An ageing race-car driver finds that he is losing his competitive edge. When he tries racing under the sponsorship of an American tire company, he falls in love with the sponsor's daughter, who pleads with him to stop driving. Adding more pressure to the man's life is his younger brother, who swore to his mother that he would not drive until his older brother retired. The older brother still wants to prove himself, and so enters a 1000-mile Italian race. When his mechanic-navigator is killed, the ageing driver quits and the younger brother finally gets to drive.