List of pop culture references to Wacky Races

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And there they go! We've seen those Wacky Races from start to finish, with the delectable Penelope Pitstop in her Compact Pussycat, genius Professor Pat Pending in the Convert-a-Car, handsome Peter Perfect in the Turo Terrific, and the deviously clever Dick Dastardly and Muttley in the Mean Machine running a mad dash all over the United States, and in the media, everyone has wanted a piece of that hilarious high octane pursuit, too.

This page also covers the spin-offs, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop and Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines.

Books

The Crooked World

  • There is a parody of Penelope called Angel Falls, who drives in a pink buggy similar to the Compact Pussycat.

Comics

Super Mario 4 Koma Manga Theater

  • Dastardly and Muttley are seen in the background of a panel.

Commercials

MetLife

Peugeot Brazil

  • Peugeot Brazil's 2013 ds patterned its new Peugeot 208 line after Wacky Races, with high production values and live actors playing them for the first time.

Vauxhall

  • Vauxhall's 2004 ads patterned its new Corsa line after Wacky Races.

Films

The Good, the Bad, the Huckleberry Hound

Main article: The Good, the Bad, the Huckleberry Hound

Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf

Main article: Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (film)
  • The two races that Shaggy takes part in are heavily inspired by Wacky Races.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Yogi's Ark Lark

Main article: Yogi's Ark Lark

Radio

Dead Ringers

  • "Episode Four" (series 2): There are two sketches. The first is of a Formula One race where the drivers act like Wacky Racers, which involves Michael Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen, Rubens Barrichello, Eddie Irvine, David Coulthard, and Jenson Button. The second one is a combo with Police Crash Bang Wallop (also a parody of Police Camera Action!), presented by Alistair Stewart, in which Luke and Blubber, Professor Pat Pending, and Dick and Muttley are described as a bunch of boy racers who are flagrantly disregarding the rules of the road. They are said to be repentant, although Dick says, "Drat and double drat," followed by Muttley's snicker and laugh. As a crossover with Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Hooded Claw then joins the race to get Penelope.
  • "Episode Three" (series 5): In response to Elton John singing a non-Disney song, Phil Collins also sings a non-Disney song set to the tune of "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)," about Dick losing against the Ant Hill Mob, the Mean Machine being cut in half, and punching Muttley in the nose when Muttley laughs at him. In typical fashion, we then hear Dick ask for Muttley's help, who just laughs.
  • "Episode Six" (series 12): Sue McGregor hosts an episode of The Reunion with the Apostles, which by the end, she announces that next week's edition will be the Wacky Races.
  • "Episode One" (series 15): Celebrity distance runner Mo Farah is questioned on his recent hiring of Alberto Salazar as his coach, which has since caused him to hire some villainous entourage, such as his new tactician Dick and "his dog," who mutters incoherently, only to be stopped by Dick, who tells Muttley that if anyone gets in Mo's way, they'll drop an anvil on them, which causes Muttley to snicker.

TV series

Animaniacs (1993)

Main article: Animaniacs
  • "Back in Style:" Penelope Pit-a-Pat Stop, an allusion to The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, is mentioned to have lost ratings by adding the Warner siblings.

Animaniacs (2020)

Main article: Animaniacs
  • "Suffragette City:" Penelope Pitstop is among the activists in a march for Dot's campaign to give cartoon characters the right to vote.

Dead Ringers

  • Unknown episode (#lostmedida): A segment merges Top Gear with Wacky Races. Jeremy Clarkson, the host of Top Gear, is now Dick Dastardly riding in the Mean Machine chasing Penelope to over her car and be the pretty one. Muttley also appears a traffic guard to stop her.

Dexter's Laboratory

Main article: Dexter's Laboratory (TV series)

A Different World

  • "Two Gentlemen of Hillman" Dwayne calls Ron Muttley after Ron accuses Dwayne of being jealous of him for getting a date for a party.
  • "For She's Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage:" Dwayne and Ron are carrying the recycling when Ron mocks him for not being very strong, so Dwayne snaps back, "Mush on, Muttley."

