Mirage Raceway
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The subject of this article was removed in patch 4.0.3a but remains in Classic Era.
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- For the post-Cataclysm version, see Raceway Ruins.
 Mirage Raceway | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Village |
| Race(s) |
  Goblin  Gnome  Dwarf  Human  Tauren  Night elf Ogre |
| Affiliation(s) | Independent |
| Location | Eastern Thousand Needles |
| Status |
Flooded  Active  |
The Mirage Raceway (or Mirage Racetrack)[1] was built by the goblin Pozzik and gnome Fizzle Brassbolts as a result of their rivalry to prove the superiority of their respective race. The two also built rocket cars and enlisted teams to drive them.[2]
Background
World of Warcraft
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This section is a lore stub. |
The Mirage Raceway eventually become a unique draw for both the Horde and the Alliance, as supporters came to cheer on their respective favorites. Races between the gnome and goblin drag cars took place daily, as both teams scrambled to come up with improvements that would give their side an edge. The track also drew a number of seedy types, attracted to the prospect of gambling on the winner.
Cataclysm
During the Cataclysm, the whole of Thousand Needles was flooded by the ocean as a crumbling canyon wall collapsed into the Shimmering Flats. The Raceway, therefore, was submerged. Fizzle and Pozzik later built a "Speedbarge" to float above the ruined raceway.
Inhabitants
- Merchants
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Brivelthwerp <Ice Cream Vendor> - Jinky Twizzlefixxit <Engineering Supplies>
- Riznek <Drink Vendor>
- Synge <Gun Merchant>
- Questgivers
- Fizzle Brassbolts
- Gnome Pit Boss
- Goblin Pit Boss
- Kravel Koalbeard
- Magus Tirth
- Pozzik
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Quentin - Razzeric
- Trackmaster Zherin
- Wizzle Brassbolts
- Zamek
- Other characters
- Race Master Kronkrider
- Daisy <Race Starter Girl>
Fobeed <Race Announcer>- Jizzle Grikbot (not in-game)
- "Plucky" Johnson
- Rizzle Brassbolts
- Zuzubee <Race Announcer>
- Drag Master Miglen
- Gnome Pit Crewman
- Gnome Drag Car
- Goblin Pit Crewman
- Goblin Drag Car (Nazz Steamboil)
In the RPG
The Shimmering Flats is home to a small collection of buildings and forges operated by rival gnomes and goblins. There, they operate a racetrack carved out of the salt sands, pitting their machines against each other in regular contests to prove which race is technologically superior. Naturally, this leaves the sands littered with debris from countless mechanical failures, but since no other intelligent beings live in this wasteland, there isn't anybody around to care. The Mirage Raceway is a bustling settlement divided down the middle by a racetrack carved in the salt-caked lakebed. On one side the goblins labor in their forges, while on the other gnomes tinker in workshops day in and day out. The goal of both sides seems to be to develop the fastest, and most dangerous, mechanical vehicle on Azeroth. The frequency with which they blow themselves up is as astonishing as the racing vehicles they construct.
Goblin and gnome tinkers labored constantly to perfect the ultimate racing machines. At regular intervals, they participated in trials of their creations, and twice monthly the Mirage Raceway hosted a series of events to determine which side was the best. While no prizes were officially awarded, being "the best" was usually enough. Besides, there was plenty of betting going on behind the scenes to make a shrewd gambler a tidy fortune — or break the bank if he chose poorly.[3]
At the start of each month, the Mirage Raceway Independent Oversight Committee (MRIOC) announced the parameters for the next race (length, vehicle class, special rules, and so on). The first race was considered the "preliminaries", while the final race of the month determined the overall winner. The side that achieved victory then lorded it over the losers for the next month.[3]
Notes and trivia
- The goblin racer that crashed into the cliff still remains in Cataclysm still attached to the cliff in the water.
- The Mirage Raceway is rumored to be a homage to the desert planet of Tatooine from the Star Wars saga. Some of the Goblin racers (namely the model used for the Goblin Racer) have a slight resemblance to podracers from Episode I: The Phantom Menace, added to the fact that the track is set in the desert.
- The name of the raceway is a reference to the El Mirage Lake in California, where land speed racing events are held at the Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track located on its lake bed.
- During the beta, some manner of gambling was apparently planned in connection to the race as seen in [1] Gnomes Win! and [1] Goblins Win!
Speculation
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This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.
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Since MEGA sponsors the Fizzle and Pozzik's Speedbarge annual boat race and races similar to that,[4] it can be speculated that they sponsored the races of the Mirage Raceway before it was flooded and replaced by the Speedbarge.
Gallery
Mirage Raceway at night
Gnome Drag Car crashed as far away as Tanaris.
Goblin Drag Car crashed into the cliff of Shimmering Flats.
Gnome and goblin collision result.
Mirage Raceway Circuit Diagram.
References
- ^ Gadgetzan Times/Mailbag
- ^ Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 152
- ^ a b Lands of Mystery, pg. 150
- ^ Traveler: The Spiral Path, pg. 234
