Dennis Quaid will star in a series set in the NASCAR world that AMC is currently developing.
Quaid will star in “Thunder Road,” which is produced in partnership between AMC and NASCAR. The official logline describes the show as “the story of generations of the Whitlock family, whose legacy in stock car racing is as deep as the family’s ties to the Southern foothills roots that formed the family.”
Quaid stars as Duane Whitlock, aka Wrecking Ball. He has been described as a “NASCAR legend” and “a towering figure who built a racing empire from a legacy of moonshine runs and dirt tracks and refuses to let it die.” This is a story about a blue-collar dynasty on the brink of extinction and an old king fighting to protect his crown. ”
The series is currently being fast-tracked to order from AMC with the help of Quaid, and production is scheduled to begin this summer.
Quaid recently starred in Paramount+’s serial killer drama “Happy Face” and the Taylor Sheridan-produced “Romen: Bass Reeves” on the streamer. He has previously appeared on shows such as “Merry Happy Whatever,” “The Art of More,” and “Vegas.” He is primarily known for his film roles and has led productions such as “The Rookie,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Traffic,” “Frequency,” “The Parent Trap,” “The Right Stuff,” “Breaking Away,” and “Midway.”
He is repped by UTA and Hansen Jacobson.
John Fusco is the writer and executive producer of “Thunder Road.” Taylor Elmore will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Cliff Roberts will serve as executive producer along with Mark L. Smith. Tim Clark and John Dahl will serve as executive producers on behalf of NASCAR. Produced by Gladys Chen.
This marks AMC’s latest commitment to sports content. The basic cabler recently had success with the documentary series “Rise of the 49ers,” which earned the network’s highest ratings for a new series since “The Walking Dead: The Living Dead.” AMC also recently became the home of TNA Wrestling and its weekly Thursday show, “TNA Impact.”
Deadline first reported Quaid’s casting.
