- What the heck happened to you? - līm sorry, Crazy Dave.
I had a few problems getting this critter on the truck.
[chuckles] Please. Iīve blown bigger things out my nose.
Prettier too.
[backfires]
[coughing]
What was that?!.
I wouldnīt insult him if I was you. Heīs sensitive.
- Heīs a car. - Yeah, I know.
Itīs that heīs proud. Thatīs all līm saying.
The shed I got him out of was just full of these old trophies.
I think he used to be a racecar.
A racecar? [chuckles]
Yeah. You know, I bet it took first place at the Ugly-anapolis 500.
Oh! Oh! Oh, ow! What did...?
It wasnīt the car! All right.
Just be calm. I donīt have to take this.
This is just a car... an inanimate object.
[fluid gurgling]
Oh...
Are you kidding?
It just leaked all over my shoe!
Just get this thing off my truck!
You are so in the crusher. Push!
[Dave grunting]
[engine starts]
[shouting]
[Dave] Come on!
[grunting]
Come on!
[engine accelerates]
Ahh! Whoa!
Whoa! [hollering]
[Dave] Oh!
[sputtering]
- [air hissing] - [Dave] Oh...
[grumbling]
Iīm... just gonna...
- I got to go! - Hey! Hey, you...
[sighs] I donīt know if I can do this.
- All right. Listen up, car. - [Herbie whimpers]
No one makes a fool out of Crazy Dave.
No one.
Consider yourself crushed!
[sighing]
[cheering]
[man on PA] Marie Peters,
Derek Parker,
Gregory Petell,
Chad Peterson,
- Margaret Peyton, - Yeah!
Congratulations.
Iīve seen some photo finishes in my time.
Questions abound. Who is Maxx?
That was cutting it close.
Where did he come from? Whatīs with the helmet?
[laughing] OK, Dad.
Your mom would be so proud.
Youīre the first Peyton to graduate college.
One where you donīt have to keep a toolbox at the end.
- Whereīs Ray? - Running some laps.
We got a qualifying race. Heīs working on some problems.
Like not crashing?
Mag-Wheels!
Check out what mom and dad got me for graduation.
Oh, great. Rub it in.
[father] 4.2 V-8, right?
V-8, what? I donīt know, but itīs adorable!
Promise youīll look after Maggie in New York.
- Weīll be roommates for 1 5 minutes. - An assistant producer job at ESPN.
Youīll be in front of the camera in a heartbeat.
Have a great time in Paris.
Bye. Be back in a month. Iīll spring you from Riverside.
Weīll cruise to the Big Apple and start our new lives. Au revoir!
I promised your brother weīd meet him at the track. We got to go.
Do I even get a graduation lunch?
Well, this isnīt quite what I had in mind, but...
Hey, I sprung for the churros.
Dad, is Sally still sponsoring you?
One of the proud, the few.
[Sally Hey, guys!
- Congrats on the ESPN job! - Thank you.
I thought Maggie might swing some free publicity over there.
Only publicity Team Peyton needs is to win a race.
Weīre turning this thing around. I know it. Believe me.
Aw, come on, Ray. What are you doing?
- Ray, what...? - [crashing]
[grunting]
Ow.
[grunts]
Ray, you were just pushing the right front.
Was that what it is? Did you learn that in college? Thanks!
- At least he loses with style. - Heīs sure had enough practice.
[Ray I canīt believe Trip Murphy won Daytona.
Heīs a loser. A well-paid loser.
Hey, Ray, the guyīs a great racer.
Say what you want about him. He has excellent focus.
[chuckling]
You drove past that tree on purpose.
- No. Weīre taking a shortcut. - You were gonna chop it down.
Oh, wait! That was you!
Oh, right. Iīm not the one who crashes into walls, am l?
Donīt let him get to you. The important thing
is when you see that tree and this town in your rearview mirror,
you know youīre on your way to a better life. Right?
- Right. - All right.
[sighs]
Now you, Gramps, had style.
[footsteps]
He sure did.
Listen.
Iīm sorry I didnīt really pull out all the stops for graduation.
