Sad News About Paul Newman

[ancrdave]

Got this from Sen. Bill Posey...

8/13/2008 ... Lime Rock Park was closed down for an hour & a half today to honor Paul Newman. He was attended by his family, close friends, Skip Barber, mechanics on his race team, & those who happened to be at the track. PLN toured the track in his Corvette race car w/his Buick V8 powered Volvo station wagon following. He had come to say goodbye. Diagnosed w/terminal cancer, he is not expected to live beyond September. Race driver, actor, humanitarian, & family man - they did not come any better."

[JackTripper]

I'll always remember Lime Rock, 2003, when Paul Newman came out of retirement to run a Corvette in the then premier SCCA class of Trans Am racing. On a wet track Newman made his way through the field, had a spin, recovered and raced his way back up to fifth place. This was after a nine-year hiatus in the series.

Newman was always a class act both on and off the track, his Newman's Own company and Hole in the Wall Gang are proof of that. When you think "gentleman racer" you should think Paul Newman.

[ocalasp76]

Sad to hear about Mr. Newman. Whenever people tell me I'm too old to race, I always call their attention to Paul Newman. In his eighties and points champion for his class to boot. We will all miss his example and proof that if you want to do it, you can at any age.
We are losing an icon in racing.
------JIM-----

[georgep]

Had a chance to meet and talk with Mr Newman at Amelia Island. Very kind and we talked about all forms of racing. That was a table Boneman or Carol would have loved to be at.
Paul Newman, Bob Snodgrass, Brian Redman, Hurley Haywood, Brock Yates, Bill Warner (founder of Ameila Island) and little old me. Beer, peanuts and talk!!!
That ^$#&*(% "C" word!!

[Boneman]

It seems like the most unforgetable characters have a wide variety of interests: extensive charity work, several businesses, acting and of course racing.

His is an example of a life well-lived, so different from the vapid, self-absorbed actors of today.

[carolwicks]

the older we get...

the older we get, the more friends, family and heroes we lose. Paul Newman was always one of my favorites. he has the most beautiful blue eyes ever and a good clean heart. his marriage was always like a honeymoon and he was never in smutty news stories. just a great all AMERICAN good guy... you are right geaorge... i would love to have met him...on a race track of course! ;-) or a dinner table. losing Paul will be a time of sadness....
carolwicks aka OZ

[georgep]

If Somone Does Not

Have a race every year for him OR a sportsmenship award named after him then there is NO JUSTICE. One of his old #33 Nissian race car is in Jacksonville I THINK.

[ovalracer44]

he has the most beautiful blue eyes ever

You havent seen my eyes yet!

This is very sad news about Paul Newman. I met him as a kid at Roebling road. A friend of mines dad was a wrecker driver there and at the time Tom Cruise was driving one of his cars and crashed. I had no clue who Paul Newman was at the time. Now I wish I was older and could have talked to him.

[carolwicks]

oval

You havent seen my eyes yet!

Oh yes i have ! they sure are blue! ;-)
OZZIE

[Bosco]

Paul Newman has always been the "Common Man" doing very "Uncommon" great things. He has been a fine racer winning his class at the Rolex 24, finishing second I believe in class at Lemans, winning in Trans Am etc.

HE HAS BEEN AN EVEN FINER HUMAN BEING!

GODSPEED PLN

[mocha2@dishmail.net]

Just read that Paul Newman has passed away.R.I.P. you will be missed.His contributions to the sport and charity will leave a legacy that he deserves to be remembered by.

[JackTripper]

I wasn't even looking for it, but stumbled across this picture of Paul Newman and Wiley Will Cagle. Guess Paul stopped by (either Utica-Rome or Rolling Wheels, no one could definitively say the track) to take a quick spin while he was in the area filming Slapshot.

[mocha2@dishmail.net]

That is a cool picture thanks for posting it.Slapshot is one of my all time favorite movies.