Casey Owens (James Darren), a young mechanic, has developed a design for a turbine car engine, paving the way for a jet-powered auto certain to set a new land speed record. Wealthy playboy Stanford Rogers (Peter Mann) hires Casey to build the car for him to race in the Tri-State Endurance Run. Chuck Manning (Doug McClure), an engineering student Casey met in a drag race, discovers potential flaws in the car's design. After an unsuccessful test run, Rogers abandons the turbine-powered car for a traditional racing model, but Casey and Chuck rework the turbine vehicle to compete with Rogers in the endurance run. Pamela Tiffin plays Eadie, Chuck's sister who becomes Casey's love interest.
After 2 years in the Army, Casey Owens, who builds and drives racing cars, enrolls in college. There he meets Chuck Manning, another young man enthusiastic about cars. Casey falls in love with Eadie, Chuck's sister, and quits college to go to work in his father's garage and continue work on a gas turbine engine. He competes in races and soon becomes something of a celebrity in racing circles. Young millionaire racing enthusiast Stanford Rogers hires Casey to build two cars for him. Scorning scientific advice, Casey refuses to conduct wind tunnel tests on the cars and, as a result, wrecks one of them when he tries to attain high speed. Rogers fires Casey; and Casey's parents, with the help of Chuck and Eadie's parents, raise enough money to buy the engine from Rogers. Heeding advice this time, Casey builds a new car around the engine, enters and wins the Tri-State Endurance Race, and with his winnings pays back the money invested in his engine. Casey marries Eadie and reenrolls in college.
