When I was a kid, The Flintstones were on TV every day at lunch. Must have been CFTO Channel 8 or CHCH Channel 11. On those days when I came home for lunch, I’d always watch an episode, then ride my bike back to school before the bell. But I don’t ever remember seeing this Indy 500 inspired episode!
Barney’s latest hobby is building race cars (makes sense) and has developed the Stone Age’s most potent engine. Fred and Barney cook up a plan to win the Indianrockolis 500 and use the prize money for Pebbles and Bam-Bam’s college fund.
Of course Wilma forbids Fred from doing something so dangerous, plus Fred can’t get a day off work at the rock quarry from his boss, Mr. Slate. Nonetheless, Fred puts has on the phone to impersonate Wilma and pretend that Fred is sick and cannot come to work. The perfect plan! Of course, when the boys get to the race, Mr. Slate is there as a spectator, forcing Fred use come up with the alias Goggles Paisano when entering the race.
Barney’s car is quick, but fragile, and breaks down while leading the race. Fred ends up using good old-fashioned foot power to make it over the finish line, probably inspired by real-life racer Jack Brabham pushing his car across the finish line of the 1959 United States Grand Prix, only 4 years before this Flintstone’s episode originally aired.
Fred gets DQ’ed, then fired by his boss … but don’t worry. This is television! Everything works out in the end.!
Big thank you to TRAK Race Director (and actual Assistant Director in films and movies) Mr. Rob Oakman for sharing on Facebook that picture of Fred Flintstone in a rock solid open-wheel car.
If he hadn’t shared that funny little thing, I would never have known about this lost Flintstones episode!
~ Chris #16 Demaras
I do remember this episode. I also remember the weird Portuguese version of the name Goggles Paisano… Something like “”Caixa de óculos”.