PLN

[stonebridge20]

LimeRock was closed down today Wednesday for an hour and a half so Paul Newman could take a few last laps there in his GT1 Corvette and say goodbye. He was diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago and is not expected to make it past September.
Hearing this has left a sick feeling in my stomach. Newman was and will always be one of my racing hero's. Bob Sharp Racing being our local "big race team" and the fact that my Dad raced with Bob Sharp back when he was racing Sprites in G Production in the 60's was my "connection" When Bob got the Datsun deal and showed up at LimeRock with those Red White and Blue 510's, it really but the bug in me for racing. I was a bit too young to remember the Datsun Roadsters but for some reason the 510's made a big impression on me. When I was 7 years old in 1972 my Dad and I walked into the old timing tower at the Glen and met up with Bob and Paul who were standing there eating peanuts. My dad said to say hello to Mr. Sharp and Mr. Newman They drive the Red White and Blue cars you like so much. All I could do is stand there and stare. Newman said hi, took my hand and filled it up with peanuts and said "have some, there good for ya". From that moment on all I could think about is driving race cars and someday having my own Red White and Blue 510. It was one of those defining moments in your life that you will never forget. 32 years later at the 2004 LimeRock National I drove my first GT race in a 77 Datsun 200SX. Newman was the first GT1 car to lap me. As he went past I gave him the thumbs up and he did the same to me. Surreal !

God bless and thank you Paul.


Newman just about to lap me in 2004 and my 72 Datsun 510 Vintage car that took me 3 years to build which will be left to some luck person in my will.

[RussMcB]

Thanks for sharing. I know everyone would want him to be around forever. It seemed like he would be. Such an impressive guy on so many levels. He had a huge impact on me too, especially as I started racing at LRP in the early 80's.

[carnut169]

Life should never be measured in terms of quantity, rather in quality- and Newman's is off the charts.

[steve kramer]

Thanks for the story - sad to hear. Not quite the same story, but he has passed me, too. The year they ran the 70 car (mustang) at the Daytona 24 we were at a test day at Moroso - PLN passed me on the dragstrip at about +50 - I was in a SRF - that was a big woosh. He has done so much over the years and will be missed.

[Larry]

Stories abound about Newman, and most are incredibly positive. Here's a Hollywood guy who has been married to the same woman for YEARS. He's donated millions to charities, and he's remained humble. One story I like has Paul at Summit Point. Saturday evening several workers are in their camping area, sitting around a fire. Paul walks up with a couple six-packs in his hands, sits down and passes out the beer and joins in the coversation. Hard to imagine one of today's quiche-eating F1 drivers doing that.

Larry Oliver
International Racing Products

[TimW]

He's a very special guy...I'm lucky enough to have his autograph, which also is a bit of a funny story.

I was right out of college working for Newman Haas. My first month at the Speedway we were told PLN would be there for Qualifying & the race. On our day off after Long Beach I went up to Hollywood to a shop to see exactly how prohibitively expensive it would be to buy an original Winning movie house poster. To my surprise it was all of $30 (I bought Grand Prix & Le Mans at the same time).

So, knowing that Paul does not give autographs but that he regularly will sign things for guys on the team, I brought the poster to Indy. On pole day we were rained out passing time in the garages. I told Mike Andretti what I had brought but said I was not sure I'd have the gumption to have him sign it. Mike took it and went over and asked him to sign it. They laid the poster out over the rear wing of one of the cars and Paul couldn't believe one still existed after 20 years and was floored. He asked whose it was and Mike said one of the guys who is too embarrassed to request an autograph. He summoned Mike to go get me and thats how I met Paul. The poster is now framed and hangs proudly in my home.

PLN is the walking definition of graciousness, IMO. The world will be a lesser place without him.

[tonyc]

My first encounter with Newman was many years ago during a test day with my 1966 Mini Cooper S racecar. He was at Lime Rock with one of the 510's. We had both come into the pits and were out of our cars. He came over to my mini, walked around it once looked at me and said "nice car". For me, despite winning six races with the car that season, those 2 words from Paul were possibly the most rewarding part of racing that year. Since then, many hellos and several conversations have only reinforced to me that he is not only a superstar, but a fantastic human being and a great role-model on many levels, who has done so much for so many. They don't make 'em like him anymore. Fortunately we can still watch his movies, but unfortunately we'll miss him at the track.

