Grassroots Motorsports

Register Log in to GRM
- Community

Birthdays
Recently on the Classic Motorsports forums

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Paul Newman

1 2

Aug. 21, 2008 1:02 p.m. Kendall_Jones New Reader

Anyone heard anything else?

Subject: Paul Newman

Picked up on the Healey list from the Vintage Race Group List

"Wednesday, August 13, 2008 Lime Rock Park was closed down for an hour and half today to honor Paul Newman. He was attended by his family, close friends, Skip Barber, mechanics on his race team, and those who happened to be at the track. PLN toured the track in his Corvette race car with his Buick V8 powered Volvo station wagon following. He had come to say goodbye. Diagnosed with terminal cancer he is not expected to live beyond September. Race driver, actor, humanitarian, family man and friend b they did not come any better."

I remember almost bumping into him (his golf cart & driver) at the Mid O runoffs a few years ago. I was pushing my ratty spridget into tech & he gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up as they swerved around me.

Kendall
Aug. 21, 2008 1:08 p.m. spitfirebill HalfDork

I had heard the end was close. I don't think he is leaving anything on the table. What a life he's had!
Aug. 21, 2008 1:25 p.m. Karl La Follette Reader

We worked on the DP car he burndt at daytona a couple of years true class act , got some nice pictures of us with him .
Aug. 21, 2008 1:29 p.m. John Brown UltimaDork

Tim can someone get a writeup on started? I know it sounds odd but I can't think of any of your subscribers that would not enjoy the tales of his off screen life.

Also if we could get the skinny on his Buick powered Volvo...
Aug. 21, 2008 1:41 p.m. confuZion3 HalfDork

Poor fellow. He's done so much good in his life for this world we all live in.

He once said that he felt like he could never do anything gracefully. Until he found racing, that is.
Aug. 21, 2008 1:41 p.m. JFX001 HalfDork

It's a 302 Ford powered Volvo (unless there is another one), there is a story in which Newman called David Letterman and told him that he was going to have one built, and asked letterman if he wanted one too. I believe that Newman's was supercharged as well.

Look for the C&D article at:

www.converseengineering.com

I like Newman, not only for his acting, but also for his philanthropy.
Aug. 21, 2008 1:46 p.m. Jensenman UltimaDork

Man, I'm sorry to hear that.

He's lived a life many of us would like to and lived it well.
Aug. 21, 2008 2:07 p.m. integraguy Reader

I guess I'm not watching the news/reading the "right" media, as this is the first (I remember) hearing of this. Not to take anything away from this topic, but I've often wondered what I could do for my folks as a tribute/rememberance of better times.
Aug. 21, 2008 2:12 p.m. scottgib New Reader

One of the very few actors that I would like to know personally. A great humantarian among other attributes. What a life!
Aug. 21, 2008 2:16 p.m. ddavidv SuperDork

Another vote for a Paul Newman tribute story.

I've never heard anyone in the auto racing community say anything bad about him. Always a class act, apparently. Bill O'Reilly had a blurb last week about his worsening condition. That he was able to make it out to Lime Rock for a lap is a wonderful thing.
Aug. 21, 2008 3:04 p.m. Marjorie Suddard General Manager

Damn. That sucks. I wish we could get a writeup on the streets before Sept., because that's one person I think deserves to see all the glowing things written about him firsthand. Screw this waiting till after he's dead.

Margie
Aug. 21, 2008 3:21 p.m. Lesley Dork
Aug. 21, 2008 3:29 p.m. Marjorie Suddard General Manager

Wow. I likey. Very much.

Margie
Aug. 21, 2008 3:40 p.m. Lesley Dork

God, I've loved him since "Hud". He should be forever.
Aug. 21, 2008 3:41 p.m. cwh Dork

There are many stories about him in the racing community. I crewed for Del Taylor for years. He told me that he and Paul were racing buddies. Once they were walking through the pits together. Obviously the women were going nuts to see Paul Newman up close. Newman told Del " Watch this." He walked over to a 40 something lady, laid a big kiss on her, and she passed out. They had to call an ambulance to bring her around. True? I really don't know, as Del had his own version of reality, but I'd like to think it's true.
Aug. 21, 2008 4:11 p.m. SupraWes HalfDork

Nooooooo! The humanity. The Hustler cannot die.
Aug. 21, 2008 4:16 p.m. pete240z HalfDork

back in the 80's we talked to him at Road America. he treated my brother and I really nicely, then said he had to go qualify and apologized that he had to leave.

what a guy, and he grew up racing Datsun's too.
Aug. 21, 2008 4:29 p.m. Xceler8x Reader

I heard about this a few wks ago. What I had heard was that he was going to refuse treatment now and just go home to relax and enjoy his last days. What a guy.

His salad dressings and spaghetti sauces even kick ass.
Aug. 21, 2008 4:34 p.m. HeavyDuty New Reader

Not to bring this story down, but as a younger kid I was at Mid Ohio and wanted a pic of his Z. I could have cared less about getting a pic of him. Everyone in his crew stood up and blocked me. Here was this 12 year old kid with an ancient camera just wanting a pic of the car.

I still have the picture I took where they are all clearly looking at me not even pretending to be accidently standing up. Everytime I see it I get angry since everyone else I rambled in to was so very nice (Except Al Unser Jr who shook his fist at me after he came in after a poor qualifying lap).

It turned me off, even though I doubt he personally would have cared. Just a reminder to be nice to all those kids who come up to our cars.
Aug. 21, 2008 5:59 p.m. ManofFewWords New Reader

Several years ago @ Lime Rock my then 5 year old was walking the pits with me. The featured marque was BMW, with some beautiful cars on display. WE were snapping some photos of the M1, when a guy saw my son straining to see the cockpit. Wouldn't you know Paul Newman lifted him up and set him in the seat!
Aug. 21, 2008 6:04 p.m. neon4891 Dork

go buy some Newman's Own food items to rember him by

mega edit ohhh, I read it wrong, he's still alive...OK
Aug. 21, 2008 7:26 p.m. P71 Reader

I have a pantry full of Newman's Own stuff. Great actor, great guy, and great car buff!

It will truly be a sad day when he passes. I would have liked to have seen the Lime Rock lap!
Aug. 22, 2008 6:25 a.m. ddavidv SuperDork

Some cool anecdotes showing up in this thread: Corner-Carvers Newman Tribute
Aug. 22, 2008 6:45 a.m. wreckerboy SuperDork

Like so many, I had the privilege of meeting PL at the track. In my case the first time it was a club event at Bridgehampton, had to be the very early '80s. An amazingly cool dude who just wanted to be treated like any other racer. We shared a beer and talked about the Z-car he had that day and dogs. I forgot how vertically challenged he is. And how one of my first impressions of the guy was "My god, his eyes really are that blue." Followed right by "That's Paul Newman. Don't tell him that, he already knows."

I met him there at a National weekend about a year later and even amongst the star-induced lunacy that surrounded him he had a moment to recognize me and say hello. I saw him again at a restaurant off the LIE later that night having dinner with his crew, and of the 10 or so people there, he was easily the loudest!

I didn't know he was ill, and the world will not be as good a place without him. Much class and style to those who arranged a lapping day for him at LRP. You know he's gotta be wondering how his times were.
Aug. 22, 2008 8:01 a.m. ManofFewWords New Reader

AFAIK, the volvo has a Grand National motor in it.

1 2

You'll need to log in to post.