DRAG TESTS 1960 - 1972

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Hot Rod / Race / Chase Movies

Speedway - 1929
starring William Haines, Anita Page. Bill Whipple (Haines) is a mechanic who also thinks he's the worlds greatest mechanic, driver, lover. William meets Pat Bannon (Anita) and tries to winner her over. She's not easily impressed, takes him for a plane ride and ends up crashing the plane. He plays hero, this gets him a ride in the Indy 500 which, after a double cross, the person who offered the ride decides to drive themselve after Bill has tuned the car and placed pole position.
 
Roaring Roads - 1935
starring David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger. Stifled, fast car lovin rich kid finally breaks from aunties grasp to do some big time racing. David meets girl, goes gaga for her, enters race. In spite of bungling mobsters and incompetent body guards, David wins the race, the girl and finally his aunts understanding. Ah, don't you just love a happy ending.  
 
Ten Laps To Go - 1936
starring Rex Lease.  Larry Evans, champion race car driver is envied by his chief rival, Eddie DeSylva (Duncan Renaldo), who has more ambitions than merely winning the races; he has designs on the motor patient held by Larry's employer. Eddie intentionally causes a race wreck that lands Larry in the hospital. Larry emerges from the hospital and finds his morale and courage has been broken. He regains his nerve and courage at the race track when he realizes that the driver hired to replace him is working for DeSylva with intentions of throwing the race.
 
Speed - 1936
starring James Stewart, Wendy Barrie. The fast-paced world of Indy car racing provides the backdrop for this movie. The story centers on a test driver who works at a major auto plant. He and his cohorts have invented a new kind of carburetor and are feverishly working to perfect and use it in the upcoming Indy 500. On the day the carburetor is finally tested, something goes terribly wrong and the test driver and the inventor nearly die. 
 
Burn 'Em Up O'Connor - 1939
starring Dennis O'Keefe, Cecillia Parker, Nat Pendleton. Jerry O'Connor (O'Keefe)and "Buddy" (Pendleton) quit their farm jobs and head out with a midget-car to start their racing career, Jerry as a driver and Buddy as the mechanic. On the way to the track, Jerry's reckless driving causes Jane Delano (Parker) to crash her car. Her father, race-car owner "Pinky" Dalano sees Jerry break a track record in his first race and hires him to drive for him. In the Indy 500, driver Jose "Rocks' Rivera is killed when he suddenly goes blind and crashes. Two more of Delano's drivers are killed when they also go blind during the race. So Jerry, figuring his numbers up, practices driving while blindfolded, counting as he drives. During the race, Buddy figures out who and why somebody had been poisoning eye-wash of Delano's drivers, but Jerry is already driving blindly around the track...counting as he goes.
 
Indianapolis Speedway - 1939
starring Anne Sheridan, Pat O'Brien, John Payne. Much of the footage was  lifted from 1932's "The Crowd Roars" but if you dig these flicks, its worth watching at least once. Joe (O'Brien) is the three time Indy champ who continues to race to put Eddie (John Payne) through College. Joe wants a better life for Eddie and he snaps when he finds out that Eddie has quit school for a career in racing. Joe tries to teach Eddie the trade, but they separate when Eddie will not drop bad girl Frankie (you  knew a chick had to be involved didnt you). When Joe causes the death of a driver at the next race, he quits racing and wanders aimlessly until he winds up at Indianapolis where Eddie is driving the Martin Special. Thanks IMDb.com
 
Blonde Comet - 1941
Veteran racer Barney Oldfield plays himself as a mechanic inventor who hires Jim Flynn (Robert Kent) to test out one of his newly designed carburetors on the racing circuit. At the same time, "The Blonde Comet" Beverly Blake (Virginia Vale) races on the circuit trying to save her father's tire business. When the rival drivers meet, they fall in love, but they also manage to gain success for Beverly's father's tire business and Oldfield's new carburetor as well.
 
Born to Speed - 1947
starring Johnny Sands, Vivian Austin, Don Castle. Man falls for a girl who hates racing beacuse both her father and brother were killed while racing. He continues to race against her (and her mothers) objection and narrowly escape death. Will their be a happy ending? Will boy get girl and live happily ever after?.
 
The Devil on Wheels - 1947 
starring Darryl Hickman, Noreen Nash. This movie is a sermon against speeding, and Darryl Hickman has it brought straight home to him when he side-swipes a car in his Hot Rod and causes a collision in which his best friend is killed. Lots of lecturing precedes and follows.
 
The Big Wheel - 1949
starring Mickey Rooney as a race car driver. For race fans, this movie offers a rare glimpse into the past. From the garage setting, to the tracks, to the vintage racing footage. I'ts the story of Billy Coy's rise from small time local race tracks to the Indy 500.  
 
Hot Rod - 1950
starring James Lydon, Art Baker.  A teenager loves hot rods! His father is the town judge and he hates them! Eventually the teen gets a '32 roadster but when one of his high school pals shuts him down while out on a date, he retaliates by souping up his rod! Typical of the genre, trouble ensues and then redemption and a happy ending. Cool scenes: five car hot rod street race and footage of dry lakes racing at El Mirage.
 
To Please a Lady - 1950
starring Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou. Gable, a midget race car driver is joined by Barbara Stanwyck (Dorothy Thompson), a newspaper columnist critical of Gable when, during a race another driver is killed. She basically destroys his career in midget car racing. After some stunt driving, he earns enough to buy a car to enter the big car races. At first feeling guilty about hurting his career, Stanwyck seeks him out where eventually they fall for one another. The racing action is pretty good but overall, the movies a bit of a drag considering the star players.
 
Jalopy - 1953
starring Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Robert Lowery. The Bowery Boys are at it again, this time inventing a super fuel that transforms their Jalopy into the fastest car on the track. The bad guys end up with the formulation and hilarity ensues as the boys attempt to get it back. Hall tries to recreate the formula to use in the big race but has trouble until the very last minute when he remembers. Every film has its redeeming qualities, this 62 minute flick you'll have to watch to figure out just what it is.
 
Johnny Dark 1954
starring Tony Curtis Piper Laurie, Don Taylor. Tony Curtis as Johnny (Johnny, Eddie, were their any other names used in the '50's?) takes his Woodill Wildfire (7 produced) for an action packed ride on a road race from Canada to Mexico. Good action, minimal story involving a woman and a friendship destroyed by cars and yes, the woman. 
 
The Fast and The Furious - 1954
starring John Ireland, Dorothy Malone. A convicted murderer breaks out of prison, takes a girl hostage and steals a hot rod! The female hostage takes a liking to her kidnapper and soon the two are on the run together, lovers and fugitives. Using the cover of a hot rod road rally as a front so they can get to the border and freedom, this movie can not have a happy ending for all.
 
Hot Rod Girl - 1956
starring Lori Nelson and Chuck Connors. When his younger brother, Steve, is killed racing a hot-rod, Jeff Northup blames himself for the accident since he had built the car for his brother and had encouraged him to race it. Jeff withdraws from participating in races. "Bronc" Talbott, a newcomer, makes a play for Jeff's chick, Lisa Vernon. Eventually, the taunting-Talbott forces Jeff into a race which results in the death of a bicycling child, and evidence seems to indicate Jeff was at fault. But as all happy endings go...
 
Hot Cars - 1956
starring Joi Lansing, John Bromfield. Car salesman and family man, Nick Dunn, gets mixed up in a stolen car racket run out of used car dealerships in Southern California. Nick is rolling in the extra dough until a detective begins to snoop around the car lot. Cool chop-shop scene where they swap out all the parts of the stolen cars. Awesome "shocker" ending involving a fight on a roller coaster!
 
Teenage Thunder - 1957
starring Chuck Courtney, Melinda Byron. A teenage gas station attendant is obsessed with hot rods and racing. His Dad objects to hot rod racing and thinks his son is a "crazy teenager!" The teen enters a few big races and eventually wins the BIG race! 
 
Dragstrip Girl - 1957
starring Fay Spain, Steven Turell and race legend, Tommy Ivo. Car Crazy!...Speed Crazy!...Boy Crazy! Fay loves hot cars and a rich dragstrip racer. Her parents don't like either one. Enough said.
 
