Rick Bowman, a drag racing street punk, comes to the attention of crafty businessman Grant Willard. Willard bails him out of jail and offers him sponsorship as a stock car driver. Bowman accepts and enters the demolition derby-adjacent world of "figure eight" racing. As Bowman moves up in the ranks, his regard for his friends slips-- giving way to outright obsession with becoming the best.

A race car driver tries to outrun the beautiful tax auditor out to settle his account.

Stock car racer Tommy Callahan is forced to join Pete Madsen's thrill circus after his blackouts cause a fatal accident that gets him thrown off the circuit.

Stock car racer Dave Owens plays into the hands of whiskey runners by agreeing to drive in a cross-country road race.