Duck Dodgers

Main article: Duck Dodgers
  • "M.M.O.R.P.D.:" Duck Dodgers briefly turns into Muttley. He even does his laugh.

Family Guy

Main article: Family Guy
  • "April in Quahog:" Peter isn't having a good time at jury duty, making a joke about the vending machines being out of order, too, which makes Brian snicker like Muttley, while also wearing an aviator cap and scarf, as Muttley did in Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines.

George & Mildred

  • In "My Husband Next Door:" George is on holiday time at home and wants to spend it watching TV instead of helping Mildred plan on redecorating the lounge, which starts off with watching Wacky Races, but Mildred says he can do without Dastardly and Muttley for once. The incorrect music from the show is heard, then the TV breaks down. When describing what happened to the TV repairman, George said he saw a quick flash of Penelope Pitstop.

Grange Hill

  • "Episode Twenty-Four" (series 9): Ziggy says Mr. Glover's car for the school race "looks like Wacky Races."
  • "Episode Seven" (series 27): Andy recalls Dastardly and Muttley while helping with Calvin and Spencer's prank to put a door in the school swimming pool.
  • "Episode Fifteen" (series 28): Andy wears a Muttley t-shirt.

The Green Green Grass

  • "Lust in Translation:" Boycie calls his inept farmhands the Wacky Racers as he watches them drive away from the farm.

Jellystone

Lucifer

  • "Yabba Dabba Do Me:" A young Jimmy Baines watches Wacky Races.

Pound Puppies (1986)

Main article: Pound Puppies

Reboot

  • "Firewall:" Cyrus, Frisket, and a user take on the roles of Dick, Muttley, and Penelope in a Wacky Races/Micro Machines race.

The Simpsons

Main article: The Simpsons
  • "Children of a Lesser Clod," Comic Book Guy is shown wearing a Muttley T-shirt to a basketball match at the YMCA.
  • "Gone Abie Gone," the couch gag is a parody of the Wacky Races, wherein the Simpsons take their couch on the road up against other citizens who have also turned their couches into makeshift racecars, with the theme song playing over the race. Homer, Marge, and Burns are dressed like Peter, Penelope, and Dick, respectively, with Burns driving a car that resembles the Mean Machine. Lester's car is also called Hick Dastardly.

Sooty

  • "The Great Car Race:" In a Wacky Races-type race, with its own Dick Dastardly, Freddy Firewheel, who also says, "Drat, and double drat," when Sooty and Soo foil his plan to stop them from driving their van by throwing oil over their windshield by simply using the windshield wipers.

South Park

Main article: South Park
  • "Handicar:" The event is reported to make a return on a Saturday morning in a battle of the future of car lift transportation between Lyft, Matthew McConaughey's Zipcar, Russian taxi driver, Hummer salesman, Elon Musk and his Tesla D, Neve Campbell and her fart-propelled concept car the Queef (dressed like Penelope riding her Compact Pussycat), Timmy and his Handicar, a self-driving car from Japan, and elderly versions of Dick Dastardly and Muttley in their Mean Machine. This causes both national and international chaos and fear of what will become of the world, and an impromptu last-minute dash for everyone to rush out to their local supermarket and buy out all the cereal and milk. The intro sequence is copied and as is standard for every episode of Wacky Races, an unseen commentator provides coverage of who is in the lead and shows a map of their destination, with the twist of having to deliver passengers.
  • "South ParQ Vaccination Special:" The duo of Dastardly and Muttley celebrate the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teen Titans

  • "Crash:" Gizmo mumbles, "Razzle frazzle Titans," after Robin accidentally shoots him into Cyborg's butt instead of his brain where he should've been sent to remove a computer virus. It happens again at the end of the episode, when both Gizmo and the virus exit Cyborg's body, with Gizmo still in his shrunken state, leaving him to be chased by the virus.

Uncle Grandpa

  • "Uncle Grandpa Retires:" Dastardly and Muttley sit on the bleachers for the Big Fat Race, rooting for Evil Wizard, and Muttley snickers.
  • Evil Wizard's biggest fans.
    Evil Wizard's biggest fans.
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