Plot:
At the local drag strip, people are watching drag races. Stock footage of drag races... We then get to meet Hot Rod Girl (HRG for short) or Lisa about to race... She
beats her opponent hands down. A group of her friends are talking with her. Police officer Ben helped to get the drat strip started. The police captain isn't happy
about the drag strip. Citizens want to close it.
Steve wants his older brother Jeff to ride with him to hear what's wrong with his rod. Their parents were killed. Jeff is old enough to be out on his own. But, Steve has
to live with an aunt who surprise doesn't understand him. Steve is counting the days until he can get out of the house. A guy pulls up alongside Steve's rod. We're
never given his name, so let’s call him "Skippy." Jeff tries to calm his younger brother down. Skippy keeps egging him on without saying a word. He passes
Steve's car and then will get the car in reverse. So, Steve has to go in reverse to avoid hitting the guy. Skippy does this repeatedly until Steve's lost his
temper. Steve has had enough. And to quote George Jones, "the race is on."
The chief wants the accident rate down. It is a great attempt at foreshadowing. The hot-rodders crash and the ambulance pulls up to the accident. Jeff tells Ben how
Steve was provoked. Steve dies in the wreck and Skippy drives away out of the movie. Skippy is never seen again. Jeff is torn up about the death of his
brother. It might be more effective if Jeff showed any emotions at this point. He chokes up at the wrecked car....
Now, I seem to notice that Chuck Connors has some serious square jaw action almost like Dick Tracy. Back to the movie, Jeff is put on probation and loses
his driver's license. Jeff holds himself responsible. Ben wants Jeff to keep helping with the drag strip. The hot-rodders look to Jeff as a role model.
Lisa wants to talk to Jeff so she calls the garage he works. He's reluctant to talk to her. Lisa wants him to meet her at the drag strip. Jeff refuses.
At Yo-Yos, the local hangout, the 50s lingo is flying. We see jukeboxes with records. Riddler (ok Flat Top, but I was hoping he start saying "Riddle me this...") digs
the groovy music. Everyone skips the drag strip meeting. Jeff is working around the clock at the garage. No one really cares about the drag strip. Some of the guys are
wanting to drag race on the streets again.
Jeff is working at the garage. The boss comments on how much he's doing. Lisa stops by to see Jeff. Jeff holds himself to blame and refuses to turn too Lisa. This
could be part of the 50s bottling your emotions so knows you're hurting or they got a bad actor for Jeff. He's working to forget everything around reminds him of his
brother. Jeff keeps going till he's exhausted so he can't think... Lisa tries to get Jeff out of his funk.
Lisa is back at Yo-Yos. A new guy comes in with no name. I dub him "Phantom Racer" or PR for short. The girls think he's dreamy...Children consult people who
were alive in the 50s to see if this slang was used. PR gives Lisa the eye. He wants to know who the best guy to fix cars is. Lisa doesn't like him. Riddler and
the others aren't too happy with PR's attitude.
PR goes to the garage where Jeff works to have him tune his car. PR doesn't know about cars and surprisingly he treats Jeff like dirt. Just to keep the scoreboard up
to date, PR has managed to anger and offend everyone he meets. This guy is so one-dimensional he gives depth to a point. The definition of a point is a one
dimensional object...Sometimes; these just aren't as funny as they seem originally...
Kids are gunning their hot rod engines on the streets. These are the kinds of signs of delinquent behavior. The drag strip is virtually deserted. The cops are telling Ben
how the hot rodders are acting up. Apparently, Jeff is the magic cure who can solve all these problems.
Some girl gives PR the eye that has the eye for Lisa. Apparently, PR doesn't understand that if someone hates you, you have very bad chances of wooing her... Lisa
is waiting for Jeff at Yo-Yos. When all of Lisa's friends are dancing, PR decides now is the time to hit on her. PR unplugs the jukebox to the anger of the kids who are
dancing. The cook who owns the place is scared off by PR. Finally, Jeff shows up about the time PR is going to hit some guy. The Phantom Racer is just that
charming....
We get some tough talk between Jeff and PR. Not going to fight inside, Jeff would be happy to fight in the parking lot. PR has the brilliant idea to race. I don't know if
PR knows that Jeff lost his license. Riddler challenges PR to a race. Everybody goes to watch the race except for Jeff.
