Chequered Flag: A Con Among the Legends of Can-Am
A Summary
Logline: A drag racing miscreant out of Hollywood High School climbs to the top of the Los Angeles business world in the 1970s despite his lengthy criminal past, but old habits resurface when the thrills of competing against auto racing royalty during the golden age of the Can-Am series become an expensive obsession that jeopardizes his family, his deceptive empire, and his freedom.
What would you give up for a chance to live out your racing dreams among the heroes of the day? For Bill Cuddy, the answer was “everything.” His son, George Aaron Cuddy, recalls a father dedicated to the success of his security guard and alarm company and active in fundraising for the prestigious Buckley School where the boy mingled with the elite children of celebrities. Bill Cuddy’s penchant for speed made a criminal of him while still in his teens and he later became singularly focused on Can-Am racing with the legends of the sport. When he failed to score a major sponsor, Bill became his own, sending his family life into turmoil when the demands of money led him to commit insurance fraud, burglary, and other nefarious pursuits. The result was an unfortunate and high profile ending to every dream Bill had remaining. Chequered Flag explores one man’s obsession with the wild, unregulated and experimental world of Can-Am racing where speed was an “all you can eat” buffet and Bill Cuddy was determined to help himself.