THE high stakes, high-speed world of NASCAR racing provides an unlikely comedy pit stop for Saturday Night Live alumni Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.

The eponymous hero is Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell), son of semi-professional stock car racer and amateur tattoo artist' Reese Bobby (Gary Cole), who has always abided by his father's mantra: If you ain't first, you're last.

Ricky is the top driver on the NASCAR circuit, until flamboyant gay Frenchman Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) screeches into town and causes Ricky to take one too many risks, culminating in a terrible crash.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby is fuelled by the childlike charm of Ferrell's tomfoolery, which frequently grates, and Cohen's scene stealing.

Every once in a while, gags accelerate smoothly and hit their target, like when hot wife' Carley's father admonishes his grandsons Walker and Texas Ranger for speaking to him without due respect, and Carley defends the boys: If we wanted wusses, we would have named them Dr Quinn and Medicine Woman.' Or when Ricky mistakenly believes he is paralysed from the waist down and tries to prove his point by stabbing himself in the leg. His screams continue in the end credits out-takes.

Swearing, no sex, violence Rating: Three stars