Jimmy Pearson and his best friend Danny Houle have just graduated from high school as this young-adult novel begins. Neither has a clue about what's next in their lives until Jimmy Pearson spots a bright-red midget racecar for sale at an auto-repair shop in town. Jimmy hasn't laid eyes on a racecar in years, but his dad once was one of the best dirt-track racers around before he lost his life in a racing accident. Jimmy immediately decides that the car is the ticket to a summer of adventure if he and Danny can come up with the money to buy it from its desperately-broke owners. But how will his mom feel about his racing in view of the death of his dad? And does he know enough about going fast to compete with the current class of competitors already in the midst of their racing season?