Hot Rod Rumble - 1957
starring Richard Hartunian, Leigh Snowden.  A hot rodder is framed for murder. All his rodder buddies in the club turn their backs on him. Even his parents! He has nowhere to turn. In the end he is exonerated during the big hot rod race. 
 
The Devils Hairpin - 1957
starring Cornell Wilde, Jean Wallace, Arthur Franz. Cocky racer Nick Jargin (Wilde) has retired from racing after nearly killing his brother on a hairpin bend on a race coarse. Unable to go on racing due to the mental scars left from the incident, Nick retires and open up a café. One day Tony Boari (Jack Kosslyn), the new champ on the block challenges him. Nick comes out of retirement to compete and face down his own demons.
 
Dragstrip Riot - 1958
After a run-in with a tough motorcycle gang, where Gary Clarke is blamed when one of the bikers is sent out of control over a cliff, he and his girl are threatened and pursued. On to the beach riot, where the real culprit is unmasked and retaliates with his spear gun
 
Road Racers - 1958
starring Joel Lawrence, Marian Collier. The father of a race car driver blames him for a death on the track, disowns him, and sponsors a rival racer. A showdown on the track ensues.
 
Thunder Road - 1958
starring Robert Mitchum, Gene Berry. A veteran comes home from the Korean War to the mountains and takes over the family moonshining business. He has to battle big-city gangsters who are trying to take over the business and the police who are trying to put him in prison.
 
Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow - 1959
starring Jody Fair and Russ Bender. A group of drag-racing fanatics get the boot from their club house after skipping on the rent once to often and decide to take up residence in an old deserted mansion. They hold a Halloween masked ball for the club's grand opening and invite everyone to come dressed as their favorite ghoul. Oddly enough, the festivities turn sour when one of the kids discovers an impostor among them in the form of an honest-to-gosh live monster, who's been hogging all the dances with the best-looking girls!
 
Speed Crazy - 1959
starring Brett Halsey, Yvonne Lime. A hot headed delinquent hot rodder calls all the shots! You either listen...or else! 
 
The Wild Ride - 1960
starring Jack Nicholson, Georgianna Carter, Robert Bean. A rebellious punk named Johnny (Nicholson) who divides his time partying, disturbing the peace and when he's not doing that, spends his days as a dirt track driver. He eventually kidnaps his not to hip buddy's girlfriend, kills a few cops and finally sees his own life end in tragedy.
 
Thunder in Carolina - 1960
starring Alan Hale Jr and Rory Calhoun. Story of a stock-car veteran down on his luck. Mechanic Les (John Gentry) wants to be a pro driver so Mitch (Calhoun) teaches him. Later an argument breaks out between Les and Mitch which results in Mitch having to drive himself in the upcoming big event.
Alan Hale Jr. takes on a supporting role as Buddy, a mechanic who stands by his friend Mitch when the going gets rough.
Events build to the main race, the Southern 500 in Darlington. Some good actual race footage. 
 
The Green Helmet - 1961
starring Bill Travers, Ed Begley, Sid James and Jack Brabham. Quality UK road race flick with scenes from such tracks as Le Mans, Silverstone, Sebring and Mille Miglia. Follows the ups and downs of a fading champion driver (Bill Travers)and his strained relationship with a younger brother who wants to take over behind the wheel. Set to retire, Greg Rafferty (Travers), gets a telegram from a tire manufacture asking him to tests a newly developed heat resitant tire. Mummy fears her boy will meet the same fate as her husband who was killed in the 1948 Italian Mille Miglia race. Guest appearance by real life Australian world champ Jack Brabham.
 
The Checkered Flag - 1963
starring Joe Morrison, Evelyn King. Two racers tangle over a woman (who is married to one of them) with unpleasent results.Good racing from Sebring but overall, the movies a dud!
 
The Lively Set - 1964
starring James Darren, Pamela Tiffin. Casey Owens (James Darren), a young mechanic, has developed a design for a turbine car engine, paving the way for a jet-powered auto certain to set a new land speed record. Wealthy playboy Stanford Rogers (Peter Mann) hires Casey to build the car for him to race in the Tri-State Endurance Run. Chuck Manning (Doug McClure), an engineering student Casey met in a drag race, discovers potential flaws in the car's design. After an unsuccessful test run, Rogers abandons the turbine-powered car for a traditional racing model, but Casey and Chuck rework the turbine vehicle to compete with Rogers in the endurance run. 
 
