racing Drones, Dr. Tezla is a very secretive man sharing information only if he decides the person needs to know it. This generates some distrust amongst those he leads – especially Kurt Wylde who has never trusted Tezla. Despite his secretive nature, his most trusted companion is Gig, a floating computer/robot. Dr. Tezla was crippled in the attempt to keep the Drones from the Wheel of Power – he now walks and stands with the aid of motorized braces. Dr. Tezla also has some sort of connection with the Silencerz. When questioned about this apparent connection, he claims to be the victim of theft. Later we learn that Dr. Tezla used to work for the Silencers, but then left them taking some of their technology, including Gig. Revealing their technology, Dr. Tezla took credit for it all and became rich.
• Lani Tam (voiced by Venus Terzo) - A former World Race driver and member of the Wave Rippers team, she now works for Dr. Tezla in the Acceledrome as crew chief, medic and mechanic. At the end of the World Race, she became involved with Taro Kitano. Their relationship seemed to have gone sour by the time AcceleRacers begins (Taro said Lani told him he was "hard to talk to"). Though Lani periodically shows that she may have feelings still for Taro, the actions are never reciprocated. However, Lani may be developing feelings for Nolo, as they are seen together quite often in the films and have an easy-going relationship with each other.
• Gig (voiced by Kasper Michaels) - A floating computer/robot, Gig is Dr. Tezla's seemingly loyal companion and side-kick. An X-88 robot, Gig was stolen from the Silencerz when Dr. Tezla left that team. Dr. Tezla thought he'd reprogrammed Gig, but it turned out that Gig was playing the part of the spy – feeding Dr. Tezla's information back to the Silencerz. Gig's deception was discovered by Lani in the film The Ultimate Race. Shortly thereafter, Gig gave his life to destroy the Racing Drones army by personally detonating the Nitrox 2 storage tanks in the Acceledrome. The AcceleRacers website (Cartoon Network) hints that Gig's electronic brain is vulnerable to tampering.
• Brian Kadeem (voiced by Cusse Mankuma) - Kadeem, a former World Race driver, led the drivers into the Storm Realm, but was lost when he was forced off the track by RD-1. He was captured by the Racing Drones and taken to their headquarters. After refusing to disclose the location of the Acceledrome to Gelorum, Kadeem's body was integrated with robotic parts making him into a cyborg under Gelorum's control. Kadeem was last seen falling off a very high building in the Racing Drones HQ.
• Banjee Castillo, Alec "Hud" Wood, and Dan Dresden - Former World Racers who were lost in the Racing Realms before the events of Ignition while driving for Dr. Tezla. Banjee Castillo was in the Swamp Realm some time before Ignition as his car is seen briefly – abandoned and half submerged in the water with no one inside. It is unknown as to what happened to Alec Wood and Dan Dresden, other than Lani Tam describing Tezla's use of the three before Kadeem recruited the Teku and Metal Maniacs in Ignition. It is possible that Banjee had survived as he was not seen in his car, many fans believe that these drivers were rescued and recruited by the Silencerz.
• Accelerons - Alien racers who created Gelorum and the Racing Drones a thousand years ago. They also created the Highway 35 tracks, the Wheel of Power, the Realms, Hyperpods, Wisdom Ring and the AcceleChargers. In Hot Wheels AcceleRacers Ultimate Race from the Sphere, Gelorum used all the AcceleChargers to complete the realms and Vert Wheeler used racing skills for the test. The Acceleron used his powers to change Vert's outfit/clothes and helmet into an Acceleron's one. After Gelorum was defeated by the Acceleron, he turns Vert's car back where it was and he opened the portal to turn back. After Vert changed his mind the Acceleron gave Vert Wheeler the ultimate lesson: What you receive you must give back. The Acceleron opens the portal so Vert could go back to the Acceledrome and save his friends from the drones.
• Vert's mom - Appeared in Breaking Point (only in a photograph). The pictures of Vert's mom also appears in Hot Wheels Acceleracers - The Speed of Silence, on Monkeys bed side table just before the Metro Realm opens.

