Sixteen-year-old Ricky Madison is the only boy in Dellville without his own hot rod, and he is tired of bumming rides from his friends. Going against his parents' wishes, he uses his savings to buy a car of his own: a junker that he is determined to turn into the fastest, sleekest racer on the road.

Thirty days! From the moment the drivers entered in the 1970 Indianapolis 500 rolled their cars onto the track for practice until the command “Gentlemen, start your engines,” they faced thirty days of intense action. The drivers needed to go fast enough to earn one of thirty-three starting positions.

Seventeen-year-old Bud Crayne built the fastest cars in town and drove his high-octane machines on the ragged edge.

Johnny Rutherford was one of the most exciting drivers in big-time auto racing of the 1970s. In these action-filled pages author Hal Higdon tells how Rutherford grew into a racing great.