Chariot-Style Bus Racing

For some reason, my city still has conventional diesel powered buses. I assume it is because of some combination of incompetence and a casual disregard for the population, since there can be no more appropriate use for electric vehicles than the stop-start totally predictable bus application. Anyhow, the world's bus fleet is slowly being replaced and vast numbers of legacy diesel buses are becoming available. What to do with them?

Racing is the obvious answer. Conventional racing would simply identify the fastest type of bus and then it would be no more interesting than F1. Instead we need more of a show.

So, the steering is achieved by means of long, chariot-style reigns. The driver stands on top at the back of the bus in a purpose-built waist high enclosure. Braking is achieved through a voice-control system designed to recognize the word "Whoooa!" and brake modulation is achieved by pulling on both reigns.

The accelerator is mounted on top at the front of the bus. It's action is like those taps at camp-sites and other places that like to be stingy with water. The type where you press and get ~1 second of full flow, then it tails off to nothing over ~2-3 seconds or so. To accelerate, the driver must press the accelerator from his position at the back of the bus using only the well-practiced actions of the provided horse-whip. Of course hitting the accelerator will get harder with increased speed and cornering, driver skill and a certain element of luck will be the main determinants of winning, bus-to bus contact will be encouraged.