Racing Realms

According to Dr. Tezla, the Accelerons built over 100 Racing Realms. However, only 25 are known, and only 16 are shown in the movies. These tracks are more dangerous than the ones on Highway 35. This is another test for the drivers built by the Accelerons. Highway 35 was only the beginning. The Wheel of Power decides which Racing Realm to open and when. The only way to stop the portal from closing is The Wheel of Power, all the Accelechargers, and the Wisdom Ring.

• Factory Realm - Initially used as factory to build cars by Accelerons but later turned into a realm. The skill could be to avoid damages on the car.
• Canyon Realm - A Racing Realm that criss-crosses over a deep canyon with sheer drops. The skill for this realm was landing jumps.
• Chrome Realm - A Racing Realm that has huge silver spheres that will crush/roll over a vehicle that gets in one's way. The skill for this realm could be telling what is a reflection and what is not.
• Wind Realm - A Racing Realm with savage vortexes of wind and tornadoes, flying debris, and swaying tracks. The skill could be driving through harsh winds.
• Solar Realm - A Racing Realm that ring around a sun that produces solar flares and intense heat. The skill could be driving with the sun in your eye.
• Labyrinth Realm - A Racing Realm with a tangle of twists and turns that is infested with Maze Minotaurs. The skill for this realm could be remembering your path when lost.
• Blizzard Realm - A Racing Realm with vicious snowstorms, zero visibility, fierce sleet, and deep snow. The skill could be driving in icy weather.
• Cybergrid Realm - A Racing Realm with a supercharged track as well as a maze of 90 degree turns and electric countermeasures. The skill for this realm could be perfecting 90 degree turns.
• Reactor Realm - A Racing Realm with toxic spills and patrol machines that cross the track, removing cars too slow to outrun them. The skill could be driving without getting distracted by sounds.
• Desert Realm - A Racing Realm filled with quicksand, dangerous rock passages, sandstorms, and giant scorpions. The skill could be driving in desert conditions.
• Micro Realm - A Racing Realm where all cars become toy size and are supposed to be dumped onto a freeway filled with traffic. The skill could be to try to avoid obstacles that are bigger than you as best you can.
• Fog Realm - Little is known about the Fog Realm except that it was completed prior to the events of Ignition by the Racing Drones. The skill could be driving through the fog.
• Warped Realm - A Racing Realm where there are no laws of physics, not even gravity. The track varies in length, size and shape, twisting itself in some places making an illusion-like reality. It was completed prior to the events portrayed in AcceleRacers. The skill could be to try to avoid openings on the track.
• Monument Realm - A Racing Realm that sends drivers through ancient tombs with descriptions of how to escape them, similar to the Ruins Realm. The skill could be predicting what happens next on the track before you see it. The realm was completed prior to the events portrayed of Ignition by the Racing Drones.

The Realms above were all conquered by the Racing Drones or Silencerz before the movies and minisodes or never gone into at all. The ones below were seen in the movies and the minisodes.