Viva Las Vegas - 1964
starring Elvis Presley, Ann Margaret. Lucky Jackson arrives in town with his car in tow ready for the first Las Vegas Grand Prix - once he has the money to buy an engine. He gets the cash easily enough but mislays it when the pretty swimming pool manageress takes his mind off things. It seems he will lose both race and girl, problems made more difficult by rivalry from Elmo Mancini, fellow racer and womanizer.
 
The Great Race - 1965
starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk. Professional daredevil and white-suited hero, The Great Leslie (Curtis) convinces turn-of-the-century auto makers that a race from New York to Paris will help to promote automobile sales. Leslie's arch-rival, Professor Fate (lemmon) vows to beat Leslie to the finish line in a car of Fate's own invention.
 
Fireball 500 - 1966
starring Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Fabian. A stock car racer who gets involved with moonshiners; the Internal Revenue wants him to work both sides, but he's more interested in finding out who's thwarting the midnight runs by playing chicken with the drivers.
 
Grand Prix - 1966
starring James Garner, Eva Marie Saint. American Grand Prix driver Pete Aron is fired by his Jordan-BRM racing team after a crash at Monaco that injures his British teammate. While Stoddard struggles to recover, Aron begins to drive for the Japanese Yamura team, and becomes romantically involved with Stoddard's estranged wife
 
Munsters Go Home - 1966
starring Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo, Al Lewis. The Munsters reunite and set sail for Britian where Herman (Gwynne) is bestowed with the title Lord of Munster Hall. Long story short, having to defend the family honor, Herman competes a road race to uphold the family honor. Cheezy yes but the viewing audience do get to view the Drag-u-la and Munster coach drag it out.
 
Thunder Alley - 1967
starring Fabian and everyones favorite mousketeer, Annette Funicello. Stock car racer Tommy Callahan (Fabian) is forced to join Pete Madsen's thrill circus after his blackouts cause a fatal accident that gets him thrown off the circuit. He shows Pete's daughter Francie (Annette Funicello) and her boyfriend everything he knows about driving. Eddie takes up with Tommy's girl after winning the first time out. They become fierce rivals by the next race, during which Tommy remembers driving over his brother with a go-kart and Eddie hits the wall.
 
Track of Thunder - 1967
starring Tommy Kirk, Ray Stricklyn, H.M. Wynant, Brenda Benet. The mob has their eye on the stock car circuit and hire Maxwell Carstairs (Wynant) to operate the track. The owners of the track have hired a publicity man to smooth things over between the two top racers. Bobby (Kirk) is the brooding driver at odds with longtime nemesis Gary (Stricklyn). In typical B movie plot, the two not only compete on the racetrack but also for the same girl (Benet).
 
Hot Rods to Hell - 1967
starring Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain. Tom Phillips (Dana Andrews), his wife Peg (Jeanne Crain), their teenage daughter Tina and little boy Jamie drive through the California desert heading for a new life running a motel. Things go haywire when teenage bad girl Gloria (Mimsy Farmer) and her two delinquent boyfriends, Duke and Ernie (Paul Bertoya and Gene Kirkwood), chase them, with Duke attempting to seduce the daughter, finally driving the father to take action.
 
Speed Lovers - 1968
starring Fred Lorenzen. A stock car racer gets involved with gangsters trying to fix a race.  Features real-life stock car racer Fred Lorenzen. The son of a mechanic idolizes Fred Lorenzen and dreams of the day that he will be a champion on the racetrack. He gets his chance during a major stock-car competition in Atlanta.
 
Bullitt - 1968
starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn. San Fransico cop and a 390 cubic inch Mustang take us on the wildest ride ever put to film. Frank Bullitt (McQueen) is on the search for 2 hitmen who have killed a friend and left an infomant on deaths door.
 
Fever Heat - 1968
starring Nick Adams, Jeannine Riley, Norman Aldon. Promising actor Nick Adams in his last roll stars as Ace, an ex stock car racer who hooks up with young widow Sandy (Riley) and eventually becomes her partner in business. Ace eventually gets back into driving a race car and is hated by the track owner who has the hots for Sandy. Sabotage is the name of the game and after a couple friends are killed. Ace decides this ain't the life for him, hangs up the helmet and settles down with Sandy. 
 
