Career
His biggest act was however outside the movie world. On December 17, 1979, he attempted to break the, and the sound barrier in the Budweiser Rocket rocket-powered three-wheel vehicle. His calculated speed was 739.666 miles per hour, (Mach 101), which would have made Barrett the first man to break the sound barrier in a land vehicle.
The attempt was surrounded by controversy and the speed was never officially recorded.
Barrett also raced in 19 Winston Cup Series races between 1980 and 1990, posting two top ten finishes. In an effort led by Hal Needham, another Hollywood stuntman, and sponsored by Budweiser, the Budweiser Rocket was built with the intention of being the first land vehicle to break the sound barrier.
The 3-wheeler was powered by a hybrid liquid and solid-fuel rocket engine. The solid fuel booster engine came from a Sidewinder missile.
At Rogers Dry Lake on Edwards Air Force Base, the vehicle, driven by Barrett, made on December 17, 1979, an attempt to break the sound barrier.
The claimed speed of 739.666 mph, equalling Mach 1.01, was never officially recorded. He has worked as a stuntman since the 1960s in motion pictures and television series. He has been stunt doubling and stunt coordinating for many of Hollywood actors in films such as When Time Ran Out.. and Smokey and the Bandit.
Son Stanton Barrett is also a Hollywood stuntman, and also a racing driver.
He is the godson of Paul Newman, and the grandson of Dave McCoy and Roma McCoy, the founders of Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort.