It's Mickey Rooney piloting a racecar, so which has more rpm's, the ultra-energetic actor or the racer hitting on all cylinders. This was a difficult period in the diminutive performer's career, trying to find a niche following MGM's primo Andy Hardy series. He's really quite good here, the son of a deceased race driver trying to prove his worth. As Billy, he starts off as a brash driver intent on running over those competitors getting in his way. This leads to the misperception that he caused the death of his best friend Happy (Brodie). Thus, relationships with his mechanic buddies and the money man (Lane) sours. Good thing his neglected girlfriend (Hatcher) stands by him. Now he's entered in the big Indie 500 and a chance to redeem himself, but can he.The movie's mainly for racing fans, with lots of live footage, especially of crack-ups. Fortunately, the process shots of driver Billy's close-ups are smoothly integrated into the live footage, creating the appropriate effect. The supporting cast is well-chosen, especially the obscure Mary Hatcher who's a perfect match-up with Rooney. I guess her diminutive height limited a leading lady career, but she's a good little actress as she shows here. And where would a better middle-age couple be found than the sprightly twosome of Byington and Mitchell. Some casting director had a shrewd eye.Anyway, the film's mainly for fans of Rooney and hot cars, though the overall effort is seamless enough for old movie fans.

****SPOILERS*** A 28 year old Mickey Rooney shines in this car racing flick as brash and so full of himself Billy Coy who until a fatal accident of his best friend and fellow racer Happy Lee, Steve Brodie, that Billy was unjustifiably blamed for turned his life around for the better. Up until then Billy was following in the footsteps of his late dad the legendary race car driver Cannonball Coy. It was Cannonball who after a night of boozing and womanizing drove, dead drunk behind the wheel, in the Indianapolis 500 and ended up smashing his car into a wall killing himself. It was the tragic death of Lucky and being blamed for it that had Billy at first quit car racing then return to it with a whole new attitude.Starting from the bottom on the east coast circuit Billy worked himself up to become one of the few drivers to compete in the Indianapolis 500 within a year of his so-called retirement from racing. It was no easy task for Billy in him facing like what a crumb he was earlier in the movie in his relationship with those he worked with and competed against on the race track. Now brought down to earth and at the same time humanized from his experience Billy was ready to make it to the top of the car racing world in the big race that his father Cannonball Coy lost his life in 17 years ago. That with his mom Mary, Spring Byington, and top mechanic and boss now step-father Arthur "Red" Stanley in attendance.***SPOILERS*** Heart stopping and tremendous racing sequences especially those of the Indianapolis 500 race with a re-born as well as born-again Billy going all out to win the big race despite his car catching fires in the final lap with him in the lead. Risking a fiery death Billy floors the peddle to the medal to get to the finish line where the checked flag is waiting to be wagged as the leading car crossed it. Totally surprised and heart-felt ending with Billy and the audience, at the race track and watching the movie, finding out that the saying "Winning isn't everything it's the only thing" wasn't all that it was cranked up to be from the driver who won the race.

The first picture of Mickey's decline from stardom after the previous year's Words and Music where his terrible performance pretty much ended his tenure at MGM. It's fitting that it's a racing movie because it's a skid picture for the Mick without question.After years of the plush surroundings at Metro this low budget loser must have come as a rude shock. He's overly earnest as was typical of his starring career which was endurable in parts where he was the brash teenage Andy Hardy and similar roles but as he aged became arch and annoying. The story is standard cocky hothead knocked down a few pegs until his learns the necessary life lessons junk but if you're a race fan and don't mind the obvious rear projection shots it a certain entertainment value. What's great about these old Hollywood films is that even in an economy production like this the film is full of quality character actors who had more latitude in moving between studios, genres and types of productions. This one has a supporting cast better than it deserves with three greats in the cast, Spring Byington, Thomas Mitchell and in a small part Hattie McDaniel, this was her last theatrical feature.

A look at the world of Grand Prix auto racing concerning about Billy (Mickey Rooney) , a young man bursting with raw energy and talent , he is hired by a garage owner named Carrell (Thomas Mitchell) as a mechanic . But Billy gets employment as a speedcar driver and quickly slipping in the rankings . He must learn to deal with his partners and he gets Indianapolis car race where his dad died long time ago . Meanwhile , he is emotionally involvement with attractive girls (Mary Hatcher, Alicia Romay) .This is a tale of speed and love where Rooney battles competitions , he has his own demons including a horrific , nearly deadly crashing where dies a pilot , being he blamed , besides the mummy fears his death . Car crashes abound and Rooney tempers flaring . There appears uncredited Denver Pyle , Monte Blue and Hattie McDaniel's last movie . The film is developed in top competitors circle , the world's most famous racing circuits as Daiton , Culver city and of course the home of ¨500 miles Indianapolis¨ . It's almost all over the road . The movie belongs to car racing sub-genre with numerous known titles as ¨Grand Prix¨ (by John Frankheimer) ; ¨Le Mans¨ (Lee H Kazkin) in which Steve McQueen does his own driving ; ¨Winning¨ (James Goldstone) where Paul Newman does equally his own driving ; ¨Days of Thunder¨ with Tom Cruise and ¨Driven¨ (Renny Harlin) . Here Mickey Rooney doesn't drive but there are documentary style race footage . The motion picture was well directed by Edward Ludwing . The flick is strictly for those who like cars racing round and round although nowadays dated ; including a brief drama and a good acting by Mickey Rooney .