Early one August morning, 17-year-old computer "nerd" Duff Pringle leaves Richmond, Virginia, in a newly-acquired used car and begins an unexpectedly convoluted journey to San Jose, California, and the job that awaits him there.

1Duff Departs 1 -- 2 On (And Off) the Road 6 -- 3 Stuck in Nowhere 22 -- 4 Guy in the Wild Shirt 38 -- 5 Cool Car 51 -- 6 Bikers' Dance 69 -- 7 Criminal's Den 80 -- 8 Ready to Roll 97 -- 9 An All-Night Drive 114 -- 10 A Stu Problem 127 -- 11 Duff Falls in Love 143 -- 12 Stranded 158 -- 13 Aunt Shirley to the Rescue 166 -- 14 Crashing and Saving 176 -- 15 Third Car 191 -- 16 Chase 211 -- 17 Truck Stop 229 -- 18 Weirdness of Stu 238 -- 19 Sunset Over the Ocean 254 -- 20 A Whole Different Future 265 -- Last Chapter and The Last Phone Call 271.