Born to Speed

Johnny Randall is forbidden to go near a race track by his mother, who is still grieving the loss of her husband, a champion driver that perished in an accident at the Indianapolis Speedway. He goes to work for his dad's former mechanic, Breezy Bradley, who now repairs midget racers in California. Johnny is tempted onto the track and everyone is amazed at the boy's ability. To conceal his identity from his mother, Johnny dons a mask, and a mysterious masked driver wins every major race. Things are going great, until a rival team orders its drivers to deliberately send Johnny into a fiery crash.

Johnny Sands headlines this PRC production which features fine midget racing footage, a sport that was drawing 45 million spectators a year in the 1940s. One-half Cherokee Indian, Sands chose his stage name because of his love of the beach. His most famous role was playing opposite Shirley Temple in 1947's The Bachelor And The Bobby Soxer.

The romantic, dangerous and fast-paced world of professional midget auto racing provides the backdrop for this dramatic tale of a young driver who decides to follow in his late father's footsteps and win the big race. Johnny Randall is aware of the risks. His father died in a fireball during a race. Still he wants to win and so enlists the aid of Breezy Bradley, an experienced mechanic to help him restore his father's ruined racer. He also finds time to fall in love with Breezy's beautiful daughter.