Born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, 12-year-old Justin Yoder, Frankie Muniz, uses a wheelchair and lives with his overprotective parents and his athlete brother, Seth Patrick Levis. Justin is unable to play any sports due to his disability; however, he remains determined to earn a trophy of his own. For guidance, he turns to God, who takes the form of famous race car driver Bobby Wade Tuc Watkins, a figure who appears throughout the film.
Justin tries out for the summer baseball league but is rejected due to his disability. He then enters a chess tournament, but despite being placed in the younger category than his actual age due to assumptions about him using a wheelchair, he loses. After leaving the tournament disappointed, Justin finds himself at a car show where he sees his neighbor Vic Sauder Roger Aaron Brown, who is attending with his vintage red Corvette. Justin helps Vic win the contest for best car in exchange for the associated trophy. Vic stops by to deliver the trophy but leaves when he is informed Justin is not there.
Justin visits Vic’s home and, finding no one around, slips into the garage to retrieve the trophy from a high shelf. The attempt causes the shelf to fall, landing on the prized Corvette and damaging the car. As punishment, Justin helps Vic clean the garage, and the two develop a bond; however, Vic does not allow Justin near the shed on the property. Despite the warning, when Vic runs errands, Justin looks through the shed windows and spots multiple trophies inside. He enters and discovers more awards along with a soapbox racer. He starts a projector that plays a film of a young girl competing in a soapbox racer, but he is caught by Vic, who demands that he leave.
After reconciling with Vic and attending a soapbox race together, Justin, his father, and Vic build a soapbox racer. To accommodate his disability, his father and Vic construct a customized handbrake that they name the “Justin Brake.” Meanwhile, Seth feels ignored by his father, who consistently misses his baseball games and is revealed to be in therapy during a confrontation with Justin.
During a race, Justin crashes and is hospitalized due to spinal fluid buildup. He is permitted to race in the All American Soapbox Derby after the winning competitor of the penultimate race drops out. On their way to the derby, Vic reveals to Justin that his daughter Becca, who was also a soapbox racer competitor, died in a swimming accident and his wife died a year afterward. Seth convinces the Rules Committee to allow Justin to compete with a handbrake rather than the regulation foot brake after contacting the media, leading to the brothers’ reconciliation. Justin ultimately wins the tournament.
In the final scene, Justin asks God if people are perfect when they go to Heaven. In response, God shows him a vision where there are angels with and without wheelchairs, to which he happily replies “Perfect”.
As a tribute to Justin, live footage of him is shown before the closing credits.
