Dragstrip Hotrodders [Drag-Strip Hotrodders] #6

Link Osgood and Joe Shumski's partnership began with disappointment in a childhood soap-box derby, but years of determination—learning engines, rebuilding jalopy after jalopy, and winning race after race—have brought them to the dragstrip with a Ford prepared to compete at the highest level. Now, with their meticulously tuned machine and Osgood's natural talent behind the wheel, the two friends are ready to chase the big money and prove themselves among the nation's fastest drivers.

Howie Carl has secretly transformed his mother's family car into a high-powered drag racer, complete with custom pistons, polished ports, and enough horsepower to make the whole neighborhood talk—but Mom has no idea what her "creampuff" has become. When his parents show up at the drag strip to watch, Howie's double life comes to a thrilling close, and he's left with an anxious ride home as his mother refuses to let him dial back the engine.

Joe Callan and his stock car racing buddy Chick Pompey survive a fiery crash at the track, but the costly wreck plants a seed: maybe there's a way to keep racing without breaking the bank. When they discover three-quarter midget racing—where drivers build their own lightweight rigs from motorcycle engines and salvage parts—the two injured racers decide to pool their meager savings and construct their own entry into this smaller, scrappier corner of the racing world.

Lew Holman pilots his specially tuned 426 Hemi-powered Dodge Coronet through regional drag championships, chasing ever-faster times by meticulously fine-tuning every mechanical detail between races. When a rival's Chevrolet posts a formidable 133 mph at Riverdale, Lew makes one last critical adjustment for altitude and takes to the strip, determined to prove that patience and precision beat raw power.