• Storm Realm - The Storm Realm is a Racing Realm with tracks that loop and curve around the sides of clouds, as if clinging to colossal mountainsides. The Storm Realm is an electrically charged world of flickering lightning and booming thunder. The Storm Realm tests a driver's ability to focus and avoid visual distractions.
• Swamp Realm - The Swamp Realm features a winding track that curves through and around gigantic jungle trees growing from a fetid swamp below. Giant worms, giant mosquitoes, living vines, a swamp monster, and hungry creatures lurk in the shadows and are ready to take out the drivers. The track itself is alive and continuously growing, forcing drivers to constantly choose the best terrain at any given moment. The skill for this Realm is staying in the middle of the track to get more traction.
• Cavern Realm - The dark and daunting Cavern Realm features sudden turns and stops, unexpected drops and dips, and sections of track that veer into total darkness as well as falling boulders and giant bats. The Accelerons created the Cavern Realm to test a driver's ability to drive in the dark while avoiding obstacles. Also, stalactites and stalagmites appear throughout the course.
• Lava Realm - Huge flaming boulders, lava eruptions and magma geysers are just some of the dangers that drivers face in the Lava Realm. The Lava Realm tests a driver's ability to master the dexterity of their wheels. Normal tires cannot withstand the extreme heat without melting, but the Drone's tires can. The test of this round was figuring out the extent of your tires, what they can take and what they cannot withstand.
• Water Realm - The track in the Water Realm runs above, on, and below the surface of the vast ocean. Sections of track that are completely submerged run through translucent tubes. Periods of breaks prevent flooding, but allow cars, sea creatures, and some water to pass through. Ravenous sea creatures wait for unsuspecting drivers in the darkness. The Water Realm tests a driver's ability to perfect their ability to hydroplane, avoiding an over-steer to prevent a spin out.
• Metro Realm - The Metro Realm offers a vast night-time cityscape to explore, eerily deserted and dotted with neon signage and streetlights. The interconnecting streets of this bizarre metropolis will force a driver to master the skills of braking, cornering and driving through traffic. Occasionally, massive semi trucks plow through the traffic to steamroll unsuspecting drivers. The Metro Realm tests the driver's ability to brake as smoothly as possible and increase traction.
• Cliffside Realm - The Cliffside Realm has tracks that composes of switchbacks and loops alongside a towering cliff. Drivers will need to navigate hairpin turns while avoiding rock slides, falling trees and large flying vultures if they hope to make it to the end of the Cliffside Realm. The Cliffside Realm tests a driver's ability of drifting (Sideswiping or fishtailing a sharp turn while braking and accelerating after, decreasing friction and thus increasing traction and speed).
• Ice Realm: With a track made of ice that can crack and collapse at any moment, complete with snow-slicked tracks, the Ice Realm presents a chilling challenge for any driver with it being on a glacier. The Ice Realm tests a driver's ability to negotiate with slick surfaces if they want to make it to the finish line.
• Neon Pipeline Realm - The Neon Pipeline Realm is a unique Racing Realm that features a track running inside and around the outside of a huge pipeline, with many different paths to take, some even opening up at random. Complete with a massive spherical center, Pipeline Realm tests a driver's ability to drive at all angles (and even upside-down) on their way to the end of the track. Mastering drafting will take them one step closer to success by beating out timed door-closings, and pushing through the massive air-blowers at the end of the Realm.
• Junk Realm - The Junk Realm is a Racing Realm that will take drivers through a junkyard filled with scrap metal and rusty old cars. Piles of junk rain down upon the track, threatening to crush drivers underneath. There are also problems with piles of debris on the road, magnetized lifters, compactors, wrecking balls, and a big metal "fire-breathing dinosaur" known as the Mechanized Destroyer. The Accelerons created the Junk Realm to test a driver's ability to hit the apex, or inside of, of a turn smoothly.
• Ruins Realm - The Ruins Realm is a Racing Realm with an atmosphere that evokes Easter Island and Stonehenge. The Ruins Realm is peppered with colossal living statues and stone buildings. With an ancient marble track that threatens to collapse at any time, four 4-headed stone creatures, and collapsing pillars, drivers must hone their skills if they want to win. The objective is to learn how to react to these sudden obstacles and navigate through them carefully. Reckless drivers will not make it out of here in one piece.
• Cosmic Realm - The Cosmic Realm is a Racing Realm that features a track composed of colorful planetary rings that lie suspended in space and surrounding a planet. Meteor showers and black holes are just a few of the hazards that this Realm contains. The Cosmic Realm was created to test a driver's ability to use high-speed control since the low-gravity environment requires the driver to produce as much down force as possible in order to avoid floating off the track.
• The Sphere - In the race between Vert and Gelorum, after both racers have passed through all the previously encountered realms, they entered a place where the track is surrounded by white light. The show gives little information about that place, except that the winner is supposed to win a chance to race against the Acceleron at the end of the track. The winner also earns the title of Acceleracer in the process. Won by Vert Wheeler. The lesson is that wisdom is a circle and what you receive you must give back. Vert tried to keep Gelorum from finishing the race first by crahing into her car, but an Acceleron came out of the Sphere and she approached him before he could get out of his overturned car. Although Gelorum arrived to the Sphere first, the Acceleron commended Vert for using his own skills to get through the realms and not the AcceleChargers, going as far as to craft the garments of an Acceleron on him. Gelorum, deprived of her opportunity to race the Acceleron and exact vengeance, transformed into her true robotic form, ready to tear Vert to pieces, but the Acceleron catapulted here into the void beyond with his telekinetic powers, then flipped Vert's car, Reverb, right-side up. While Vert could've accepted the challenge to race him, he had to return to the Acceledrome to save the others. The Acceleron bestowed him with a circle, then graciously opened an exit portal as Vert departed, telling him when he returned, Vert would not be alone.

