THE OVAL PLAYGROUND

A fast starter that keeps going. Mark Devlin's a ""greaseball"" (he can't always get all the grease out from under his fingernails) facing an uncertain future: the security of garage work vs. the excitement of racing. Actually, his indecision is the kind adults notice more quickly; youngsters will be involved with track times and human relationships. Mark's boss Al, who was his deceased father's racing partner, is also his mother's current suitor and his introduction to racing. The boy's friends speak candidly, moving naturally from one topic to another (even whether adults who race are purists or adolescents), and joke and interrupt each other with notable immediacy. One driver seems to be his nemesis but Mark knows it's in his head; even so winning the final race and beating that Chris Tyler can be a pleasant surprise. In the end he opts for security, knowing that life with Al and his mother can never be dull, and it somehow sounds right. Both likely and lively from a veteran of the circuit.