Fireball Jungle - 1968
starring John Russell, Lon Chaney, Randy Kirby, Alan Mixon. Cateye Meares (Mixon) is a Fireball in a world of Hot Rods and Hot Babes, or so goes the biline. The movie revolves around bad boy Cateye and a big stock car race that he will do anything to race and win. Typical late '60's B flick, car chases, cat fights, referances to drugs and one sleezy lounge, the Throne room where yes, the stools all resemble toliets. Saving grace, the stock car action and a performance by the one hit wonder musical group Mercy performing "Love (Can Make You Happy)". 
 
Pit Stop - 1969
starring Brian Donlevy, Richard Davalos. A rags-to-riches story.Grant Willard (Donlevy) is one of the managers of The Figure Eight Race. A variation of racing where the cars drive on a crossing track shaped as an 8! There is always need for new drivers and Grant usually picks new "stars" from the bottom. In this case outlaw street racer Rick Bowman (Davalos) who he gets out of jail after witnessing his skills. Rick agrees to become a legitimate racer and wants to be the best even though he has some ugly accidents in the destructive races. But he also manages to become a serious threat against the loud and foul-mouthed star racer Hawk Sidney whose girl Jolene he also snatches. As Rick gets more ambitious he also gets more cynic and starts losing his humanity. While he gets an agreement to team together with veteran racer Ed McLeod, he just as much wants to mock him and steal his girl. 
 
The Racing Scene - 1970
starring James Garner. More of a documentory taking the viewing audience to such race tracks as Daytona, Limerock, Sebring and St. Jovite,
 
Duel - 1971 
Duel, starring Dennis Weaver as a traveling salesman whose life becomes a nightmare when a mysterious truck will not stop following him. All indication are that the truck/driver (who we never see) wants him dead. Why? we never know. Whatever the case, the Semi Vs Plymouth Valiant makes for a superbly tense 90-minute chase film. One of Spielbergs first and best.
 
Two Lane Blacktop - 1971
starring James Taylor, Dennis Wilson, Warren Oates, Laurie Bird. Sadly, James Taylor is the only one still alive. Taylor and Wilson are two  guys driving a 1955 Chevy through the southwestern U.S. looking for other cars to race to pay their way. Not alot of dialogue in this flick but what their is, car guys will love it. At a gas station, the driver and mechanic (Taylor and Wilson have no names in this movie), and a girl they've picked up along the way, meet G.T.O.(Oates), a middle-aged man who fabricates stories (re; full of shit) about his exploits. It is decided to have a race to Washington, D.C., where the winner will get the loser's pink slip. 
 
Vanishing Point - 1971 
starring Barry Newman. Kowalski works for a car delivery service. He's to deliver a 1970 Dodge Challenger from Colorado to Frisco, California. Shortly after pickup, he takes a bet to get the car there in less than 15 hours. After a few run-ins or near run ins with police, a chase ensues to bring him into custody. 
 
Drag Racer - 1971
starring Mark David Chandler, Mark Hopkins. Very rare and seldom seen drag racing movie. It is the story of a young man's dream to get a ride in a top fuel dragster. Jeff, a wannabe drag racer, lucks-out while flogging his street-car at the local strip when a dragster team fires their driver and gives Jeff a chance to prove himself. Whiling trying to stay focused on racing, Jeff has troubles with his girlfriend. He dumps her and starts to dig a cute little hippie chick. 
 
Fury on Wheels/ (also known as Jump) - 1971
starring Tom Ligon, Conrad Bain, Jack Nance. Ligons plays a country bumpkin headed to Flordia for the big time roundy rounds. Not a bad movie with good action sequences. Music by Jonathan Edwards who had a hit around the time with the song Sunshine.
 
Lemans - 1971
starring Paul Newman. A documentary in style, this movie depicts the world's hardest endurance course: Le Mans in France. The focus is on duel between the German Stahler in Ferrari 512LM and the American Delaney in Gulf Team Porsche 917. Delaney is under extraordinary pressure, because the year before he caused a severe accident, in which his friend Lisa's husband was killed.
 
