Coy"Cannonball" Buckman (David Carradine) and his blazing red Pontiac enter the Trans America grandprix, an underground road race spanning the continent by that there really are no rules, no rate limits and no heed for its law. En route, Buckman jockeys with an worldwide outfit of racers for a purse that is $100,000. However there are not any more significant than Cade Redman (Bill McKinney), his direct competition for a guaranteed spot in the elite Modern Motors racing team.