401 - Go-Cart Terror

Original Airdate: 21-Sep-1980

Plot: On patrol, Ponch and Jon help a girl who fell off her bike. As they see if she's ok, some teenagers ride by on go-carts. One stops to apologize for hitting the bike while the other stops to apologize. After the other go-cart gets away, Ponch returns to find Jon. At the briefing, Ponch realizes he saw the thieves leaving the Price Bros store. After the briefing, everyone's wondering if the go-cart driver was a member of the CHP's go-cart team. Later, the "Special Guest Stars" are stealing office equipment. Baricza's the first in persuit and Bonnie soon joins in. After the commercial, Ponch and Jon join the chase. Not far down the highway, Sonny Bono's truck loaded with all the office equipment rolls down a hill. He runs off before Ponch and Jon arrive. That afternoon, Ponch takes charge of the go-cart club meeting. As he and Jon leave, Ponch notices Wayne's helmet...the same one the reckless driver was wearing. The next day, on duty, Ponch goes to talk to Wayne but spots him on his go-cart in the street. Wayne ends up making a van splash into a lake so Ponch stops to help. Wayne turns around and comes back to call it in for Ponch. Ponch dives in and pulls the woman out. After everything turns out fine, Wayne admits he just wants his parents to come home. At the go-cart track, Ponch and a fireman challenge each other to a race. Ponch goes off the track and loses. To raise money, the go-cart kids hold a car wash. All the CHP officers show up and end up having a water fight. At the go-cart race, the CHP is behind the fire department up until the last race where the CHP wins 14 to 12. The next day, Baricza checks out a closed warehouse claiming to be having a sale. After looking in the window, he drives out back and spots the truck. After calling it in, he chases them. Ponch and Jon join in, dodge some thrown furniture, and stop the truck on an unfinished part of the highway.

Briefing: Price Bros. has been robbed

Guest Stars: Moosie Drier (as Wayne), Gamy L. Taylor (as Norma), Adam Silbar (as Duffy), Larry Storch (from F Troop as Chub), Sonny Bono (singer-turned-congressman as Mike), Paul Tuerpe (as Caspar), Jerry Ayres (as Wells), Terri Lynn Wood (as Pam), Kevin King Cooper (as Fritz), Jack Heller (as Ozzie), Gloria Delaney (as Carol), Juanita Merritt (as Debbie), Debbie Kaine (as Julie), Ingrid Greer (as Marie), Debrah Kelly (as Elizabeth), George Whiteman (as Bob)
Written by: James Schmerer
Directed by: John Florea

Fun Fact:

• This is probably the only time you'll see Bonnie in a wet T-shirt.
• Ingrid Greer may be related to Brodie Greer (Baricza).

Mistakes:

• So that go-cart what's speeding away from Ponch's motorcycle can actually go just as fast as his motorcycle? ...or is Ponch holding back?
• When the tarp is over Bonnie's cruiser, why doesn't she pull it off? Her window's open. She doesn't even make an attempt.
• As the van goes into the lake, nobody's in it.
• When the van's under water, where's the light coming from?
• As Ponch pulls the woman to the shore of the lake, the sirens don't repeat right. They were probably dubbed in later.
• Bonnie puts Wayne in her cruiser after the lake incident...but what about his go-cart? Will she put it in the trunk? Leave it there?
• Why does Baricza stop to look in the windows of ASAP Furniture?
• Baricza stops, calls in the escaping truck, moves the couch in his way, and resumes the persuit. Wouldn't it be faster to move the couch and call it in while you're driving?
• The dispatcher misidentifies a stolen 1961 Ford pickup truck as a 1977. In a later scene, that same 1961 Ford becomes a 1964.
• Where's Grossie?

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