Short Track Saturday Night
Short Track Saturday Night
Logline
A down-and-out racecar driver dreams of making it to the next level but his past makes it almost impossible.
Full Synopsis
Short Track Saturday Night is about a young local man named AJ Taylor who races on the weekends. His dream is to someday make it to the big show which is the Championship Auto Racing Series.
Unfortunately, AJ is dealing with a lot of problems in his life and nobody thinks he’s got what it takes to make it to the next level. He has an older brother by the name of Danny Taylor who was his hero growing up.
Danny was an up-and-coming star in the short track racing circuit until one hot summer night while racing, his car collided with another racecar. The tragic accident resulted in him becoming a paraplegic.
Danny is confined to a wheelchair and will never be able to realize his dreams of making it to the Championship Auto Racing Series. This soul-crushing circumstance pushes him to heavy drinking.
His brother’s condition weighs heavily on AJ along with the fact that both brothers grew up in a dysfunctional family. This caused AJ to turn to the partying lifestyle instead of focusing on driving.
Fed up with AJ’s behavior, his crew chief, Todd McSwain, quits and takes his team with him. This leaves AJ in search of another crew. He looks up an old car building legend by the name of Bill Kraft.
Bill used to be a Nascar crew chief but was accused of betting on racing. It was reported that he would wager against his own car and bet on other drivers to win.
It's been alleged that on one certain occasion, Bill purposely made his own car run slower so he could profit from his bet. Bill denied this but the damage was already done which resulted in his being kicked out of the Championship Auto Racing Series.
AJ is able to convince Bill to join him and the two become an unlikely underdog team. AJ then reaches out to three of his colorful childhood friends to help complete their crew of outcasts.
AJ’s first race with his new team does not go as planned as he is put into the wall and knocked out of the race. Both cars in the collision go to their respective pits and he is furious. He storms out to confront the driver.
The driver takes off their helmet and much to AJ’s surprise, it is a beautiful and fiery girl by the name of Kelly Jordan. Although they’re both furious with each other, there’s no denying the sexual tension between the two drivers.
AJ’s team goes through its ups and downs but eventually starts winning races. AJ and Kelly start a passionate romance which is fueled by the competitive nature of the two drivers. All this is much to the chagrin of the No. 1 ranked short track racer who goes by the name of Corey Michaels.
Corey is known to be an aggressive driver who will do anything to win. And up until this time, the Championship Auto Racing Series owners have always had their eye on him to be their next star.
During the season, Danny had been AJ’s spotter and had done an outstanding job for him up until one particular night. Danny shows up at the track and takes his normal place so he can watch over his brother. He keeps taking gulps out of a flask that’s hidden in his coat pocket. The alcohol has already taken effect but he tries to hide it as the race gets underway.
Kelly convinces AJ that they need to spend more time with their father so they go to his church. Afterwards, we learn that his father is a little upset with him because he found out that AJ mortgaged his house to help pay for his racing expenses for the year. Danny, in his grandfather’s will, inherited money but he drank it all away.
Because of his intoxication, Danny makes a critical mistake which leads to AJ damaging his car and he is unable to finish the race. AJ confronts Danny and they get in a huge argument.
Danny leaves the race track with another friend while AJ stays behind to help his crew work on the car and finish watching the race. AJ is happy to see that his girlfriend Kelly is moving up the pack and before you know it, she is challenging for the lead.
Kelly, who usually finishes in the middle of the pack or towards the end, has thrown caution to the wind on this particular night, hoping for the first time that she will taste victory. The crowd rises to its feet and cheers as an unlikely competitor steps into the fold.
Corey spots Kelly in his rearview mirror and in the blink of an eye, she dives down to the bottom of the track in hopes of passing the race leader. Corey quickly trades paint with Kelly as they go towards the last turn of the final lap. But the contact makes her lose control of her race car and it crashes into the wall.
Stunned, AJ runs over to Kelly’s car along with the rescue personnel. When he arrives, he sees her lifeless body slumped over the steering wheel. The tragedy shakes him to his core. He is uncertain if he would ever race again.
AJ mourns the loss of his girlfriend and reconciles with his brother. Bill talks AJ into coming back to racing.
One of the top Championship Auto Racing Series owners, Corbin Blair, is torn between which racer to sign so he poses a challenge to both drivers, AJ and Corey: whoever wins the last race of the season or whoever finishes first between the two of them will be signed as the new face of Blair Racing.
It all comes down to one moment, one lap, and one dream.