The cook, Yo-Yo, is talking to Jeff about how sensible he is. He's starting to get through to Jeff. At the race, PR explains the rules to Riddler who can't quit and save
face. The race is a version of chicken. Everybody is tense. Riddler looks scared to death. As the game of chicken begins, the tension continues to mount. I couldn't
really tell who won. Riddler's girlfriend rushes to him PR mocks him who gains a following in the process. So, I guess that PR won. It seemed to be unclear. Riddler
agrees to never do anything stupid like that again.
Back at Yo-Yos, PR starts hitting on Lisa again. Jeff wants to know if Riddler is ok. Ben shows up to see what happened. Somebody reported a street race to the
police. PR denies that a race took place. Jeff refuses to tell if there was a race or not and leaves. Jeff is trying to be nicer to Lisa. Riddler finally shows up and
refuses to tell what happened, too. Ben warns them that one more screw-up and they will all lose licenses. PR insults Ben. At least, PR is batting a thousand for
provoking people.
Back at Jeff's place, Lisa fixes them some coffee. Jeff apologizes about what he's done. Kiss and makeup time. Jeff gets Lisa to leave before things go too far. So no
sweet lovin' ensues. Lisa gets him to agree to the drag strip the next day. She leaves. Jeff pulls out one of his racing trophies...
The Captain is mad about the race. Nice to know that in the town they don't have crime. All they have are a few hot rodding teenagers. Ben doesn't have any proof
but has a plan. The kids go to the drag strip. Ben mentions that Jeff and Lisa are at the drag strip which is overheard by PR. Ben follows PR and pulls him over. Ben
offers him a choice: go to the drag strip or lose his license. It sounds like the only punishment they have for teenagers in the 50s is to take away their licenses.
At the drag strip, we're treated to stock footage of drag racing. Riddler tells Jeff that the chicken race was a bad idea. Ben shows up with PR. PR hits on Lisa
again (Can he take no for an answer?) Pr's car is inspected before he can race by Jeff. It turns out that the car fails the safety inspection. PR is angry at Ben and
Jeff and drives off. Jeff is given his license back because his probation is up.
Jeff and Lisa are taking a nice quiet drive. PR is following them. With a jazzy instrumental in the background, we're treated to Jeff and PR who are pass eaching other
repeatedly. All the time, Lisa is saying that PR is crazy.
Now this is were it gets interesting. A kid on a bicycle is pedaling down the road. If a man on a bicycle wearing a kid’s cowboy hat counts as a child. He falls off his
bicycle and is almost hit by Jeff. Immediately following this the "kid" rolls away. Crash. Jeff wakes Lisa after the wreck. At the hospital, Ben tells Jeff, Riddler, and
PR that the kid is dead. PR claims that he didn't kill the kid. Jeff is unsure if the car he was driving hit the kid or not. Ben has to arrest Jeff.
I can't say anything to a headline like that. It's too easy...
Ben tries to explain to the Captain. The Captain is one of the wonderful police officers more concerned with his job than crime, etc... The town wants the drag strip
closed, get rid of the hot rods, and Ben to resign. Jeff will face a manslaughter charge but is on bail.
At Lisa's place, Ben talks to Lisa who doesn't know if the car hit the child or not. Ben wants to meet Jeff and Lisa at Yo-Yos. Ben gets there first and gets a paint
sample of PR's car. This must have been before warrants were necessary. Inside, PR claims that Jeff hit the kid. Ben mentions that Jeff's skid marks are away from
the kid, but PR's tracks go right through the kid. When Ben mentions that a paint sample from PR's car seems to match the pain ton the kid’s bike, PR is starting to
sweat about that revelation. He breaks a bottle over Ben's head and is making a break for it. Lisa and Jeff show up at Yo-Yos. Finally, we get the fistfight between
PR and Jeff. Jeff knocks PR out as Ben wakes up. It will be a tough fight but with the evidence of PR breaking a bottle over Ben's head and how he was going to
leave. That will show PR is the one who hit the kid. As Ben hauls PR away, we get a happy ending.
