Stanton Barrett is a Director, Producer, Hollywood Stuntman, and NASCAR driver. A diverse hybrid talent with nearly 300 film and television credits, and over 230 racing starts, his esteemed career spans both the Entertainment and Professional Racing industries.

Stanton was born in Bishop, California and is the grandson of Dave McCoy, founder of Mammoth Mountain. His mother, Penny McCoy, an accomplished skier, medaled at age 16 in women's slalom at the 1966 World Championships and had numerous wins on the World Cup circuit. His father is stuntman and NASCAR driver Stan Barrett. Stanton counts among his family members: 2 Olympic athletes, 3 stuntmen, and 2 professional race car drivers. He is the apple that did not fall far from this very fruitful family tree.

Stanton’s godfather, mentor, and close friend, Paul Newman, was a strong and steady influence throughout his life until his passing in 2008.

Stanton is the son of legendary stuntman Stan Barrett, who in 1979 was the first man in history to break the speed of sound on land in the Budweiser Rocket Car. Hal Needham, who owned the Budweiser Rocket Car that his father piloted, has been a mentor and close friend to Stanton. Along with his father and Mickey Gilbert, Stanton regards Hal as an influential pillar in his movie career. Stanton and his brother, David, grew up alongside successful second-generation stuntmen/directors like Scotty Waugh - one of the industry’s brightest action directors.  Scotty’s father, Fred Waugh, and Stan Barrett became close friends after Stan saved Fred’s life on a film. This close-knit stunt community was also a family, whose children grew up together. As it happened, this stunt family comprised the most famous and well-recognized stuntmen in the industry. 

 

Stanton's dad began teaching him physical skills from the time he was four. He and his brother learned to box, do movie fights, flip on a trampoline, and create their own stunts - crashing bikes and jumping off rooftops. This guided childhood exploration had a purpose and cultivated a promising future for them both. Stanton had his first real film experience at age nine and learned more about directing and film at fifteen when he began working with his dad as a stuntman.  It was then that his dad had said to him: "When you're working for me, if you're not in front of the camera, you're going to be behind the camera watching monitors to see how it's done. Learn everything you can - not just about filming, directing, or how actors and stuntmen make it look good, but everything it takes." Stanton took this advice to heart - watching his dad, and mentors Hal Needham and Mickey Gilbert. These three men, in their day, were the best in the business when it came to stunts and directing; this hybrid was and still is unique. Their creative minds and engineering skills innovated ways of filming that would rival any contemporary director.

 

Stanton is known for his spectacular work as a stunt performer with experience that spans his 33-year career. His participation in professional sports including race driving, extreme skiing, snowmobile racing, mountain biking, and motocross has given him the versatility required for stunt work on high-demand sets. Stanton has a very successful professional race car driving career of equal length and credentials. For the last 30 years, he has been a professional NASCAR driver with more than 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts and over 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts to his credit. In 2009, he raced 5 IZOD Indy Car Series events along with numerous races in IMSA, 24 Hours of Daytona. Stanton Barrett was best known as one of two independent NASCAR team owners who were also the driver. Being an owner/driver in one of the most prestigious auto racing series in the world takes tremendous dedication, experience, and passion for excellence.

 

Like Stanton’s other careers, his passion for wine has translated into an endearing endeavor to provide the highest standard, efforts, and achievement in wine making. The mission of Stanton Barrett Family Wines is to present our friends and family with the most excellent product without compromise in any fashion.