[ciamracerx]

Flaggers have lots of stories about PLN. We called him old chicken legs. We would spot those skinny legs at station 8 (the up hill) many times. I once yelled at him when tried to fix his carbs on a 510, track side, at Bridgehamton. The girls on station just melted.
Or the time he went off at station 5, drivers left at LRP so deep you could not see the car. Or the time he and most of the GT1 field left the track at Road Atlanta cutting down all the trees.

I did get to see him win a Trans Am race at LRP from outpost station 5 (start of no name straight). Flaggers get a different view of the races.

If we saw him walking around LPR we would run our finger up the side of our nose, like in "The Sting". If he saw you, you got the same reply.

It was always fun to tell newbes that "there is Paul Newman and he is 83 years old". They would say "how do you know". His age is his car number.

Nice guy, great driver. A Lime Rock icon.

[GregoryJ]

Thanks for posting that, Mike. I've lots of stories but the one I'll share is the one I just learned....after mentioning this to my Mom, she paused and said, "When you were a teenager, did you ever wonder why I only went to the racetrack with you and your father on Tuesdays?"

I wonder if my dad ever figured that out....

Regards,
GregoryJ

[JHaydon]

I don't remember the track -- could have been BFR, Mid-O, or Grattan -- but I remember waiting in Registration while the registrar was giving one driver a really hard time about not having his license with him. "Come on, how am I supposed to know that you are who you claim to be??" I just sat there wondering why they were both laughing. I was too young at the time to realize how funny it was that he was saying that to Paul Newman.

[rmccown]

Wow. PLN is one of the reasons I fell in love with racing. Somewhere I have a photo of him at LRP after running his 300zx (?) looking not-like-a-movie-star-at-all. Knowing that he was a successful star, AND a successful racer, made a big impression on me.

[reddemon]

Truly a class act. He never acted snotty or arrogant, he was one of the club whenever he came. And man can he drive...!
And he's donated something like 200-million+ to charity? Especially for children?
Top that, Angelina Jolie..
Sad, sad news.

[Roux]

2006 NARRC Runoffs he started 4th or fifth and had P1 by turn one. Start of lap two he still had his teammate hounding him and was locking up one or more tires into Big Bend. Tires still not up to pressure perhaps? Then he settled in and drove off to a comfortable lead. I always think of him as Sir Paul Newman. If we knighted people here in the US, he would be first nominee to the order. Car number 81 of course as he was 81 that year.

[RussMcB]

I saw him at a Rd Atl national not too long ago. Conditions changed from dry to wet and he was very impressive, passing and pulling away in a powerful GT1 car in the rain. I think he was 79-80 years old.

I remember hearing Bob Bondurant say many years ago that it was too bad Paul didn't start racing earlier because, in Bob's opinion, Paul could've driven in F1.

But, I guess Paul didn't do too badly with that acting stuff. :-).

I owned a few Datsun Z cars, including a 280 ZXR. Paul was a big influence when I got interested in sports cars and racing in the 1980's in CT.

Paul was involved in some hijinks involving a late night RV race and the LRP bridge, wasn't he?

[MarkM]

I did my first Skip Barber school at Lime Rock in 1983. Our last day was a 1/2 day and Newman had the track for the afternoon. We all just admired him from a distance as the instructors had asked us not to bother him.

His crew had the car on stands in pit lane and everything warmed up. He strapped in, they dropped the car down and he SMOKED 'EM out of the pits. I think his out lap was at the limit of the cold tires. Needless to say, this young guy was IMPRESSED. Obviously. Twenty five years later and I can picture it as if it were yesterday.

[Brad Smith]

The first real race I ever attended was the Portland CART race in, I think, 1984. I was surprised to see PLN there driving the V-8 turbo ZX in the Trans-am support, I didn't know that he raced. That car was a real handful, but he qualified up front and ran fairly well. I started following his racing career after that and buying his food products. His original 510 was for sale a while back for huge money, wish I could have bought it as I've always been 510 fan. These days, we don't race without Fig Newmans or Newmans Own grape juice in the pit. I admired what he did for Champ car and for his firm stance against TG and the IRL.

[Foggy]

I raced a bit in the early 80's then started up again at age 52. PLN is and will always be my hero, for I wanna do it when I am 80, also!! Newman's love of driving a racecar has been a bridge to the world of people who don't race. His story will always be representative of the best in this sport.