The Daredevil - 1972
starring George Montgomery, Terry Moore, Gay Perkins. Paul Tunney (Montgomery) is a burned-out auto racer who only lives for the thrill of the race and is kind of lost once he gets out of that element. Washed up Tunney returns to his hometown only to realize, race cars are not the only game in town. Some have compared this flick to a cross between Walking Tall and Vanishing Point with good action and a weird ending.
 
American Graffiti - 1973
starring Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Lamat. Where were you in 62? Features the coming of age of four teenagers on their last summer night before college. Rediscover crusin the strip, drag racing, Insipiration Point and drive-ins all over again in this nostalgic look at small town California in the early 60's.
 
The California Kid - 1974
starring Martin Sheen, Vic Morrow. A sadistic small-town sheriff has a habit of deliberately forcing speeders to their deaths on the mountain roads leading into town. The brother of one of the victims rolls into town in his hot rod to investigate and avenge his brother's death.
 
Gone In 60 Seconds - 1974
starring H.B. Halicki, Marion Busia. Insurance investigator Maindrian Pace and his team lead double-lives as car thieves. When a South American drug lord pays Pace to steal 48 cars, all but one, a 1973 Ford Mustang, are in the bag. As Pace prepares to rip-off the fastback, codenamed "Eleanor", he is unaware that his boss has tipped off the police after a business dispute. Detectives are waiting and pursue Pace through five cities as he desperately tries to get away.
 
Funny Car Summer - 1974
starring Jim Dunn. Documentary more than movie chronicles a summer in the life of "Funny Car" racer Jim Dunn and his family.
 
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry - 1974
starring Vic Morrow, Peter Fonda, Susan George, Adam Roarke. Mary and Larry are two lovers who, with Larry's ace mechanic, rob a grocery store and flee the police with hopes of making the professional racing circuit. They are chased by the cops who deploy everything from a Hemi Polara to a helicopter to stop Larry's Dodge Charger culminating in a memorable ending.
 
Aloha Bobby and Rose - 1975
starring Paul Lemat, Dianne Hull. A young garage mechanic (Bobby) and fast food hostess, single mom (Rose) meet and quickly fall in love. While out on a date one night, Bobby "fakes" holding up a convenience store. The prank goes horribly wrong, resulting in the death of a young shop keeper. The couple are now on the run from the law and themselves.
 
Return to Macon County - 1975
starring Nick Nolte, Don Johnson. In 1958, two teenagers take their hopped-up Chevy and start a cross-country journey to enter it in the National Championship drag races in California. Along the way they hook up with a waitress who quits her job, hops in their car and turns out to be more trouble than they thought. They drag-race a gang of punks who lose to them and then accuse them of cheating. They come up against a local cop who is obsessed with putting these two "juvenile delinquents" in jail.
 
Death Race 2000 - 1975
starring David Carridine, Sylvester Stallone. A goverment sponsored cross country car race where people are run down for points. The underground has infiltrated the race to try and bring the death race to an end. Party poopers!
 
The Gumball Rally - 1976
starring Michael Sarrinzin, Gary Busey. A hilarious coast-to-coast, 180 mile-an-hour, go-for-broke, outrageous road race with the world's most expensive cars. And it's all just for glory and a gumball machine.
 
Eat My Dust - 1976
starring Ron Howard. The plot is pretty thin about a youngster stealing a race car and leading the police on a chase
 
The Car - 1977
starring James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd. Horror flick about a mysterious black car with blacked out windows that terrorizes a small town. The driver is unknown and is never identified but the viewing audiance is led to believe that the car is evil, possesed by or driven by the devil himself. The modified Lincoln was built by famous builder George Barris.
 
The Driver - 1978
The film stars Ryan O'Neal as " The Driver", a man constantly chased by "The Detective" (Bruce Dern) in a seemingly endless game of cat and mouse. The entire film involves pursuit. Ryan O'Neal is a driving machine, as he shifts, swerves and speeds his Trans Am through parking structures, alleys and oncoming traffic. 
 
Corvette Summer - 1978
starring Mark Hamill, Annie Potts. Ken loves to design and build exotic cars. When the High School shop class project car, a fully tricked out dream Corvette, is stolen, he begins searching for it. His search leads him to Las Vegas, where Vanessa, a teenaged prostitute wannabe, helps him try to track it down.
 