Itīs OK. You know,
that was always Momīs department.
Itīs been ten years. I should have more of a clue.
I didnīt know the team was doing so badly.
Maggie, itīs a bad streak. Weīll pull out of it.
But I do think itīs time we find room for you up on that wall.
Your grandfather was one of the greatest drivers
That ought to do it justice.
- Night, Dad. - Night, baby.
Tomorrow morning, getting you a graduation present.
Itīs OK. I really donīt need anything.
I want to. First thing, bright and early, you and me.
- You get to pick it out. - OK.
- Good night. - Good night.
Dad, uh, what are we doing here?
Buying you a car.
I appreciate the gesture, but līm only here a month.
You donīt want me chauffeuring you around for a month.
Happy graduation, Magpie.
[father] Hey, Dave!
Wow. A stock car.
[door opens]
[murmurs]
One lap to go. Maggie Peyton is about to make NASCAR history.
Sheīs going! Sheīs going!
Sheīs done it! Unbelievable!
Sheīs the first female driver to take the Nextel Cup! Wow!
Hey, Maggie! You find anything yet?
- Not yet, Dad! Still looking! - OK, honey.
[purring]
[engine grinding]
[squeaks]
- [father] What do you think, hon? - Nothing calls out to me.
- [Herbie whines] - Now, trust me.
Thereīs a certified pre-owned champion out there
waiting to be discovered.
A car with the guts, the character, the heart of a thoroughbred.
[whimpering]
[car horn beeping]
[beeping]
Dad! Itīs perfect!
OK, just think, if this horn hadnīt gone off,
I wouldnīt have found this Nissan!
[sighing]
Hey, Maggie. What about this guy?
These are great. Take care of the engine, they run forever.
- That was unbelievable! - Sheīs a pretty sweet ride.
- Doesnīt really need anything. - ltīs cute.
But, Dad...
- [whimpering] - How much for the Nissan?
Good eye. Good eye.
Weīve had a lot of interest in that car this week. But, um...
Iīll tell you what līm gonna do.
Since you are the first customer today,
I think I can cut you a deal.
[growling]
- Hmm. - [sighs]
Iīll give you 50 for the Bug.
Sorry, no can do. See...
I always felt there was something special about that car.
I wouldnīt sell in a million years.
- Seventy-five. - Oh, sold!
All right.
Iīll make out the papers.
At least we know the horn works.
[purring]
OK, Mags. Tires are good.
Gas is good. Brakes are good.
Look at that. The speedometer goes up to 200 miles an hour.
[laughs] Somebodyīs got a sense of humor.
All right, now. Come over to the garage later.
Have Augie take a look at it.
Thank you, Dad.
īīPlease take care of Herbie.
Whatever your problem, heīll help you find the answer."ī
[scoffs] Great. A fortune cookie on wheels.
OK, letīs start slow.
[engine starts]
[screaming]
What are you doing?! Stop!
[Maggie hollering]
This isnīt funny anymore!
Come on, car! Youīre a car! I drive!
What is going on?
Oh, my God! No!
[screaming]
[metal clattering]
- Oh, God... - Oh, my God.
Iīm so sorry. Let me help you.
Are you OK?
- Maggie? - Kevin?
God, you look great.
I mean, itīs great to see you.
- What are you doing here? - Oh, I just got this car.
My dad wanted to get me something for graduation.
[sputters]
Didnīt you used to drive cars with a little bit more, uh... muscle?
This car is not for racing. Itīs for regular driving.
- For show. - Yeah.
[sputters]
Oh, man.
You know what? Itīs not worth it. Iīm gonna take it back to Crazy Dave.
- Good to see you, Kevin. - Yeah, good to see you.
Hey, Mags. I could fix it for you.
Oh, no, thatīs OK.
No. Thatīs what I do. Kevinīs Custom Car Shop.
- Nothing too fancy. - No. Just the basics.
Weīll take him for a test drive, see what we got to work with.
- Sorry for almost running you over. - Donīt do that again.
- [backfiring] - [Kevin] Whoa! Whoa!
OK. All right. Easy, Mags.
- Smooth ride. - Sorry.