I will always remember seeing him and Joanne Woodward in the crowd on the hillside at the 1970 TransAm race. Our driver was stuck in the wet grass outside of the left turn at LRP, and I has just run a floor jack out to the fence for his to attempt to get our car moving again. I thought how interesting it was to see the respect paid to PLN and his famous wife in that crowd.

In the depths of our hearts, we thank this man for all that he has given back. Please join me in wishing this wonderful human being a hearty GOD SPEED on his next adventures.

[todcp]

An amazing man.
His devotion to his wife, family and his charity work are inspirational. And a born talent behind the wheel.

Tod

[jjflip]

my suggestion to LRP is to rename no name straight to Newman straight.
God speed Paul

[RussMcB]

my suggestion to LRP is to rename no name straight to Newman straight.

Jeff, that is a great suggestion.

[Chris Robson]

my story of Paul Newman…

As kids, like many of you, my brother and I grew up at Lime Rock, The Bridge, Bryar and Thompson. Paul Newman was a fixture at most Nationals held at those tracks throughout the late ‘70’s. I first met Paul (as he told my brother and me to call him) at Thompson for his driver’s school. We would see him at all of the Nationals and wave and say “Hi”. Neither of us, had seen any of his movies, we weren’t even teenagers yet, but he always went out of his way to greet us. As I got older (but still under age to get into the “Hot Pits”, I would try to sneak in by carrying a tire for the race car, if Paul saw me getting a hard time from security, he would always come up to them and say that I was with him and give a little wink…

But my favorite story is from the ‘79 Runoffs. I do not remember the restaurant that we were eating at, but our family was seated next to the Newman/Sharp table. Paul started giving Joe Stimola a hard time at our table and we all had a good laugh. We had always wanted to introduce my mom to Paul and he had invited us to see him at his trailer many times, but she was always too embarrassed to do so. Every time, he looked over at us we would say “Mom say “Hello”, but she would just look into her napkin and blush

…at one point Paul let out a large belch after taking a healthy sip from his Budweiser and sheepishly looked over at us. As my brother and I started to laugh, my Mom looked over at us and said “just because Paul Newman, does that, doesn’t mean that you can do that”…. When she turned back to her dinner, she felt a tap on her shoulder and was greeted by Paul himself. He said “That’s right boys, do as your Mom says not how I act”. Then he said “Mrs. Robson, you have raised two fine young boys and I hope I have not encouraged them to behave like hooligans” and then he winked at us and made small talk at our table for a few more minutes…

Later, when I was with Truesports, I met him again at a CART event and mentioned the story. He laughed and remarked that it was apparent that I choose “his” advice, rather than my Mom’s…

He is a class act and a true “”Gentleman Racer”. I wish him well and our thoughts and prayers go out to him.

[formulasuper]

my suggestion to LRP is to rename no name straight to Newman straight.
God speed Paul

Jeff, that is a great suggestion.

You've got my vote also. Maybe we should start a petition to get this done.

[RussMcB]

I sent a simple, quick email to LRP. I'll bet they are going to hear the suggestion from a lot of people.

http://www.limerock.com/content/contact

[formulasuper]

I sent a simple, quick email to LRP. I'll bet they are going to hear the suggestion from a lot of people.

http://www.limerock.com/content/contact

I did the same.

[Mike Allison]

I don't remember the year, but it was around '86 or '87. I was at LRP for either a Barber SAAB race or an IMSA event. At any rate, Paul was there driving in a different race than mine. He had paddocked close to mine and shortly before his race there was a commotion because Paul had lost/misplaced his driving gloves and it was time to grid for his race.

I volunteered my gloves since I was done for the day. So Paul Newman wore my gloves in that race. I still have them.

You wouldn't be too far off the mark if you modeled your life after his.

God Bless.

Mike

[Alan R Guibord]

PLN,
A wonderful human being and a great racecar driver. He had done more for our sport and the world than anybody I can think of. There is a place in heaven for people like him. GODS SPEED to a wonderful man!!

