Barrett helping his father settle an old score with ride

Stan Barrett is perhaps most famous for driving more than 739 miles per hour.

The 64-year-old Hollywood stuntman won't have to go anywhere near that fast, however, in his first Nationwide Series race -- and in his first race in one of NASCAR's top touring series since 1990. He just hopes to go fast enough to make the field.

Should that happen, Barrett's appearance in Sunday's Corona Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will mark the first time a father will drive for a team owned by his son. Stanton Barrett, 35, offered his father a ride in the No. 31 SBA Motorsports Chevrolet, which is paired with Stanton's own No. 30 Chevy.

Fast facts

What	Corona Mexico 200
When	Green, 2:22 p.m. ET Sunday
TV	ESPN/Deportes, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio	MRN (Sirius Ch. 28), 2 p.m. ET

Loop | Numbers | Notes | Track

"How many fathers get to race with their sons?" asked Stan Barrett, who in 1979 was clocked at 739.666 mph in a three-wheeled Budweiser rocket car, equipped with a 60,000-horsepower rocket motor and a 20,000-horsepower sidewinder missile booster, on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Though Barrett's run did not produce an official land speed record, he was the first driver to exceed the speed of sound on land.

"It's a great opportunity for me," Barrett said of the chance to race for SBA. "I really thought my career was on permanent hiatus."

Barrett, who has been a stunt double for Paul Newman (Stanton's godfather) and Burt Reynolds, among many others, will have a chance to alter a disappointing ending to his stock car career. Barrett competed in 19 races in what was then the Winston Cup Series, and his last event left a bad taste in his mouth.

Barrett was running fifth at Sonoma in 1990, when Ernie Irvan and Sterling Marlin tangled on a restart late in the race. Barrett was an innocent casualty of the crash and limped home in 17th place.

"I think Stanton didn't want to see my career end like that, because I had a top-three finish at that point, I'm pretty sure," Barrett said.

Despite recent rotator cuff and foot surgery -- the hazards of being a stuntman -- Barrett spent two days with a private instructor at the Bondurant School of Performance Driving in Phoenix, Ariz., to prepare for the race.

Stan Barrett

"They took a piece from my shoulder and they pinned my foot, because it was broken pretty badly," Barrett said. "But you can't expect any sympathy from Stanton (who followed his father into the stuntman profession), because you're not going to get any. He once drove with a broken femur (thigh bone)."

Sponsorship from Interush, an internet technology and marketing company, and Grandstay.net, a specialist in corporate, leisure and extended-stay accommodations, helped make Barrett's return to racing possible. But this isn't just a lark. Both Barretts know how important it is for Stan to make the field during Saturday morning's qualifying.

"We gave him a really good car and engine," Stanton Barrett said. "We can't afford not to make the race -- but I believe in him."

Stan Barrett was 42nd out of the 43 cars that turned laps in the first practice session, and Kenny Hendrick took over the car for the remainder of the session. Stanton Barrett practiced his father's car in the second session. As of Friday afternoon, the team had not made the decision on whether Stan will qualify the No. 31 on Saturday.

Stan Barrett served as the inspiration for the character "Ski Chinski" ( played by Jan-Michael Vincent) in the 1978 movie Hooper, just as legendary stuntman, director and car owner Hal Needham inspired the title character played by Reynolds. Barrett embodies the same sort of toughness and determination portrayed in that film.

"He's in phenomenal shape," Stanton Barrett said. "He boxes and he does a thousand push-ups and sit-ups a day.

"He's 64 years old, but he looks 15 years younger."

Stanton Barrett

The call from his son took Barrett by surprise. His first move was to call his old friend, Bob Bondurant, to arrange a cram session on the road course at Bondurant's driving school. And it's not that Barrett hasn't driven a car since his exit from the Cup Series 18 years ago. He and Newman still drive go-karts and Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) cars together.

"Just getting used to the track and the tires is the big thing," Stanton Barrett said. "He's definitely got a lot to learn, but I think a road course is a good place for him to start."

This is the first time the Barretts will compete against each other in a NASCAR event. And if additional sponsorship dollars are available, it may not be the last.

"We'll see how he does here -- and if he's having fun," said Stanton, who plans to compete in 8-10 more Nationwide events this year, in addition to Cup races at Charlotte, Indianapolis and Bristol.

"He's been my buddy, and we've been all over the world together, but I've never gotten to race against him competitively, other than on a movie set."

"I'm not sure quite what I feel just yet," Stan Barrett said. "This morning when Stanton took me around the track in an official's car and showed me where the apexes are and instructed me on how to drive the track -- the tables are turned!

"It's really great to look at him with respect -- I'm proud of him."