What happened between Roger Barr and Wayne Carini?

Car-centered shows are not a rare thing to find on TV, but somehow “Chasing Classic Cars” became one of the most memorable shows of its genre. There are many things viewers love about the show, including the memorable chasings in which Wayne Carini embarks to find the most impressive and almost forgotten classic cars around the US.

Chasing Classic Cars is a reality TV show featuring the master auto repairer, Wayne Carini & Roger Barr. Click the link to know about what happened to the show, Chasing Classic Cars.https://t.co/yQ7qRoDkqA pic.twitter.com/tmCkyBHeKx

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With that being said, the mechanic Roger Barr was for a long time a fan-favorite of the show, both for his personality, entertaining stories, and extensive knowledge about his work. That’s until he disappeared from “Chasing Classic Cars” in 2018, without any explanation on the show’s side. From then on, lots of rumors have come and gone regarding the supposed feud between Wayne and Roger, but do those assumptions hold any truth? Did something serious happen between the employer and his now-former employee?

Stay here to find out everything about Roger Barr and Wayne Carini’s fallout!

What Happened To Roger and Wayne?

Besides the great TV moments that “Chasing Classic Cars” brought us, the show also became known for its charismatic host Wayne Carini, and his F-40 Motorsports staff, including the unforgettable Roger Barr whose work as a mechanic was significant in bringing back to life the cars which Wayne focused his eyes on.

However, long behind are the times when the pair conquered the hearts of “Chasing Classic Cars” viewers, as they not only don’t work together anymore but their current relationship isn’t as good as it used to be back then. Issues for Roger started sometime in 2017, when he sustained injuries and a subsequent infection while working at F-40 Motorsports, but didn’t receive Workers’ Compensation for his lost time at work. As affirmed by his friend Steve Cripps, that situation wasn’t very positive for the finances of the then 82-year-old Roger, leading him to start an online funding campaign to cover his increasing health bills.

In 2018, Roger returned to work half-time at F-40 Motorsports, but the following year saw him taking another break from his job for reasons unrevealed. As Roger wrote on his Facebook, he was denied a return to his job several times before receiving an unexpected termination letter from Wayne in early 2020. That marked the end of Roger and Wayne’s relationship, but there’s a lot more to be said about their fallout.

Other Issues

Besides Roger Barr’s sudden exit from F-40 Motorsports and the show altogether, other details about his professional relationship with his former boss Wayne Carini were revealed.

As stated in the funding campaign set for Roger in 2018, his only source of income came from his half-time job at F-40 Motorsports, despite his constant appearances in “Chasing Classic Cars”. Later in 2020, Roger once again affirmed that he wasn’t ‘paid anything to appear on camera,’ on top of revealing he had to work to keep a ‘roof over his head’, contrary to online rumors which claim he was a millionaire.

Considering the success of “Chasing Classic Cars”, Roger’s revelations of not getting any financial gain from his TV appearances were received with shock and sympathy from his social media followers. On the other hand, Wayne didn’t address Roger’s claims, leaving his side of the story unrevealed.

The fallout between Roger and Wayne is even more shocking considering that the pair have known each other for several decades. As Wayne wrote for Hagerty in 2016, he knew Roger from his childhood, right at the time when he and his father Bob Carini both had auto shops in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Roger started working for Wayne in the early 2000s, several years before “Chasing Classic Cars” made it to TV.

Did Roger’s Health improve?

Roger Barr has gone through several health issues in the last couple of years, but has overcome these difficulties one step at a time. While he recovered well from the injury he suffered in 2017, Roger also went through knee surgery replacement in early 2018.

According to the funding campaign set by his friend Steve Cripps, Roger was scheduled to undergo surgery to replace his other knee later that year. Though the campaign didn’t reach its $35,000 goal, it came very close to it, and allowed Roger to afford his second surgery. At the time, he thanked his followers for their support, and reportedly even had fans from international locations visit him at F-40 Motorsports during his recovery.

Later in September 2020, Roger’s Facebook posted that he needed to undergo dental work, but also thanked Cripps for setting up the funding campaign which had afforded him to solve his previous health procedures. The next year, Roger’s son took to Facebook to announce that his father would be undergoing heart surgery, but not many details about it were given at the time. From then on, the updates about Roger’s health have been very scarce, though it’s fair to assume that he’s been doing well.

Where Are Roger and Wayne Now?

These days Roger Barr is working at the Connecticut-based repair shop The Paddock Classic Cars, a job he started in June 2020.

As Roger affirmed in a 2022 interview, he has ‘never been happier’ at a job in his life as he is in The Paddock. This interview also saw him refraining from talking much about Wayne, only describing his former job as something which ‘didn’t work out’.

Though Wayne hasn’t addressed any topic related to Roger, he’s been doing well with his business F-40 Motorsports, and his podcast “Talking Classic Cars”. Nonetheless, the future of “Chasing Classic Cars” has been uncertain since its 17th season finished airing in August 2021.

With that being said, it doesn’t seem that there’s any possibility of Roger Barr and Wayne Carini ever working together again, but aside from the issues which set them apart, there’s no denying that they made classic car fans and automotive enthusiasts enjoy many great TV moments.