Burnout - 1979
starring Mark Schneider, John Zenda. Catchy bi-line; Burnout - The Fastest Dragsters, The Wildest Women and the Driver Who Had to Have Them. Plot? Follow Mark on this rollercoaster ride as he tries to make the drag race scene on his own merits. Some great track footage along with interviews.
 
Hot Rod - 1979
starring Gregg Henry, Pernell Roberts. A drag-racer enters a local championship race. However, he runs up against the town boss, a corrupt sheriff who has already made arrangements to ensure that his own son wins the race.
 
More American Graffiti - 1979
starring Ron Howard, Paul Lemat, Cindy Williams, McKenzie Phillips. We revisit the group in 1969 to see where theirs lives have lead. Not pretty at times but worth the watch.
 
Hollywood Knights - 1980
starring Tony Danza, Fran Drescher. It's Halloween 1965 in Hollywood and its also the last day the drive in the Hollywood Knights call home will be open. It is being closed because the locals do not like the Knights and feel closing the drive in will get rid of them. The Knights decide to lash back and try to make the best of the drive in's last night.  A rip off of American Graffiti? yeah but still good for a cheap laugh AND it stars the worlds most famous 57 Chevy. Popular Hot Roddings Project X.
 
The Cannonball Run - 1981
starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Farah Fawcett, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Roger Moore. Burt Reynolds is an adventurer who decides to participate in an illegal car race across the country. There is an all-star cast of racers that will do anything to outrun all difficulties (including the police) to win the race.
 
The Junkman - 1982
starring H.B. Halicki, Christopher Stone, Susan Shaw. Sequel to Gone in 60 Seconds, more crash and bang and funnier. Plot evolves around millionare Harlon (HB) whose business partner is plotting to kill him.
 
Six Pack - 1982
starring Kenny Rodgers, Diane Lane, Erin Gray. Kenny Rodgers plays a down in the dumps stock car driver whose car gets stripped by 6 kids who are in cohoots with the local sheriff. The kids get tired of cashing in to the sheriff and decide to sneak a ride with Brewster (Kenny). The 6 work out to be his pit crew and to bring a happy ending to this movie, Brewsters luck changes. Considered a comedy, the movie has its moments but is a little light.
 
Heart Like a Wheel - 1983
starring Bonnie Bedelia, Beau Bridges. Based upon the drag racing carrer of Shirley Muldowney. As the first woman top fuel driver, we see the struggles she goes through at the track and in her personal life, tyring to compete in what is precieved as a man's sport. Well down flick.
 
Christine - 1983
starring Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul. Story of a teenager who goes out about restoring a 58 Plymouth Fury. Little does he know that the car is evil and as it changes, so does the boy. Only one way of stopping it, kill it before it kills...again. Well done movie though obviously just a little far fetched. 
 
Stroker Ace - 1983
starring Burt Reynolds, Loni Anderson, Jim Nabors, Ned Beatty. A rebelious stock car driver battles with his embarassing fried chicken sponsor through out the movie, trying everything he can to get out of the contract. Oh and what would a Burt Reynolds movie be with out him trying to get into the leading ladies pants. A comedy but not one of Burt's best.
 
The Cannonball Run 2 - 1984
starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Jamie Farr, Foster Brooks, Jackie Chan etc, etc. A whose who of stars. Like the first Cannonball, an illegal cross country race is held and the paticipants will do what ever it takes to win. Almost as funny as the first Cannonball. Worth watching for the star appeal alone.
 
Speed Zone - 1989
starring John Candy, Peter Boyle, Donna Dixon, Smother Brothers, etc. Actually the 3rd installment of the Cannonball movies with a new cast of characters. Not as funny as the first 2 but if you're into action, crashes, exotic cars, they're here.
 
 
Remakes and Runner Ups
 
Gone in 60 Seconds - 2000. starring Nicolas Cage
The Fast & The Furious - 2001. starring Vin Diesel
2 Fast 2 Furious - 2003. starring Paul Walker
The Fast and The furious; Tokyo Drift - 2006. starring Lucas Black

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