Jarod "Jones" takes on the professional race car circuit at the California Speedway in Fontana to investigate the car crash in which race car driver Jimmy Roemer was injured.
Jimmy is one part of Roemer Racing, a family business that includes his wife, his older brother and his father. The lead driver is Nigel Brinkman, but Jimmy's brother, R.J. was close to overtaking Nigel's times when the accident happened.
Jarod discovers that R.J. had developed spasms that caused his hands to tremble, but was trying to keep it a secret. The spasms were the reason that Jimmy unexpectedly drove R.J.'s car on the day of the crash -- he was covering for his brother. Jarod also learns that Jimmy was braking hard, just before he lost control and went into the wall. Hawkes, the chief mechanic, tells Jarod that the crash was not due to mechanical error, but when Jarod examines the wrecked car for himself, he finds distinctive scratch marks on the throttle cable plate that were made from an Odekirk fishing knife, one of which Brinkman, the lead driver, owns.
When Jarod obtains the surveillance video that was taken in the garage the night before Jimmy crashed, he sees Hawkes allowing Brinkman into the area where R.J.'s car was stored. Brinkman sabotaged R.J.'s car to protect his number-one position and Hawkes let him do it to protect his job, because R.J. wanted to have him replaced as crew chief.
Using a remote control, Jarod over-rides Brinkman's control of his car during a test run, and threatens to let Brinkman crash, just like Jimmy did, if he does not confess. Brinkman tells all, and his confession is heard on the P.A. system by everyone. Brinkman is arrested.
As he is dying, Sydney's twin, Jacob, calls out to him in a dream. A fatal virus awakens Jacob from his coma, but he only has hours to live. Sydney races against time and the sweepers sent by Raines to do the job that Miss Parker didn't, and manages to spirit Jacob away from the hospital. He takes Jacob to White Cloud, their cabin. Miss Parker joins Sydney there, and although Broots holds out for hours, Mr. Raines interrogation finally gets the better of him. He tells Raines where he can find Sydney and Jacob.
Before Jacob dies, Sydney tells him that he tried to shoot Raines. He also tries to help Jacob remember what went on at The Centre before the accident that left him in a coma. Having been silent for 30 years, Jacob isn't able to communicate much to Sydney, but just before he dies, Jacob says, "gene" and writes it on a piece of paper for Sydney.
Sydney and Miss Parker bury Jacob at White Cloud, by the lake. By the time Raines and his sweepers arrive, Miss Parker and Sydney are quietly playing the children's card game, "Go Fish."
Later, Jarod meets Sydney at Jacob's gravesite. Sydney gives Jarod the piece of paper with the word "gene" written on it and tells him that he does not know what it means, but he hopes that it will help Jarod find some peace.
Jarod discovers arcade games.