North Texas native cast as Dennis Quaid’s son in new NASCAR series on AMC
AMC’s new NASCAR drama series is adding a North Texas native to its pit crew.
Deadline recently reported that Matt Barr is joining the show “Thunder Road,” which is currently filming in Georgia. The series also stars Dennis Quaid, Chase Stokes, Michael Rooker and Maggie Grace.
Barr, who was born in Allen and grew up in Fairview, is playing Quaid’s character’s oldest son — Calvin Whitlock.
Deadline describes Calvin as an “attractive and ambitious man who’s been driven out of the business of auto racing for good and doesn’t like to be reminded of it.” Calvin is now a businessman who owns a bar.
“[’Thunder Road’] follows the multi-generational saga of the Whitlock family, whose legacy in stock car racing intertwines with their southern hill country roots, featuring family dynamics and fierce rivalries in the world of NASCAR,” according to the show’s logline.
North Texas native cast in NASCAR series
If the Barr name sounds familiar, that’s because Matt is the son of former Southern Methodist University football coach Mike Barr.
Matt Barr has been acting for more than 20 years, appearing in “One Tree Hill”, “Sleepy Hollow,” “The Layover” and “Hatfields & McCoys,” among other projects. He also executive produced “12 Mighty Orphans,” the 2021 film about Fort Worth’s Mighty Mites.
In 2021, Barr landed a role in “Walker,” a reimagining of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” as lovable outlaw Hoyt Rawlins.
Ultimately, Barr appeared in four episodes of “Walker” before his character met an untimely demise. However, just a year later, Barr revived his role as a descendant of Hoyt on the late-1800s set “Walker: Independence,” which itself is a prequel to “Walker.”
Back in 2022, the Star-Telegram caught up with Barr at a screening of “Walker: Independence” in Dallas.
“My favorite restaurant [in Fort Worth] is called The Original [Mexican Eats Cafe] on Camp Bowie,” Barr said. “Margaritas and queso with the family is like my favorite thing in the world to do.”
“Thunder Road” will release sometime in 2027.
