raceing game idea

This isn't some "BIG" game concept like GTA3...it's much smaller in scope, more like a arcade game then anything else, with a major focus on jockying for race posistion. as such it could even be 2D like the old Bump-N-Jump game

the idea:
a futuristic raceing game, players are in control of a raceing team. The race cars are more or less robots with wheels on thier feet and arms.

Players can switch control between each of thier teams racers during the event (with the AI controlling the rest)...got a guy in last place?...then take control of him...

each race bot has a couple of features...they have a fighting game type health bar...if it reaches zero then the craft shuts down and becomes a obstical on the track...as long as the racer has some health, they can use the "turbo" button for a speed burst...but this quickly drains health, so players must use it carefully...but not to worry...the health bar automaticly slowly heals itself during the race (unless it reaches zero)

Each racer can also use thier limbs to "attack" others on the track...this causes some damage to the racer being hit, as well as slowing them down slightly...

Additionaly any two racers on the same team can combine thier bots into one larger, stronger, but slower machine...this is most usefull for defense...as players can use this to block others from passing them...the combo lasts indefinately...and can be done at anytime (as long as the two team mates are close enough together)...a simple button press can release the two craft at anytime...or if the combo machine's health reaches zero it is automaticly split appart...

so far pretty average right?

well here is the twist:

The goal of the race is to be the "last team standing" in as short of a time as possable...no you don't do this by beating the other teams up...you do this by winning laps.
Whatever team leads the lap, as soon as all active racers of that team complete thier lap, any other racers in the pack behind the lap winning teams last car are automaticly "shut down" becomesing obsticals on the track...
Say a team blue car leads the lap...as soon as the last team blue car completes the lap...all others behind him are "shut down"...if the last team blue racer is in the very back of the pack (last one to complete the lap) then no body is "shut down".

If that is still confuseing here is a little run down:

Lap #1 (order they completed):
Blue #1, Red #2, Blue #3, Red #1, Green #1, Blue #3...(the rest are "shut down")

Lap #2 (Red #2 takes the lead...but the other posistions remain the same):
Red #2, Blue #1, Blue #3, Red #1...(the rest are "shut down")

This continues until one team wins the race (entire remaining team completes a lap without other teams in the field)

There are bonuses for the fewest number of laps as well as for winning with more then one team mate...the bonuses allow the player to purchase more race bots to replace the ones that got "shut down"...and there is a element of gambaling as players are able to chose how many team mates they want to enter in the race (from 1 to 10)...the more they enter, the better their chances for continueing lap after lap...but the harder it becomes to win quickly.


As I said before...this isn't a big ambitious game idea...just something you can pick up and play for a while...it's not about collecting a huge variety of cars or opening up a bunch of new tracks...its all about a tightly focused gameplay mechanic...sort of the Tetris of raceing games...players are just out to get the highest possable score.

As I said, this wouldn't require 3D graphics (altho it wouldn't hurt) a simple 2D top down approch could work IMHO...but what do you think?