An orange Dodge Charger is a participant in the race. The car is driven by a pair of relatives, one with blonde hair, and one with dark hair. The pair have a Dixie flag on their uniforms. Also, their vehicle is powered by moonshine. This seems like a reference to the series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), where a pair of cousins drive an orange Dodge Charger with a confederate flag painted on the roof, and have a family history of driving moonshine around a dry county. The characters' surnames are likewise royal titles (Duke/Prince). The race announcer refers to the car as the "number one" car; the General Lee had an "01" painted on its side.
The Orange '69 Dodge Charger complete with 10 spoke American Racing Vector wheels was actually a General Lee stunt car straight from The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), purchased from Warner Bros.
K.I.T.T. is outfitted with an infrared tracking radar, switches from gas to liquid hydrogen and darkens his windows for the first time.
After Michael finds out he may have to give up his trophy, Devon responds, "sic transit gloria mundi." A phrase borrowed from papal coronations, it roughly means that worldly things are merely fleeting. In this case, Michael's trophy.
The starting line up in the alternative fuel race is as follows:
Car #1: Sonny and Lester Prince - Model: Dodge Charger - Power: Alcohol Mixture
Car #2: Helmut Gras - Model Porsche 911 - Power: Methane
Car #3: Hito Osaka - Datsun 200 SX - Power: Propane
Car #4: Dorothy Ackridge - Ford Mustang - Power: Solar
Car #5: Hashi Al Qatar - custom sandrail - Power: Multi-Fuel
Car #6: Michael Knight - Trans-Am: K2000 Special - Power: Liquid Hydrogen