Suzanne Hanover, The Associated Press NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby, played by Will Ferrell, holds a trophy in a scene from "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." Click photo for larger image. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and comic violence. Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly. Director: Adam McKay. Web site: www.sonypictures.com /movies/talladeganights Family Film Guide: 'Talladega Nights'

Thanks to his mother's internal combustion, Ricky Bobby was born to drive -- in the back seat of the family car. Diesel-fueled by his derelict daddy's words of wisdom ("If you ain't first, you're last!"), he is destined for NASCAR stardom and a long day's journey into "Talladega Nights."

Will Ferrell is the man with two first names in the comical racing romp at hand. He and his faithful non-Indian companion Cal (John C. Reilly) are the unbeatable duo of Shake and Bake, reliably finishing in the No. 1 and No. 2 slots -- with Cal always second -- until fey French Formula One driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) intrudes to challenge their supremacy.

How fey and French is Girard? He sips wine and reads Camus' "The Stranger" during the races. Talk about Euro-trash. At one point, he tries to strong-arm Ricky into saying, "I love crepes."

Ricky has a problematic family to contend with, as well: The parents from purgatory (Gary Cole and Jane Lynch), the wife from Almost Heaven (Leslie Bibb) -- "I'm a driver's wife, I don't work" -- and the foul-mouthed kids from hell. He also has such personal issues as an obsession with the Baby Jesus (as opposed to the Garden of Gethsemane-variety Jesus) and a belief that he's on fire, which, when stressed, induces him to run or roll around in his underwear trying to extinguish the nonexistent flames.

Co-written by the star and director Adam McKay, the script is full of such Ferrell-foolish running gags as his deeply religious mealtime grace: "Dear Lord Baby Jesus, I want to thank you for this wonderful meal, my two beautiful sons Walker and Texas Ranger, and my red-hot smokin' wife, Carley."

Red-hot smokin' Carley, for her part, instantly abandons him (for best-pal Cal) the minute Ricky loses to Girard. Thenceforth, he is reduced to delivering pizza and trying to regain top form through such confidence-building exercises as driving with a live cougar in the passenger seat.

There's no good reason why all this should be particularly funny, but for some reason, it is. In the periodic frenzy to put out his psychosomatic fire, Ferrell is funnier for the fact that he's lump-ugly even when fully clothed, let alone semi-nude.

The perversely funniest scene is a multi-car crash so long and violent that the TV coverage cuts away in the middle of it for a commercial, then returns to the mayhem still in progress. The race cars used and abused in "Talladega," we're told, came from a North Carolina warehouse that once belonged to Wonder Bread, whose ubiquitous logo on the race cars adds to the general absurdity of the proceedings.

This critical jury of one is still out on Will Ferrell: a feature-film comic with staying power, or badly overexposed? The 39-year-old "Saturday Night Live" alumnus (1995-2002) has chalked up an equal number of hits and misses, with and without fellow "SNL" veteran MacKay as his director. Ferrell had humorous moments in "Old School" (2003) and "Zoolander" (2001). He was distinctly disastrous in "Bewitched" and "Kicking & Screaming" (2005). "Anchorman" (2004) -- "You stay classy!" -- was enjoyable. And I thought he was terrific in (and as) Woody Allen in the director's "Melinda and Melinda" (2004).

All things considered, and judging by the preview audience's enthusiastic reaction, "Talladega Nights" makes for a meal of squeals on wheels.