[A] decidedly undistinguished dirt-racing film.

Sure, there's potential for pleasure in an old story done right, but Travolta croaking out a Southern accent as he overplays his outbursts and emotional reconciliations doesn't qualify.

There's plenty of material here for a reasonably engrossing drama. Somehow, screenwriters Craig R. Welch and Greg Gerani fail to come up with anything remotely interesting.

Considering the pedigree of the cast, this should have delivered far higher on the excitement scale.