# "Speed Racer" Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995 "2011-08-25T02:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/1 "2011-08-25T02:23:46Z")
I started watching the original Speed Racer cartoons with my young son, and we were wondering: a) Often, a yellow checkered flag is waved. Does this signify something? Note: It is not in lieu of the traditional checkered flag to end the race. b) Sometimes, the racers must race (on foot) to their cars at the start of the race. Is this reality in any known race (Grand Prix, etc)? c) Speed wears a monogrammed “G” on his shirts. Why? What does this stand for? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/2 "2011-08-25T02:49:32Z")
The original Japanese title was “Mach GoGoGo”. From Facebook: > [@](#): > > The name of the series, Mach GoGoGo is actually a triple pun: > > ``` > "Go" is the Japanese word for the number 5. Thus "Mach-go" is the name of the car ("go" also being a suffix attached to the names of ships, etc.), which would be called the Mach 5 in the American adaptation > It is the name of the main character, Go Mifune. (Speed Racer in the American adaptation) > It contains the English word "go." > > ``` > > Taken together, the program’s title means, “Mach-go, Gō Mifune, Go!”. This is what the saying “Go, Speed Racer, Go!” comes from, taking out Gō Mifune and replacing it with his English name. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/3 "2011-08-25T03:42:29Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > b) Sometimes, the racers must race (on foot) to their cars at the start of the race. Is this reality in any known race (Grand Prix, etc)? [Le Mans Start](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Hours_of_Le_Mans#Le_Mans_start) > [@](#): > > The race traditionally began with what became known as the Le Mans start, in which cars were lined up alongside the pit wall in the order in which they qualified. The starting drivers would stand on the opposite side of the front stretch. When the French flag dropped to signify the start, the drivers would run across the track to their cars, which they would have to enter and start without assistance, before driving away. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/4 "2011-08-25T05:25:33Z")
Yellow flag = slow down, hazard. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/5 "2011-08-25T15:47:14Z")
Yellow _checkered_ flag? I’m not familiar with that one. Solid yellow, like **Dave Hartwick** says, is pretty standard in many types of auto racing. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/6 "2011-08-25T16:01:39Z")
What was the other color in the yellow checkered flag? ---
**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/7 "2011-08-25T16:11:21Z")
> [@brad\_d](#): > > Yellow _checkered_ flag? I’m not familiar with that one. Solid yellow, like **Dave Hartwick** says, is pretty standard in many types of auto racing. I can’t remember, was it yellow checkered or yellow quartered (two black squares, two yellow squares?) If checkered, I don’t know, but if quartered, that usually means “caution declared, first car across the line becomes pace car”. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/8 "2011-08-25T16:19:36Z")
Like [this](http://www.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/c3/c/AAAAAraxm4wAAAAAAMPNEg.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-racer-questions/593995/9 "2011-08-25T18:30:47Z")
I have an old memory of a yellow and red checkered flag. Ahh - I see from [this you tube link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtIu61s2PDo) that the end of the opening credits has a red and yellow checkerboard background. That may be what I’m remembering.