Hot Rods and Racing Cars #17

Mike Holt and Jinny Thorn are fierce competitors on the racing circuit—and rivals for the Eastern Driver's Title—until a crash during a qualifying race leaves Jinny's brother hospitalized and desperate for medical funds. When Jinny decides to race in his place for the season finale, she and Mike must navigate their own complicated feelings while battling it out on the track, where a split-second decision could change everything. This 1954 tale from *Hot Rods and Racing Cars* proves that sometimes the real finish line isn't where you expect it to be.

A high-speed clash erupts when the Flying Hoboes' mountain road race collides with a wealthy driver named Van Cort, sparking a bitter feud that takes a dangerous turn when ruthless motorcycle thugs enter the picture. Bull and his crew find themselves caught between proving their worth on the road and protecting Van Cort from real criminals who want his car—and couldn't care less about the rules. It's a wild ride where speed, guts, and an unlikely alliance might be the only things standing between the mountain roads and total chaos.

Barney Keys has been finishing second to rival racer Hank Whitney for years, and when a hit-and-run accident occurs just before the big drag strip race, he sees his chance to finally get ahead—by falsely identifying Whitney as the culprit to the police. But when his plan spectacularly backfires, Barney finds himself in a desperate race for his life, proving that cheating always comes with a price.

In Somerville, a new science teacher named Mr. Devore lectures his students that study, patience, and ingenuity are the foundations of progress—but a group of skeptical boys decide to prove they can build a racing car on their own without his "hogwash." Months of hard work result in a machine fast enough to win the town's dangerous ice-lake speed race, and when a girl falls through cracking ice during the event, the boys must put both their creation and themselves to the ultimate test.

Rod Engle and his crew mate Gil Park are ready to compete in the hot rod races at the air base—until Gil stumbles onto a sinister operation hidden in plain sight among the other competitors' trailers, forcing the two friends to abandon their shot at first prize and pursue a dangerous enemy agent across the airstrip. Crafted by Giordano and Alasek, "In The Bag" pairs high-octane racing thrills with Cold War intrigue as Rod's tuned roadster becomes an unlikely weapon in a desperate chase that could cost them everything—or prove they're heroes in more ways than one.

Max Norwell, a professional racer, takes his young protégé Jim Little under his wing after the boy survives polio, determined to help him rebuild his strength and pursue his dream of becoming a racer. Jim faces grueling months of physical rehabilitation and training, battling both his weakened body and his own doubt as he works toward his first major race. When the moment finally arrives, Jim must prove to himself that faith and determination can overcome the odds stacked against him.