I missed this at my local drive-in in 1973, but thanks to the wonder world of home video, I can now see it to my heart's content in the comfort and privacy of my own home. And what I missed was an incredible southern-oriented drive-in film that combines kick-ass crime elements a la Walking Tall with car racing and an incredible existential ending that I still can't believe I saw. George Montgomery, in one of his last starring roles, is perfect as the burned-out auto racer who only lives for the thrill of the race and is kind of lost once he gets out of that element. This amazing film introduces a race-relations subplot on top of that, features hallucination sequences that are chilling,and has the kind of tough ambience that only a 70s drive-in action film can possess. There must be an interesting story behind this film, as director Robert W. Stringer and writer Robert Walsh have no other IMDB credits. Did they work locally in television or industrial filmmaking or commercials? Or did they come out of the woodwork for one over-the-top masterpiece and then vanish into thin air? The film's producer was the legendary K. Gordon Murray, no doubt wanting to cash-in on the profitable southern drive-in action film genre, and doing a completely successful job of it. As I understand it, the film did not get widely distributed and I don't ever remember seeing it on television. Now it is around on VHS is great condition and is a must-see for anyone who would find a cross between Walking Tall and Vanishing Point to be appealing.
