As Michael Bannon (Gary Busey) calls out the enigmatic code word "Gumball" to his eclectic band of car aficionados, a remarkable assembly of vehicles races towards a modest garage nestled in New York City. The stakes are anything but low, as they prepare for a coast-to-coast journey that eschews both speed limits and catalytic converters, aiming solely to achieve the fastest time possible. Strikingly, the only rule of this race is that there are no rules.
Simultaneously, Lieutenant Roscoe (Tim McIntire) of the Los Angeles Police Department arrives with one primary mission: to terminate this reckless escapade once and for all. As a persistent adversary of Bannon, Roscoe is relentless in his quest to finally nab his competitor. Still, his plans are continuously derailed as the race commences, no matter how fiercely he tries.
As the different driving teams embark on their hair-raising trek across the nation, the adventure is marked by a comedic array of blunders and audacious stunts. Among them is a hapless Jaguar driver who struggles to even ignite his engine; Lapchik (Steven Keats), a taciturn yet slightly unhinged motorcyclist, whose unjustifiable escapades never fail to amuse; and Franco Bertollini, a dazzling Italian racing star who often finds himself distracted by the charms of beautiful women.
Throughout this chaotic escapade, Roscoe is relentlessly in pursuit of the Gumball crew, yet he consistently falls short of capturing them. His futile enforcement efforts are humorously interspersed with clever cutaway gags, featuring workers who try to maneuver a gigantic glass window, only to see it shattered by an unfortunate passing vehicle. There’s also the introduction of an unprecedented stunt involving a moving car and a moving tractor-trailer, which would go on to inspire moments in shows like Knight Rider.
The thrilling race reaches its climax at the iconic Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, where the victors jubilantly celebrate while Roscoe hangs back in irritation. Just as the festivities begin to heat up, a convoy of police vehicles and tow trucks arrives to confiscate the Gumball cars, all part of Roscoe’s crafty scheme to catch them parked illegally after the celebration extends past 11 PM.
In the aftermath, Bannon extends his congratulations to Roscoe on his bittersweet triumph, acknowledging that Roscoe has reached his mandatory retirement age and must retire his badge. Faced with the prospect of returning home without their beloved vehicles, Bannon once again calls out the code word, signaling their journey back to New York. The film draws to a fitting close as Lapchik – the last to finish on the initial leg of the race – careens into the parking lot with his throttle stuck, launching himself joyfully into the water while providing a spectacular finale to this whirlwind adventure.
