CHAPTER 1
SUPER SPRINT
“Racers, get ready!” a race official blares.
Atalanta rolls up to the starting line. She revs her engine.
VROOM! VROOM!
To her right is the mighty Hercules. His engine roars.
RRRR! RRRR!
On her left is Perseus with his winged-shaped mud flaps. His engine rumbles.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
There are other ThunderTrucks as well. Theseus, B-phon, Argonutz, and Odysseus all roll up to the starting line together.
Each of them has a special skill. Hercules is the World’s Mightiest Truck. He even has a decal that says so. At the ThunderJam 3000, Perseus jumped over an amazing 90 flaming tires. Theseus is the only ThunderTruck smart enough to solve the Monster Maze.
Atalanta has a special skill too. She is the speediest of them all. At least that is what she hopes to prove at the ThunderTruck Super Sprint.
“Get set!” the official blares.
Engines rev, roar, and rumble even louder.
VROOM! RRRR! RUMBLE!
“GO!” the official blares.
Tires spin. Dust flies. The crowd HONKS! and BEEPS! as the race begins.
Atalanta zips into the lead. The mighty Hercules quickly falls behind. Even Theseus, Argonutz, and Odysseus cannot keep up. They are all left in Atalanta’s dust.
As the racers round a turn, Perseus zooms up a small hill. He leaps high into the air. He lands with a THUD next to Atalanta.
“You really are fast,” Perseus says with a gasp. He tries to keep pace.
“You haven’t seen anything yet!” Atalanta beeps.
Her tires SQUEAL, and she darts ahead of Perseus.
B-phon opens his doors. They spread out wide like wings. WHOOSH! He takes flight and soars into the air.
Atalanta looks up as he starts to catch her.
“You won’t pass me,” Atalanta beeps.
Her engine whines. She dashes ahead of B-phon.
Atalanta darts around the track faster than any other ThunderTruck. She sails over jumps and zips around turns. She zooms down the straightaways.
Up ahead, the official waves a checkered flag. Atalanta speeds across the finish line and SCREEEECHES to a stop.
The crowd cheers, “Atalanta! Atalanta!”
The other trucks pass the finish line.
“Wow!” Perseus beeps.
“You are super speedy,” Theseus says.
“I bet we can find you a sticker that says ‘World’s Speediest Truck,’” Hercules adds.
“I bet she’s not,” a loud voice says.
Suddenly, the crowd goes silent.
A giant, flame-red truck rolls up to the group of ThunderTrucks.
“Bullistic!” the audience gasps.
The MonsterTruck lets out a cloud of smoke.
“You aren’t the World’s Speediest Truck until you beat me,” Bullistic booms.
“I am not afraid to race you,” Atalanta says.
“Then I challenge you to a race through the Monster Maze!” Bullistic bellows.