AcceleChargers

AcceleChargers are powerful chips that are given to the driver who reaches the end of the each Racing Realm. The AcceleChargers help vehicles in different locations depending on the Realm you're in or in what conditions you are driving. While they provide drivers a certain edge when driving in the Realms, the Accelerons do not accept drivers who complete the Realms with their use; instead, they accept those who have overcome the challenges with their own unsupplemented abilities.

• Factory Realm AcceleCharger - Enables to repair any damages on the car automatically.
• Canyon Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the driver's cars to make extremely long and high jumps.
• Chrome Realm AcceleCharger - Clarifies and removes any illusion or mirage seen to the driver.
• Wind Realm AcceleCharger - Negates the effect of powerful winds.
• Solar Realm Accelecharger - Allows a driver's car to negate shifts of gravity and remain on the track.
• Labyrinth Realm AcceleCharger - Manipulates a driver's GPS System and pinpoints all the right directions and leads you to the finish line.
• Blizzard Realm AcceleCharger - Allows traction on any terrain.
• Cybergrid Realm AcceleCharger - Allows cars to snap 90 degree turns without the loss of speed or traction.
• Reactor Realm AcceleCharger - Negates all external noise or in other words, makes the driver's car soundproof.
• Desert Realm AcceleCharger - Allows cars to safely travel on sand or unstable surfaces.
• Micro Realm AcceleCharger - Allows cars to change size.
• Fog Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the driver's vehicle to see clearly in foggy conditions. Won by the Racing Drones.
• Warped Realm Accelecharger - Allows the driver's vehicle to teleport to another area a short distance away, or to disappear and reappear. Won by the Racing Drones.
• Monument Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the driver's vehicle to become two dimensional. Won by the Racing Drones.
• Storm Realm AcceleCharger - Protects the driver's car from electrical charges. Won by RD-L1.
• Swamp Realm AcceleCharger - Creates an organic road of vines beneath the car. Won by Nolo Pasaro.
• Cavern Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the driver to see in total darkness. Won by Deezel "Porkchop" Riggs.
• Lava Realm AcceleCharger - Creates tires that always remain in perfect condition. Won by RD-L1.
• Water Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the driver's car the ability to drive on water. Won by RD-L1.
• Metro Realm AcceleCharger - Creates a force field around the car. Won by the Silencerz.
• Cliffside Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the car to take any turn without slowing down or losing traction. Won by the Silencerz.
• Ice Realm AcceleCharger - Gives the car the ability to maintain a firm grip over slippery terrain. Won by the Silencerz.
• Pipeline Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the driver's car to drive upside down or on walls. Won by the Silencerz.
• Junk Realm AcceleCharger - Creates a frictionless track under the car. Won by Kurt Wylde.
• Ruins Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the driver's car to pass through objects. Won by Racing Drones.
• Cosmic Realm AcceleCharger - Allows the driver's car to travel at the speed of sound. Won by the Silencerz.
• Ultimate Race Accelecharger - All of the realms' AcceleChargers put into one AcceleCharger. Won by Vert Wheeler.

External links

• Accelepedia