EXCLUSIVE: Jake Manley (My Life With The Walter Boys, Midway) rounds out the series regular cast of AMC‘s upcoming NASCAR drama series Thunder Road, led by Dennis Quaid. The series is set to begin production this summer and will debut on AMC and AMC+ in 2027.
From John Fusco, Thunder Road is the multi-generational saga of the fictional Whitlock family, whose legacy in stock car racing is as deep as the family’s ties to the Southern hill country roots that shaped them.
Quaid stars as racing legend Duane Whitlock, aka The Wrecking Ball, a towering figure who built a racing empire from a legacy of moonshine runs and dirt tracks and refuses to let it die. With ruthless competitors who will stop at nothing to dethrone and destroy them, the Whitlocks are a blue-collar dynasty at the edge of extinction – and the old king is fighting to hold onto the crown.
The previously announced series regulars also include Chase Stokes, Michael Rooker, Matt Barr, Maggie Grace and West Duchovny. Michael Rooker and Devon Allman will appear in recurring roles.
Manley will play Zak Farley. With hill country roots and dangerous charm, Zak has been raised since birth to carry on the Farley racing dynasty, a thorn in the Whitlock family’s side. He’ll wreck any driver to gain an advantage, but away from the track Cassie Whitlock (Duchovny) has found his soft spot — putting them both in a very different kind of jeopardy.
Fusco is set to executive produce alongside showrunner Taylor Elmore, Cliff Roberts with Syndicate Entertainment, Mark L. Smith, and NASCAR Studio’s Tim Clark and John Dahl. Gladys Cheng serves as producer. The show is produced in association with NASCAR.
Manley most recently starred in the Lionsgate film Do Not Enter opposite Adeline Rudolph and reprised his recurring role in the latest season of Netflix’s breakout series My Life with the Walter Boys. He will next be seen starring in the horror film Casket Girls. Manley recently starred opposite Helena Howard in Izabel Pazkad’s feature debut of Find Your Friends, and has also led films including Lionsgate’s Pursuit and Vertical Entertainment’s Infamous. Manley is repped by Luber Roklin, Play Management, and Gersh.