Sarge's Boot Camp

For other uses, see Sarge's Boot Camp (disambiguation).

Sarge's SUV Bootcamp sign.

Sarge's Boot Camp is an area between Radiator Springs and Willys Butte, owned by Sarge. Typically depicted as a military-style training ground, the compound contains valleys, steep cliffs, and elaborate man-made obstacles – set up for specialized SUV training sessions, instructed by SSarge himself. Some of the more frequent attendees include T.J., Murphy, and Frank "Pinky" Pinkerton.

In the THQ game trilogy, a dark green fence forms the perimeter. The inner area is gated off in story mode in Cars: The Videogame and Cars: Mater-National Championship, though the player technically can access the inside by clearing one of the gates through unintended means. The third and final installment Cars: Race-O-Rama fully opens the gates in all modes.

History

Sarge's SUV Boot Camp.

Shortly after Lightning McQueen's arrival in Radiator Springs, and the town's subsequent popularity surge, Sarge decided to open a training camp for self-challenging SUVs. Luigi, Guido, and newcomer T.J. enrolled (intentionally or otherwise) as its first students. In the epilogue of Cars, T.J. is seen with three other bright-colored SUVs. When Sarge orders the students to descend a cliffside, the stylish Hummer complains he's "never been off-road", but Sarge's indifference leads him to reluctantly embrace the dirt.

Per recommendation of Doc Hudson, Lightning seeks off-road training from Sarge, who he finds coaching two struggling utility vans. An omen for McQueen's own exhaustion to come, Sarge pushed him through multiple trials, and finally a road race, with Fillmore, Ramone, and Sheriff joining for three laps around the exterior compound.

Game appearances

In Cars: The Videogame, the core area lends its setting to an eponymous minigame, where Lightning McQueen must complete Sarge's obstacle courses in a given time frame, each one more elaborate than the last. The broader area is part of races like North Desert Dash and most notably Sarge's Off-Road Challenge, where the compound gates are opened and unique wooden bridges placed to cross the large ravine.

The console versions of Cars: Mater-National Championship avoid most of the area, with only North Willys Butte cutting through the center; Though largely unchanged from its prior appearance, vicious tornadoes are shown to form in sandstorms, threatening to halt an unfortunate racer's momentum. the DS version includes a dedicated race course, portraying a large surplus-esque compound building in addition to the tight, off-road turns.

See also

• Sarge's students