Do you know where we could get some new shocks?
Uh... Thereīs a car show at the Fairplex.
We could borrow parts from the Hernandez brothers.
Yeah, līm not really up for that whole scene.
Oh!
Well, I mean, that was then.
Besides, this bucket of bolts couldnīt make it down there.
- [Kevin] Whoa! - [screaming]
[Kevin whoops, laughs]
Thatīs the Maggie I know!
What are you talking about? Iīm not doing this!
Whatīd you say?
OK, Mags!
- [Herbie rattles, sputters] - Oh, my God.
[backfire]
It has more horsepower than I expected.
Are you kidding me? He just took off.
- He? - Herbie!
OK, the carīs name is Herbie?
It wasnīt my first choice. Name came with the car.
Letīs strip it down, get rid of old parts.
- Maybe thereīs something to salvage. - Works for me.
Go easy, Mags... Herbie.
[Kevin] What are you doing?
- Steering wheelīs jammed. - Left.
I canīt turn it! Itīs jammed!
[Kevin] OK!
OK! Easy!
Great. Iīm being carjacked by my own car!
[backfiring]
[whimpering]
OK. Watch the people. Easy, easy.
Oh! Thatīs the e-brake.
That should be connected to something.
Oh, good. They have valet parking.
Oh, man!
[Kevin coughing] Sorry.
What are you doing? You didnīt want to come.
I didnīt! It was Herbie!
Thatīs funny, Mags.
īīlt was Herbie."ī
- Hey. Where are you going? - What?
- līm so sorry. - [Kevin] Her bad.
[alarm] Step away from the vehicle,
[man] Maggie!
[Kevin] Pablo, Pancho. Hey, whatīs up, guys?
- Hey! - Hello!
- You look good! - Yeah, what happened?
Thanks, guys. Great to see you too.
Hey, is that your car?
No. No.
No, no. I donīt know whose that is.
Good thing, īcause that thing is ugly!
[sighs]
[rock music playing]
[cheering]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
Nextel Cup Series champion, Trip Murphy!
I hope you donīt mind I crashed your party.
[laughter]
When līm in the middle of a race,
swapping paint with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon,
you know what keeps me going?
Itīs you guys.
- [cheering] - My fans.
And now, līm going to give you that same experience
in your very own living rooms.
Crash? What have you got for me?
Oh, wow. You guys are in for a real treat.
Itīs my new video game.
īīTrip Murphy: Undefeated."ī
All right.
You got a Sports Illustrated shoot in an hour.
No sweat. Iīll do two laps. Keep the Sharpies handy.
And when women give you their numbers, get photos.
I donīt want a replay of Phoenix.
- I do enough charity work already. - OK.
Can I get your autograph?
Trip! Sign my head.
Yeah. Yeah!
Whoo-hoo!
Yes! Trip Murphy signed my head!
- Where are you going? - Anywhere but here.
Iīm not gonna be embarrassed again.
What about the car?
Crazy Dave can keep his cash. Iīll stick with my board.
You canīt just leave it here.
Hello? Look around. Somebody will take it.
[sputtering, horn beeping]
[beeping continues]
[beeping stops]
What is with this car? Like itīs trying to embarrass me...
Look at this.
Some guy named Maxx left these in the trunk...
You look great.
You got a tiny little spot on your shirt. What happened?
- Youīre gonna change into those? - Stand guard. No peeking.
Donīt flatter yourself. īīNo peeking."ī
Oh. Hey.
- Oh, good. It fits. All zipped up. - Letīs go.
- Wait. Where are the keys? - Uh, theyīre in the...
Oh!
Oh, whoa. Take it easy, guy. All you gotta do is ask.
Iīd wear a helmet too if my ride looked like that.
[squeaks]
[Kevin] Oops.
- Come on. Letīs get out of here. - Good idea, loser.
Get this car back to the circus before Bozo puts out an APB.
[sighs]
Ha-ha. Good stuff.
[whimpering]
[engine starts]
Oh, my God!
[Kevin] OK. OK, OK!
What are you...? Take it easy.
[Maggie] Oh...
