Hot Rods and Racing Cars #22

When a young driver named Ned Hilton qualifies for the Indianapolis 500—the youngest ever to do so—his car owner Chuck Mason faces fierce skepticism from Speedway Manager Bill Schorr, who doubts whether the inexperienced kid can survive the grueling race, especially in brutal heat that has already claimed another driver's life during qualifying. As temperatures soar above 130 degrees and experienced racers begin collapsing one by one, Ned must push through exhaustion and the physical toll of the track to prove he belongs among the country's best. With his pit crew's lightning-fast strategy and sheer determination, Ned fights to stay ahead while the merciless heat tests every driver to their limit.

Mr. Colton despises hot rods and their drivers as reckless menaces—until a sabotaged brake line leaves him hurtling toward disaster on Glynn Grade. Sandy, the young hot-rodder Colton has dismissed, must use his driving skills to warn the man before he reaches the hairpin curve ahead. A brush with death proves mightier than stubborn prejudice.

When gamblers try to muscle in on the Benderville National Speed Trials, "Hot-Rod" King discovers that racketeers are using bribes and sabotage to fix the big race. With his quick thinking and the help of the local police, King rallies the honest hot rodders to expose Rawlins' scheme and ensure the competition stays fair and square.

This educational snapshot traces the early race to build America's first practical automobile, spotlighting Charles E. Duryea's 1892 gasoline-powered vehicle and the competing claims of inventors like Elwood Haynes, then sweeping through the rise of steam and electric cars before Henry Ford's Model T revolutionized the industry in 1908. From experimental speeds of 10 miles per hour to coast-to-coast feats, it's a fascinating look at how the automobile evolved from curiosity to necessity in just over a decade.

Publicity agent Midge Lambert dreams up a water-racing scheme to rehabilitate his star driver Hap Wilson's nightclub playboy image, but the plan spectacularly unravels when Wilson's fierce rivalry with competitor Steve Trane turns the inaugural race into a dangerous, headline-grabbing brawl. What started as a clever publicity stunt to rebuild Wilson's reputation as a serious racer becomes the very publicity disaster Midge was trying to prevent.