Cannonball (film)

Cannonball, also known as Carquake, is a 1976 film starring David Carradine. The film is one of two released in 1976 the other being The Gumball Rally that were based on a real illegal crosscontinent road race that took place for a number of years in the United States. The same topic later became the basis for the films The Cannonball Run, Cannonball Run II and Speed Zone. The film was written and directed by Paul Bartel, who also directed Death Race 2000.

The TransAmerica Grand Prix is an illegal race held every year between Los Angeles Santa Monica Pier and New York City. Recently released from jail, where he was serving a sentence for killing a girl while driving drunk, racing driver Coy Cannonball Buckman David Carradine hopes to win the race and get his career back on track. Racing team Modern Motors have promised a contract to either him or his archrival Cade Redman Bill McKinney who is also in the race the contract will go to whichever of them wins. Coy is still on probation and when his parole officer, Linda Maxwell Veronica Hamel, with whom he is having an elaborate affair, discovers he will be crossing state lines in violation of his parole, she attempts to stop him, only to have him force her to accompany him on the race.Redman also has company in the form of country singer Perman Waters Gerrit Graham and his manager Sharma Capri Judy Canova who have agreed to pay Redmans race expenses in return for his taking them with him to New York in his Dodge Charger. ........

Source: Wikipedia