What Superhero Would Make the Best Race Car Driver?

So from my chaotic mind:

My wife is a comic book nerd and so I have some insight into this.

First the also-rans

Super Man: X-ray vision would make him a great engineer or mechanic but not a driver he would make a great trials rider though

Storm: she could create her own downforce but that doesn't guarantee she could drive the car well.

Spider Man; nope there isn't always going to be something to get a web to cling to under braking and cornering.

The clear winner has to be Magneto; granted he can't race F1 (not enough ferrous metal in the car) but he'd be 25 time NASCAR champion or racking up the wins in touring cars.

Let's here your thoughts.

(yes it's lunchtime and yes I'm really bored today)

Go Mifune - at least, I consider him a super hero...

Superman, of course.  He can fly, so he could just sit in the car and make it go supersonic speeds.

stuart in mn said:

Superman, of course.  He can fly, so he could just sit in the car and make it go supersonic speeds.

I was going to say something similar. 

Racing takes money, so I'm going to go with either Iron Man or Batman, because they're both filthy rich. :)

stuart in mn said:

Superman, of course.  He can fly, so he could just sit in the car and make it go supersonic speeds.

In more racing / technical terms I believe what Stuart is trying to say is . . . Superman has some unfair advantages, given his strength he can absorb crash damage without the need for “driver” protection equipment (roll cage, fire suit, helmet, fire system, etc). This lightens the “car” making the power to weight ratio much better than others. The “car” is further lightened by removal of the engine / trans /diff which are not needed. I imagine there are some aero advantages that I will let others address.

You ain’t the only one bored today Tom

David S. Wallens said:

stuart in mn said:

Superman, of course.  He can fly, so he could just sit in the car and make it go supersonic speeds.

I was going to say something similar. 

Sorry, disqualified for being a "movable aerodynamic device" :)

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

David S. Wallens said:

stuart in mn said:

Superman, of course.  He can fly, so he could just sit in the car and make it go supersonic speeds.

I was going to say something similar. 

Sorry, disqualified for being a "movable aerodynamic device" :)

Sorry, you will have to file an official protest, quoting the rules spelled out by Tom, with the stewards (not Stuarts) along with the exorbitant fee. Oh, and you only have 1 minute to do so.

No one with a cape or headgear because safety. Spidy would be gooing up his wheel with web, thor would have a huge weight penalty so his car would be slow. Ditto hulk.  Actually a race car may be the one place mortals can compete.

In reply to stuart in mn :

His suit isn't nomex so he's just Clark Kent in a car (they never established he could fly without the suit)

Plus Codrus is right............he is a moveable aero device.

The Flash might make a good F1 driver given his reaction times.

Magneto also has that selfish streak going for him.

If we're talking about using their powers, you gotta go with someone like Eden Fesi (Manifold) who can basically navigate and control space-time at will. Superman's speed has no advantage when you can make the starting line and the finish line exist simultaneously.

If we're talking about not using your powers to "cheat," the reality of the race, then I think you have to look at someone with exceptional reflexes and spatial awareness like Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Jessica Drew or any of the Spider-Folk.

If we're talking about what would actually work in the real world, then really the only answer is Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark because we all know that race cars run on money.

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Still going with Magneto; he'd make serious bank as a commercial builder or gold miner and use that money to fund his racing.

Plus his bad boy image would bring in loads of new sponsors.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to stuart in mn :

His suit isn't nomex so he's just Clark Kent in a car (they never established he could fly without the suit)

Clark Kent is merely a disguise Superman wears so it is Superman in the car. And since Superman is fire retardant himself he does not need a suit.

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

Racing takes money, so I'm going to go with either Iron Man or Batman, because they're both filthy rich. :)

 

The best way to make a small fortune in racing is by starting with a large one.

L5wolvesf said:

Tom1200 said:

In reply to stuart in mn :

His suit isn't nomex so he's just Clark Kent in a car (they never established he could fly without the suit)

Clark Kent is merely a disguise Superman wears so it is Superman in the car. And since Superman is fire retardant himself he does not need a suit.

That suit won't pass tech...............so he'll never be out on track.

JG Pasterjak said:

If we're talking about what would actually work in the real world, then really the only answer is Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark because we all know that race cars run on money.

Stark actually runs a historic F1 car at Monaco in Iron Man 2.

Autobots? 

Come on folks this is too easy. Speed Racer. And if you doubt he's a superhero you are just wrong. 

I would say Quicksilver. The way he can speed up himself, it would let him see everything on the track as though he was walking instead of doing 150+mph. This could give him perfect reaction time to every situation.

secretariata (Forum Supporter) said:

Come on folks this is too easy. Speed Racer. And if you doubt he's a superhero you are just wrong. 

I thought that Go Mifune was Speed Racer. At least in the Japanese language version of the show.

Spider-Man, 100%

He'd be at full send all the time.  Why? Because his spidey-sense would alert him when he was about to lose it.

Edit: Spidey also has an inate intelligence level between Reed Richards and Tony Stark, the only thing they have over him is formal training and time to study.  He'd build an excellent racecar.

Also, he's perpetually broke, so he'd compete in the Challenge.

Flash.  Super speed, reflexes that could catch any kind of mistake well before it becomes a mistake.

Racer X

Batman or Iron Man. Money is a great superpower to have for racing.

Does Wonder Woman's invisible jet have tech that could translate to a race car? That could make for some interesting strategy choices. She's probably lighter than most other super heroes as well.