On 31 October in rural Puckerbush County, Speedway 605 hosts its Halloween Thrill Show. As midget racecars zoom around the track, sexy blonde Darlene Kurtz searches for her parents. Elsewhere in the bleachers, Sheriff Harry Niebold is unimpressed with the "reckless" racecar driving. A white van, with “MANDARIN TOWEL AND LINEN SERVICES” adorning each side, enters the parking lot, driven by Harry's son, Hoover Niebold. With him are Billy B. Westerby, George Poole, Jr., Miranda Smith and Lallie Chandler. After a doorman smuggles them into the racretrack, George and the girls head for the bleachers while Hoover and Billy replace towels in the restrooms. Meanwhile, Harry suspects that his son is close by, especially when he glimpses Miranda, Lallie and George. Hoover and Billy rejoin their friends as they search the bleachers for seats, and Hoover is momentarily transfixed by the sight of Darlene. On the track, Big Bubba Jones, drives Mabel, his bright orange car, and is in the lead. In the bleachers, Harry interrogates Hoover about his delivery schedule. When Hoover claims to have driven from a gas station to his father’s office in nine minutes, Harry asks how he avoided getting a speeding ticket, and Hoover presents his father with the ticket. Harry is jeered by people sitting nearby, whom he threatens to arrest. On the track, Big Bubba Jones wins the race and flaunts his trophy. Down by the concession stands, Hoover approaches Darlene and tries to convince her to date him. She shows no interest until he tells her that he has more speeding tickets than anyone in the county. Darlene wants Hoover to take her for a ride in Bubba’s car. Hoover introduces himself to Bubba, and they have a friendly conversation. When Bubba is called away by his mechanic, Hoover jumps in the car and drives it onto the track. People in the bleachers immediately recognize Hoover at the wheel, to Harry’s chagrin. Darlene, Billy, Lallie, Miranda and George climb in, horrifying their parents. Hoover crashes Mabel through the exit gate onto the open road. Moments later, as Deputy Brookside pulls up his fly outside the Bucket O’ Blood saloon, Mabel roars past and he immediately gives chase. Darlene responds by placing her foot over Hoover’s and pressing down on the accelerator. As Mabel speeds into the distance, Brookside loses control of his car, which tears the façade from Chow Fong’s Chinese restaurant. Hoover drives recklessly through the countryside, with his friends singing in the back seat and Darlene urging him to drive faster and faster. While four police cars are dispatched to stop Hoover, Harry is at the station surrounded by angry parents. He locks them outside and tells Deputy Jay Beah to take a complaint from Bubba, who has been waiting at the station for the sheriff’s return. Brookside enters, his pants in tatters, followed by the angry parents. Harry herds the parents into the drunk tank, promising to speak to each individually. Out on the road, Mabel approaches the Hale farm, and everyone, except Hoover, wants to invite Junior Hale along. Junior slides down the roof of the Hale home into the car. Deputy Gallo, who has been following Mabel, continues the chase, leaving the Hale farm in ruins, Gallo’s car submerged in mud and Farmer Hale apoplectic. At a railroad crossing, the kids see Old Man Lewis and insist on giving him a ride, despite his protests. Within seconds, another deputy is in pursuit, but Mabel escapes, leaving the police car upside down in a gully. Mr. Lewis, claiming senility, begs to be let out of the car the moment it stops. After consuming several bottles of beer, the group goes to Miranda’s house to pick up her radio so that they can listen to the news coverage of their adventure. While Mrs. Smith serves refreshments, Hoover and Darlene take the radio and drive away. Two police cars join in pursuit. More plaintiffs appear at the sheriff’s station, including an incoherent Mr. Lewis, and Chou Lick, attorney for Chow Fong. Both are led to the drunk tank, where a poker game is in progress. Meanwhile, in the countryside, Mabel has run out of gas, and Hoover and Darlene push it to a nearby empty farmhouse. Darlene makes herself at home while Hoover takes a surrey to the nearest gas station. Back at the sheriff’s station, Bubba suggests using his team of drivers and their racecars to catch Hoover. Instead, Harry tries to appeal to his son by screaming at him over the radio, while his men search the gas stations of Puckerbush. At the farmhouse, Darlene tries on clothes and, in a phone call to Lallie, reveals that she has no intention of staying with Hoover once the ride is over. Darlene’s parents attempt an appeal to her over the radio as well, which she ignores in favor of a bubble bath. Meanwhile at the sheriff’s station, Bubba’s drivers arrive in a drunken state. Hoover, meanwhile, returns to the farmhouse and takes a shower. He explains that, with all of the charges against them, he doesn’t think they can ever go home. Darlene likes the idea, and joins Hoover in the shower. As dusk approaches, the deputies and racecar drivers close in on the couple, and Hoover is anxious to leave. One of the racecars gets a flat tire near the farmhouse, where Bud, the driver, and his passenger, Brookside, discover Mabel. The posse converges on the farm while Hoover and Darlene make their way to Mabel, and the chase continues. Hiding in the back seat is Bud, who tells Hoover that he can communicate with the other cars via intercom. Both Bubba and Harry try to convince Hoover to give himself up as they chase him into the hills. Hoover refuses to surrender and drives down a steep embankment; Bud jumps out as Mabel goes over the side. The other cars follow, and despite the damage, no one is injured. Harry, using the intercom, tries to negotiate with Hoover, who responds by speeding away. His father makes a final offer of probation, followed by Bubba’s assurance that Hoover has a great future in racing. As night falls, Hoover decides to drive back into town, where he receives a hero’s welcome. Mabel is returned to the speedway and Darlene tells Hoover, “The ride’s over,” leaving him angry and disappointed as she walks away. Bubba appears, tells Hoover to get in the driver seat, and they race Mabel around the track.