History Main / BurningRubber

* Not generally possible in RealLife for automobile tires, but ''aircraft'' tires can occasionally heat up enough to catch fire if they go flat during takeoff. This caused the 1991 crash of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria_Airways_Flight_2120 Nigeria Airlines Flight 2120]], when the crew retracted their aircraft's landing gear after takeoff without realizing that the gear was on fire, allowing it to burn through various important parts of the aircraft and eventually cause the plane to break up in midair.

** Not ''generally'' possible but with the right car and tires, [[https://youtu.be/VJmrh7mLKc0?t=91 it is indeed glorious]]. Seems to be a thing in Australia, looking at Youtube for "flaming burnout" videos.

Can be justified, albeit thinly, in the case of a wheeled vehicle (friction causes heat and tires are flammable -- though in that case only the tires should be burning).[[note]]And even then, the turbulence from the tires spinning would put it out immediately.[[/note]] Other times the trail of fire isn't caused by tires or indeed wheels, which may make you wonder what exactly is causing those flames. But honestly, when this trope is employed well, you won't worry about such niggling little details. It's ''[[RuleOfCool cool]]''.

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Binky in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' books is described as leaving these trails, probably as a homage to ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture''.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'', Mr. Cat and Stumpy both kick a soccer ball at the same time with all their strength, and the ball leaves a trail of fire behind it. [[EpicFail It misses the goal and destroys almost everything else.]]

->''I never ever had a love\\

On me''

* In the ''[[SonicTheHedgehog Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog]]'' this was how Sonic's speed was frequently shown.
* Spoofed through EpicFail in ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom''. Sonic runs laps around a pile of leaves Knuckles set up in an attempt to create a fire; the only thing that gets burning are Sonic's shoes.

%%* ''ComicBook/TheFlash''
%%* ''Comicbook/GhostRider''
%%* ''ComicBook/SinCity''

* ''TheFlash''
* ''Comicbook/GhostRider''
* ''SinCity''

* The Wiki/SCPFoundation has [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/log-of-anomalous-items one anomalous item (a red ███████ brand automobile)]] that is capable of doing this.

* In one ''SpongebobSquarepants'' episode, Sandy was going so fast on a "sandboard" (the underwater equivalent of a snowboard) she catches fire and leaves a trail of glass behind. I think there were a few more that had the usual trail of fire.

* ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'': The Delorean tends to leave a pair of these behind whenever it's used for time travel. Including when ''airborne''.

* In ''BurnoutParadise'', get the Jansen P12 88 Special and hit the boost.

* ''OctopusPie'': Taunting a unicycle rider leads to flaming rubber [[http://www.octopuspie.com/2009-09-04/326-just-one-wheel/ on the road.]]

* ''Film/BackToTheFuture'': The Delorean tends to leave a pair of these behind whenever it's used for time travel. Including when ''airborne''.

* ''NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' (the sledding scene).

* Binky in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' books is described as leaving these trails, probably as a homage to ''Film/BackToTheFuture''.

* ''Film/{{Tron}}'': May have been the inspiration for the Light Cycles, which left a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugAdqQHqmqo potentially deadly solid wall behind them]].
** Actually they were inspired by the video game ''Surround''.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Rainbow Dash pulls this off (with rainbow flames, no less) in "May The Best Pet Win!"

Can be justified, albeit thinly, in the case of a wheeled vehicle (friction causes heat and tires are flammable -- though in that case only the tires should be burning).[[hottip:*:And even then, the turbulence from the tires spinning would put it out immediately.]] Other times the trail of fire isn't caused by tires or indeed wheels, which may make you wonder what exactly is causing those flames. But honestly, when this trope is employed well, you won't worry about such niggling little details. It's ''[[RuleOfCool cool]]''.