Template:Infobox CharacterJosef "Vert" Wheeler is a former World Race Driver. He led the Wave Rippers team and won the World Race after getting the Wheel of Power for Dr. Tezla. He is voiced by Andrew Francis.
History
Vert was chosen in the World Race as the leader of Team Wave Rippers. After Tezla wouldn't give the World Race drivers more Nitrox 2, he became a street racer in a team called the Teku. Vert still believed he was the best, and better than the current leader, Nolo. He even says that Nolo is "only leader because of his brother". After multiple failures Vert realizes he wasn't as good as he thought he was, and drives home on an unnamed Teku motorcycle. After some reflecting, Vert returns in Breaking Point just in time to race in the Junk Realm.
After he injures his leg in the Ruins Realm, Vert chooses to stay in the Acceledrome instead of helping the others save Markie. This turns out to be a good decision, as Gelorum obtains all of the AcceleChargers and begins the Ultimate Race, and being the only driver on hand, he has to go into the realms after her. Gelorum ends up winning by a slight margin, but the Acceleron at the end of the track says that because Vert used only his skills to drive in the race, that he is the real winner. The Acceleron then makes Vert an Acceleracer and flips Reverb back on its wheels. Vert chooses to go back and find his friends instead of going with the Acceleron (much to Dr. Tezla's dismay), and the Acceleron gives Vert all of the Accelechargers. Returning to the Acceledrome, Vert helps the others fight off the Drones and manages to escape before the building collapsed. However, when Vert enters the portal to go back home, he arrives mysteriously at the Silencerz headquarters, and is subsequently captured by them. There, he learns that the lead driver for the team is in fact his father.
Cars
Vert's first ever car was the Deora II. It was given to him by Dr. Tezla for the World Race. After the World Race, Vert joined the street racing group known as the Teku and the Deora II was repainted with the Teku logo and sponsors all over the car, along with an Ice White base paint and solid blue tinted windows. Deora II was cut in half while escaping from the Storm Realm. Vert then built Power Rage in the time between the Storm Realm and the Swamp Realm and used it to participate in Swamp Realm. Power Rage was totaled in the Swamp Realm when it was picked up by a vine and then tied up by several other vines. RD-L1 also smashed the windshield in an attempt to kill Vert. Vert was then forced to carpool with Shirako and escaped the realm with him in Bassline. In the events in between the Swamp Realm and the Lava Realm, Vert re-built Power Rage and then used it to race in the Lava Realm with the other drivers. He then used it to drive in the Water Realm where it was destroyed. Power Rage was destroyed during the Water Realm when Vert lost control of the car while hydroplaning and flew off the track, after being hurled through the air, the car came in contact with the side of a rock hill above the surface of the water, and it exploded on impact. Vert was forced to use the E.D.R to save his life and escape the crash. Vert then fled the Acceledrome feeling that he wasn't much help to the drivers and he shouldn't race anymore. He then took an unknown Teku motorcycle back to his Dad's house in California. When Vert returned back to the Acceledrome to begin racing for Dr. Tezla again, Nolo let him use the Teku car Reverb to participate in the Junk Realm. After the Junk Realm, Vert drove a Teku motorcycle called Nightlife into the Ruins Realm for unknown reasons. Since Reverb came out of the Junk Realm in one piece, it is possible that when Vert got the car back to the Acceledrome it shut down due to being damaged by the Silencerz EMP device during the Junk Realm, and he was forced to use Nightlife while he repaired it. Reasoning aside, Nightlife was destroyed in the Ruins Realm due to it being crushed by a giant walking statue's foot after Vert was forced to lay the bike down when he lost control of it. In the Ultimate Race, Vert once again uses Reverb to race against Gelorum in the Ultimate Race through all of the Racing Realms. Reverb was last seen in the Silencerz HQ, with Vert and Sparky with it. It is unknown what becomes of Vert and his car after that.
Trivia
- Vert's eyes were brown in World Race, but light blue in AcceleRacers.
- Despite being the former leader of the Wave Rippers team, Vert nearly lost his life in the Water Realm.
- During the battle in Hot Wheels city in Highway 35, Gelorum says "Let's see how well you drive in half a car...". Ironically, Vert's Deora II gets split in half at the end of the storm realm during Acceleracers: Ignition.
- He is the only driver to give up in Speed Of Silence.