- [metal scraping] - [man] Oh!
Ohhh! Oh, dude!
- What did you do? - I swear to God, I did not do that!
OK, try telling that to him.
Race! Race! Race! Race!
Trip! You gonna take that?
I canīt race. Get out there and tell them līm sorry!
I love that I have to do this. Sure.
īCause Trip and l have such a good rapport.
[chanting] Race! Race! Race!
What have I got to lose? Itīs a Bug.
[Maggie gasps]
Open.
Oh, my God! Kevin! Kevin! Help me!
Kevin! Kevin!
Mags! What are you doing?
Kevin!
[cheering]
What is going on? I donīt want to race!
Kevin! Kevin!
[chanting] Race, race, race, race!
[beeping]
[Herbie blows raspberry
What are you trying to do, you crazy little car?
[engine rewing]
[screaming]
[squealing]
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
OK. So thatīs how you want to do it?
- [Herbie groans] - Ahh!
[shrieks]
Oh...
[crowd cheering]
[sputtering, backfiring]
[crowd cheering]
[Herbie backfires]
I thought you said you hadnīt been racing.
- That was unbelievable! - I know. Unbelievable.
Hey, Trip. What do you say?
Get that camera out of my face!
Did you see me come off that guardrail?
I saw... I donīt know how you did that.
All right. This is gonna sound strange, but it wasnīt me.
I think it was Herbie.
Herbie is a car.
You always said they had personalities.
Yeah, personalities. Theyīre not possessed.
I canīt explain it, but when Trip blocked me on that final turn,
I wished I was on my skateboard so I could rail-slide past.
Then Herbie did it. It was like we were connected.
That makes perfect sense. Cuckoo!
What are you doing?
Checking to make sure exhaust fumes havenīt gone back inside the car.
Kevin, I beat the reigning NASCAR champion in a ī63 Bug!
- How else do you explain that? - How about,
youīre an amazing racer and proved it?
Why are you afraid to admit that?
You beat Trip Murphy, on your own, with this... hunk of junk.
Ow!
Hey. Admit it.
It felt great to be behind the wheel again.
Yeah. It did.
Thatīs what I thought.
[engine starts]
[father conversing, indistinct]
I wonīt let guys in suits tell me what to do.
- These guys pay our bills. - What do they know about racing?
They know not to back a losing team!
- Another sponsor bite the dust? - They come, they go.
Let me direct you to the date of birth on my license.
Let me direct you to the address on that license.
My house, my rules.
[big band jazz plays]
- Hey, guys! - Hey, Sally.
Hey, Sal. Donīt tell me youīre pulling out too.
No. Iīm making your day.
Youīre gonna love this.
Taking the sports world by storm,
Here it is again, Our exclusive footage of Trip Murphy
just getting scorched in an impromptu street race,
And get this:
The competition was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle,
Thatīs right, folks, A ī63 Bug,
Iīll be back. Dad!
What did I do?
I sense youīre looking for an explanation.
You promised, no more street racing.
Listen to me. I almost lost you once.
- līm not gonna let that happen again. - At least let me explain first.
OK, go ahead. Iīm all ears.
I ran into Kevin.
Kevin? You arenīt in town 24 hours,
and goofy Kevin talks you into street racing again.
Maggie. Do you think I busted my butt
to put you through school
so you could get back behind the wheel of a racecar?
- Dad, I wasnīt even driving. - Who was?
It was Kevinīs friend, Maxx, who was driving.
They wanted to challenge Trip,
so I let them borrow the car, and it was a one-shot deal.
Promise?
I mean, yeah. Yeah.
Sorry.
Iīm sorry too.
Whoever this Maxx guy is, must be pretty good
if he beat Trip Murphy in a little thing like that.
Not bad.
[moaning]
[Herbie squeaking]
Lifeīs a Trip. Then you drive.
- [director] Cut. - I nailed that one.
I agree. Iīd love to try one more.
- It doesnīt get much better than that. - OK. Moving on!
- Can I talk to you? - What is it?
The sponsors are all over me,
and the ESPN special is down the drain
because you banished the film crew.
