A toy vehicle having a front to back dimension includes a body with a forward end and a rearward end. The body carries an extendable tail section adjacent the rearward end for extension from a retracted position adjacent the rearward end to an extended position for increasing the front to back dimension of the vehicle. When the vehicle encounters a change in the angle of the playing surface or a force is otherwise exerted on the distal portion of the extendable section, a motor driven gear engages a rack and drives the extendable section away from the body of the vehicle.