pual newman dies at age 83 yesterday
prayers to his family and friends
what a man racing movies and spaggetti sauce

He'll be missed !

Ill bet he raced a slot car or 2!

I know that Paul Newman was a grate guy, and down to earth not't like them other hollywood actors, And he was a good race car driver to boot.~It kind of hits home my Dad passed on at 83 also rip. // ~url~ (tompeaceout777) MySpace

Well this is a fine how do you do. Great actor, I'm sure AMC or TCM may have some sort of tribute to him in the days to come.

I liked him in so many movies, but Cool Hand Luke comes to mind.

Prayer and Sympathy for his family. Randy.

Paul Newman was the quinessential racing actor. He not only made movies about racing he also lived that life. Besides being the voice of Doc Hudson in the Cars Pixar release he was the co-owner of the Newman/Hass racing effort. I have been watching some of the old racing video's on YouTube this morning and remembering the man.

Oh man, 83 does not seem so old any more, does it?

My Paul Newman story. As most of you know, he didn't begin racing cars until he was in his 40's, after filming Winning. He ran SCCA club races in Bob Sharp Datsuns, making it to the national championship Runoffs. then at Road Atlanta, numerous times.

1982-84 as a poor but sports car obscessed college student, I made the trip from Jackson MS to Road Atlanta with other region members. We all camped out, two years in tents, the third I had crewed for a F440 racer and earned a bunk in his not-so-luxurious motor home. Still, better than a whole load of stuff in the back of a 240Z.

Paul Newman was there for the week, as were all racers - as there were 23 or so classes at the time, practice was early in the week, qualifying wed and thurs, and Frid thru Sunday were championship races. It was a different time - not many high dollar transport rigs - I still remember a driver named Hardy Prentice who flat towed his EProd TR3 from Washington (or Oregon?) behind... an XKE 2+2! Guys were focused and working hard on their own stuff, not many spectators to speak of until the weekend.

I think it was 84, that year I got to go for most of the week, and spent time happily scrounging through the paddock, looking at stuff I might want to build or drive someday. The Sharp rig was there, and as I remember the class of the GT1 field was Newman's 280ZX and Ken Slagle's TR8, maybe still Jerry Hansen's Firebird - the years run together and the SCCA archives are down.....

One sunny morning I was walking my scruffy self down the path from the timing tower to the paddock, met an older couple walking the other way. I smiled and said hello and kept going, so did they. Three steps past I realized they were Paul Newman and Jo Ann Woodward. I was told Newman loved being there during the week because he was just another racer, no extra attention until the spectators grew thick on race days. In later years I went uptown and got a hotel room at a Best Western, but those first few years are the best memories, and that memory sticks out.

Lots of celebrities and wealthy folks try to race cars, some are decent, some good - few if any others could co-drive and win the 24 hours of Daytona at 70 like Paul Newman did.

An icon passes, RIP. My favorite memories of him are not on film, but are of a skilled driver behind the wheel of a white Datsun.

Not to forget his second place in the '79 Le Mans 24hours in the team of Rolf Stommelen in a Porsch 935.
As an actor I really, really liked him but when it comes to racing actors, Mr. Newman may forgive me, he comes only a close second to the late Steve McQueen. At least in my heart cause I am more of a motocycle nut.
Personal prefrences aside a really great one has left us.

:(

I know at one point he lived maybe 20 minutes from where I do. From what I heard he was a real car guy's car guy.... unusual for hollywood types. Back in the day, a friend of mine was hitchhiking home from a party at night on the very edge of town (very woodsie country roads). All of a sudden, ripping down the road, comes a VW bug. Bug pulls over to give him a lift and it turns out to be Paul Newman!!... My friend said he was really a regular guy and he gave him a ride all the way home. The bug was not your garden variety insect either. If I'm not mistaken, he said it had a hopped up Porsche 356 motor in it... yeah that's a car guy alright. Despite their careers, he and his wife were pretty reserved and private, but he was spotted from time to time up at Limerock, and once in a while you'd even catch him drinking a beer at the Horseshoe in Southport. nd

I've got three jars of his salsa in my fridge. It's the best stuff on the market! I have his movies, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "Slap Shot". He sure new how to get his point across with a movie. I want to see "Winning". I've been reading about him online lately, about his health. I hate to see him go. First, Charlton Heston and now Newman. What great actors. RIP

Looking back, after doing "the Color of Money", do you think Newman had an influence on Cruise doing "Days of Thunder?"

Rich

BreDatsun Slot Cars just tripled in value.

I remember watching his last race a few years ago. He just turned 80. He won.

Good-bye Paul. I'd have given anything to walk a mile in your shoes.

Great actor and driver but above all, human. Our loss. Thanks for everything Paul. God bless you and your family. :cry: rr

I cannot recall which track it was - possibly Limerock - but about a month ago or so he was an honorary guest and they took him out on the track on one of the cars for some laps. I think it was his way of saying goodbye to the racing he loved.

Definitely a man that will be missed on the track and behind the camera. Our prayers for peace and comfort during this time go out to all friends and family.

PD2:thumbsup:

I remember seeing Paul at Riverside the year of the last IMSA race (before it became just another business park/shopping mall/parking lot). He was chillin' in the garage with the crew and just wanted to be one of the guys: no entourage, no latte fetching lackies, no kleg lights... just a guy in a rolled down nomex suit and a tee shirt. I think its says a lot about a man's character when he can be in an industry of mega-glamore and be down-to-earth enough to be down with the "little people". Unfortunately, guys like this a pretty rare so we not only lost a great actor and driver, we lost one truely decent guy. :cry:

My all time favorite actor, I have at least 12-15 movies of his in my collection

Hud
Long Cool Summer
Winning
Young Philadelphians
Somebody up there likes me
Bang the drum slowly (original 1950's Teleplay, much betetr than the 70's version)
The Sting
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Hustler
The color of money
Nobody's Fool
Cool Hand Luke
Towering Inferno
The Verdict


I know I'm forgetting a few.
Heck, I have over 2,000 DVD's in my collection... hence the handle, Videojimmy

It's still sinking in.

A race announcer (can't remember his name) asked Jay Leno to ask Paul if he put a Porsche engine into a VW Bug in the mid 1960's. Rumor had it he was driving it around his hometown in Ohio.

Jay asked the question to Paul, Paul smiled and nodded his head and said "Yes".

I bet he suprised alot of early Muscle Car owners.

Acting was his profession and racing was his passion. Plus his food company has donated over $250,000,000 to charity. Rest in Peace Mr. Newman.