- [Trip] I wonīt talk about yesterday. - līm not. Iīm talking about tomorrow.
This is your future. Those people paid for it,
- so get your head in the game... - I canīt deal with this, Larry!
Good hustle, everybody. Good hustle.
It doesnīt make any sense. How could that thing beat me?
Nobody cares about a stupid street race.
I care. Iīm a Nextel Cup Series champion
who got beat by a Volkswagen Bug.
Yes. Youīre a champion on the track, where it counts.
This is nothing! The reporters get some laughs out of it.
By Thursday, everybody will forget it happened.
Iīve been up all night going over this race.
I outclassed him on every front.
- I want a rematch. - Aw, jeez. Trip, no.
Itīs me, your brother. Forget it.
A two-day racing event where I beat all comers
and then destroy that little Bug.
I want posters at every garage, body shop and auto parts store,
and full-page ads in the local rags.
How do you know this Maxx guy would show up?
Maxx is a racer. Heīll show.
Iīm gonna exterminate this Bug.
[engine rewing]
Where you been? Look at this. I want to show you something. Huh?
21 80 engine. Dual Weber carburetors.
Front, rear swing axles. Pretty sweet, huh?
Yeah, theyīre, um... Wow.
Thereīs potential in this car. We can turn him into a champion.
Itīll take work, but, uh, thereīs a race in Lancaster in a few weeks.
Whoa. Hold on a second. The other day was great.
I donīt know how it happened, but it was a fluke.
You loved being back behind the wheel.
and līm starting a new life and...
How are you gonna move to New York,
Listen, I told my dad no more racing,
and I ended up lying to him.
The last time that happened, I ended up in the hospital.
Note the vicious Atferschool Special cycle līm trying to break here.
Listen, Kev, līm really sorry.
I know, I know.
What about Herbie?
I guess līll drop off the keys and the number to an exorcist.
- [Maggie shrieks] - What?
Maggie, what happened? Are you all right?
I know what youīre thinking.
Itīs one race, Mags.
One race, ten grand. Thatīs a lot of cash.
OK. Weīll split it.
You got rent money to pay. I got this dump to fix up.
Everybody wins. What do you say?
Maxx?
[Kevin] Hey!
- Sorry. - ltīs all right.
Yeah!
[screaming]
[computer beeping]
I have been over every inch of this model ten times.
Iīve run all the tests.
Thereīs no way an ordinary VW engine like this could have smoked yours.
Thereīs nothing ordinary about this Bug.
I donīt know what itīs got under its hood,
but I intend to find out.
Best ??? is dropping you I am sorry
I m off I m closing the shop I ll do something
How long have you been here?
Long enough
Sure I m glad , you are not part of this
That should do some way
Maggie Peyton haven t seen you in a long time
What are you here for?
Actually I m sponsoring Maxx
Would you like to make over
Take the car out of the junkyard , Maggie
But you can t take the junkyard out of the car
How do you know this Maxx guy?
No we don t go way back
I would like to meet him Can you arrange face to face
He is meditating Getting in the zone
Sure the pressure is getting to much
- Heīs not worried. He beat you once. - Beginnerīs luck.
You tell that to yourself at night in your Trip Murphy pajamas?
Look you tell Maxx līm really looking forward to the rematch.
Oh, hey. Sorry, big fella.
Iīm so sick of all this Trip Murphy cra...
Geezz
Hey. See you later, Trip.
[sighs] I donīt know if I can do this.
Time to suit up, Maxx.
[track announcer] Race fans, please welcome our own Trip Murphy,
Weīve got 200 names up there.
By the end of the day, there will be only one.
- [crowd] Yeah! - And that driver will face me,
and have a chance to win $1 0,000.
Letīs race.
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
todayīs winner goes up against Trip Murphy tomorrow!
Vroom, vroom! Let me hear you say īīHey, yo!īī
What a day. The real wild card here
is the enigmatic racer known only as Maxx.
Questions abound. Who is Maxx?
Where did he come from? Whatīs with the helmet?
Gotcha, Maxx.
I've signed so many autographs, my hand is numb.
Guess who wants to make an interview