Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello star here in their first non-beach party movie. Avalon plays stock car driver Dave Owens who heads from California to South Carolina to enter a race and finds himself at loggerheads with local champion Sonny Leander Fox (Fabian).
He also finds himself mixed up with running moonshine for crooked racing car workshop owner Charlie Bigg (Harvey Lembeck dropping the Erich Von Zipper character to play a regular villain) while begrudgingly providing information to IRS agents.
Julie Parrish is gorgeous as young widow, Martha, who provides Dave’s love interest, and there are fine supporting contributions from Funicello (as Sonny’s main squeeze, Jane), Chill Wills as jolly racetrack owner Big Jaw Harris, and Douglas Henderson as shifty federal agent Hastings.
Director William Asher took a break from his day job filming the Bewitched TV series. Track action was filmed at the Ascot and Saugus Raceways near Los Angeles, and the stock footage blends nicely with the actual scenes from the movie.
Dave Owens
Frankie Avalon
Jane Harris
Annette Funicello
Sonny Leander Fox
Fabian
Big Jaw Harris
Chill Wills
Charlie Bigg
Harvey Lembeck
Martha
Julie Parrish
Agent Hastings
Doug Henderson
Agent Bronson
Baynes Barron
Announcer
Sandy Reed
Marthy
Renie Riano
Farmer
Ed Garner
Farmer’s Daughter
Sue Hamilton
Herman
Jason Johnson
Herman’s Friend
Tex Armstrong
Joey
Mike Nader
Jobber
Billy Beck
Narrator
Vin Scully
Director
William Asher