Red Walden (Grange) and his friend Sparks (Hiers) are co-owners of a garage that is struggling financially. Trying to figure out how to save their business, the two decide to enter the Big Race, a cross-country event that promised a large prize money for the winner.
Director Sam Wood and writer Byron Morgan, who had previous success with motorsports films, approached American football star Red Grange about developing a movie during the football offseason. Interested in driving race cars, Grange accepted.[3]