[Chris Fox]

[FONT=Verdana]I can't read about Paul without choking up a bit, but at the same time, remembering several fun stories....to many to write because Paul was involved in many wonderful, fun things. But there are two particular stories that stand out for me. One, very personal story, involves getting his autograph (as another person wrote, he didn't give them easily). Probably 25 years ago now, my nephew was in the hospital for yet another open heart surgery. He was born without a pulmonary artery, but somehow had developed an incredible capillary system that did keep him alive. He often came to the racetrack with me. Anyway, we had made a huge montage of racing pictures, and all were autographed, most with best wishes, etc. Someone donated a picture of PLN. I sent this to him, explained the situation, and asked him to autograph the picture and return it in the postage paid envelope. It seemed like almost the next day I received the autographed picture back in the mail. Yes it’s a small thing, but how many other big name celebrities would have done this so readily? My other great memory is from the Road Atlanta Runoffs. The DC Region Flag had begun a tradition of congratulating the region winners as they made their victory lap. We expected Bob Tullius (Group 44) to win a particular race. A day or two before, I asked Paul if he would be willing to help us present the champagne to Bob – but sprayed. His response? Well, let’s just say it was very much a yes (he does occasionally have a very colorful way of saying things). He also insisted I purchase the absolutely cheapest champagne I could find, and stop by his motorhome the morning of the race. I gave Paul the bottle of cheap champagne, he then proceeded to pull the cork and HEAT it on the stove!!??? Obviously he knew something I didn’t! He and some friends joined us on the hill at turn 11 for the race, and as it was a close race, let me say that was one shook bottle of champagne! Roy Tiger, maybe the largest flagger on station that day, and I stood very close together as we walked up to Bob’s car on that victory lap. Hiding behind us was a crouching Paul. I’ll never forget the look on Bob’s, Paul’s, and Brian F’s face when Roy and I turned sideways and Paul let loose with that champagne! God speed Paul, and keep ‘um busy with your practical jokes. You, the smiles you brought to those around you, and your good deeds won’t be forgotten.[/FONT]

[Paul LeCain]

New Haven, Conn. – A spokeswoman for screen legend Paul Newman says the actor has died at age 83.
Spokeswoman Marni Tomljanovic says Newman died Friday of cancer. No other details were immediately available.

[Bob Coury]

Another person lost to cancer. My prayers are with him and his family. RIP.

[EYERACE]

[RussMcB]

Hard to put into words how admired he has been. There will be a huge outpouring of accolades. He'll leave a big whole. I've always been proud to be linked to him through racing, even in a small way.

[Ted Idlof]

That's the way I want to go out; enjoy some last laps at my home track, have some time to say goodbye, then, fade away in bed, surrounded by family and........with RESPECT from anyone who knew him. His contributions were countless.

[jjflip]

A real class act, someone to look up to and emulate. He will be missed sorely by many.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movi...l.newman.dead/

[stonebridge20]

http://www.popeater.com/movies/artic...037x1200590094


Not the news I wanted to read on my birthday.

God bless you Mr. Newman

[rmccown]

Godspeed, Paul.

[formulasuper]

He had a good run. R.I.P. Paul, we'll all miss you.

[enjoythetrack]

On one level i am deeply saddened... while on the other admire that he truly lived and celebrated life. He did so much for so many. PLN deserves to be celebrated and remembered today, tomorrow... and always.

[Purple Frog]

Everybody has a Newman story. In the 70s PLN stormed the Atlanta Runoffs much the way Sherman had 110 years earlier. We were just railbirds watching the Runoffs from the infield.

A few years back I was crewing for Apexspeed's own GT1Vette at an Atlanta national. Butch "let" the old man win on a wet track. It was car #77 at that time.

I took the picture with a disposable film camera while we were at impound. The 4x6 print was on the shop wall. So I just scanned it and post it now in all it's course quality. But you can see Paul is just beamin. The guy blocking the whole foreground is Butch.

What a fine trip is has been.

[FWSchroeder]

In 1979 PLN tells people magazine:

"Auto Racing is the best way to get away from the rubbish in Hollywood"

A Role Model to Many and in Many Ways.

[D.T. Benner]

At a Race at Laguna Seca in about 1980-81 My 8 year old wanted to see the drivers in victory circle after the race. I put him up on my shoulders so he could see better. As I was getting him set he said "Look Dad! there's Paul Newman!" I said "Where?" and a voice said "Right behind You!" I turned around and was looking straight into 2 of the Bluest Eyes I have ever seen! I moved aside,he shook my son's hand and smiled at him. I saw him many more time over the years but that incounter stands out.