Hot Rods and Racing Cars #24

Chet Kirby, a skeptical newspaper reporter, arrives at a local hot rod club expecting to find reckless maniacs—only to discover that the "Draggin' Wheels" are serious enthusiasts governed by strict safety rules, regular inspections, and community service. When irresponsible rodders from a neighboring city threaten the club's hard-won reputation with dangerous street racing, Artie Addams and his crew set out to challenge them to a proper competition on an official drag strip. Chet's assignment becomes a chance to uncover the truth behind hot rodding culture—and perhaps change his mind about the sport entirely.

Jack Stagg and his twin sister find themselves sidelined from a big cross-country road race when he teams up with a rival driver, Charlie Bell—but when the twins discover they've both been cut out of competition, they plot their own comeback. As the race unfolds with Jack and Charlie battling for the lead, an unexpected twist at the finish line turns the tables on both of them in the most delightful way.

Rex Blake thinks he's just doing practice runs in his hot rod, but when a doctor's car breaks down and a patient's life hangs in the balance, Rex finds himself in a genuine race against time—speeding thirty-five miles to a remote shack with only half an hour to spare. What Rex doesn't realize is that this desperate dash might be exactly the cure for the pressure-induced nerves that have kept him from entering the big road race, and his girlfriend Penny and her father have orchestrated the whole thing to prove it.

Del Britton has always been content as mechanic for hotshot driver Duke Lubbock, keeping the engine purring through victory after victory—until Del test-drives a rival's car and discovers a natural talent behind the wheel that turns heads on the dirt track. When Duke's wounded ego leads to a confrontation that costs Del his job, he finds himself caught between pride, ambition, and the affections of a woman who sees something in him Duke never did.