High Octane

High Octane
Episode #	304
Air Date	October 6, 1979
Briefing	?

Title screen

Brief Plot

Crooks are stealing gas from local stations and re-selling it. Getraer gets taken out and injured while in pursuit. Roller hockey: Central vs. West L.A.!

Plot

While Ponch and Jon resolve a confrontation at a gas station, Grossie and Getraer come across an accident caused by an oil truck. The unsuspecting oil truck drivers think Getraer is after them because they stole the oil. They let out the oil on the highway and Getraer skids on it and falls over in the flaming oil.

After the theme, Ponch and Jon find Grossie near Getraer's burned motorcycle. Getraer is put in an ambulance and taken to the hospital. Just after Grossie describes the NET-OIL truck, we see the thieves removing the sign from it. After visiting Getraer in the hospital, Ponch and Jon chase a car that stole a gas station's gas. Turning a corner, Jon flies off his motorcycle. Luckily he's fine and Ponch catches the driver of the car.

That night, Ponch dates a girl who works at a gas station and finds out when the line starts to form. Across town, the thieves are sucking up gas when the station owner arrives. They drive off trailing gas behind.

The next day, Ponch and Jon are out looking for a gas truck with a missing mud guard. When they pull over for a rest, they see a car that's swerving and hitting other cars. They get the driver out when he drives up a hill. He was transporting gas inside with him and got woosy. Just as they get him out, the car explodes. After the briefing, Ponch is the referee for a roller hockey match between Central and West L.A. CHP sponsored kids. Ponch calls high-sticking on Central and they lose 4 to 5. After Ponch and Jon fuel up in the early morning, they go on patrol and then return to Central to do reports.

Meanwhile, the gas suckers are at it again. Sindy is staking out the suspicious gas station and calls in Ponch and Jon to catch the truck while she handles the station. Ponch and Jon chase the truck and it ends up crashing into a newly painted house and explodes in one of "CHiPs"'s greatest explosions.

After putting the thieves away, it's the Central CHP vs the West CHP officers in roller hockey. We never find out who won, but the last we see, Central is ahead 3 to 2.

Sindy Cahill as LA-15 Special Unit 1

Great Quote

Ponch tries to get a response from Getraer after the accident: "Joe, can you hear me?" "Good ol' Poncherello. One of my finest officers." "He's delirious. Get him outta here."

Guest Stars

• Paul Hampton as Gary Bennett
• Mark Slade as Slim
• Ellen Bry as Beth
• Aldo Ray as Karl Beasley
• William Watson as Sgt. Chapman
• Paul Linke as Grossman
• Lou Wagner as Harlan

Also Starring

• Brianne Leary as Sindy

Co-starring

• Brodie Greer as Baricza
• Michael Dorn as Turner
• Sidney Clute as Steve Barr
• Stephanie Faulkner as Lady Doctor

Featuring

• Frank Arno as Angry Man
• Bob Ross as First Motorist
• Alyscia Maxwell as Second Motorist
• Paul Keith as Citizen

Crew

• Produced by: Cy Chermak
• Written by: James Schmerer
• Directed by: John Florea
• Executive Consultant: Rick Rosner
• Story Editors: William D. Gordon & James Doherty
• Associate Producer: Paul Rabwin
• Developed for television by: Paul Playdon
• Music by: Alan Silvestri
• Theme by: John Parker
• Music Supervisor: Harry V. Lojewski
• Director of Photography: Robert F. Sparks
• Art Director: Les Gobruegge
• Editor: Dennis Mosher
• Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow
• Assistant Director: Bob Jeffords
• 2nd Assistant Director: Paul Chavez
• Script Supervisor: Jack Gannon
• Set Decorator: W. Joseph Kroesser
• Production Consultant: Dave McDannel
• Technical Advisor: Bill Kuethen
• Stunt Co-ordinator: Paul Nuckles
• Sound: Louis C. Williman, M. Curtis Price, C.A.S.
• Wardrobe Supervisor: Shelly Levine
• Makeup: Richard Cobos, S.M.A, Walter Schenck
• Casting: Michael O. Hanks
• Locations by: Cinemobile Systems
• With Appreciation to Glen B. Craig, Commissioner California Highway Patrol
• Motorcycles Furnished by: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
• Automobiles furnished by: Ford Motor Company
• Filmed in METROCOLOR / Titles and Opticals MGM
• Rosner Television in association with MGM Television

Fun Facts

Jefferson Bowl Coffee Shop

JFG Manufacturing

• This is the last episode where we see Sindy Cahill.
• Gas is 89 cents per gallon.
• When Ponch and Jon chase the red car on to the car carrier, they are turning from Sepulveda Blvd. to Greenlawn Ave. View in Google Maps The Ice Skating sign, which is the Culver Ice Arena, is still visible west of there on Sepulveda. View in Google Maps
• The roller hockey games take place at the Los Angeles Sports Arena at 3939 S. Figueroa St. View in Google Maps (the actual rink is probably beneath the red and white cover).
• The gas station in the opening scene was on Jefferson Blvd, Culver City. The Jefferson Bowl Coffee Shop seen in the background was razed in the late '80s to make way for a strip mall. The Jefferson Bowl sign can also be seen in the night shot when the bad guys are stealing the gas. View in Google Maps
• Some of the early parts of the red car chase were filmed on West Washington Blvd. Most of car dealers seen on-screen have now gone, and the side road they turn up has now been replaced by a Honda dealership. The JFG Manufacturing building still stands on Hoke Avenue behind the Honda dealer. View in Google Maps

Mistakes

• When Ponch and Jon return to Central and catch Harlan siphoning gas from a cruiser, they ride into the parking lot on the old style of CHP motorcycle (notice the lack of black "boots" on the front wheel supports), which turns into the new style (notice the black rubber "boots" on the front wheel supports) when they stop. There are other scenes in this episode where they go from a close-up and we see the new style to a distant shot and see the old style (e.g., when they are on the freeway looking for the truck that hit Getraer by inspecting mud flaps).
• After Cahill radios that she has spotted something at her 10-20, we see Ponch and Jon riding. A close-up of the radio also shows the speedometer, which has the needle pegged at 0mph.
• Fuel tankers like the one in the episode deliver fuel using gravity. It is impossible to siphon gasoline from underground tanks without special equipment and hoses. The truck used had no suction equipment.

Preceded by: "Valley Go Home!"

High Octane 304

Followed by: "Death Watch"