The automotive world lost a beloved figure on Saturday with the passing of actor Paul Newman from cancer at age 83. Newman was best known for his film roles, but gearheads knew him for his love of automobiles.
Jalopnik remembers, "It was 1972 when 47-year-old Paul Newman -- adopting the shorthand P. L. Newman -- strapped into a Lotus Elan at Connecticut's Thompson International Speedway." It was the first of many races he would run. Jalopnik remembers him as "ruthless behind the wheel." In fact, he claimed four Sports Car Club of America national championship titles.
But ESPN notes, "When he was racing, Newman kept a low profile at the track and maintained an intense focus on the task at hand. He always raced under the name P.L. Newman to avoid drawing attention to his status as a Hollywood icon."
He had many successes. The London Times notes, "He put on his driving gloves once again a few weeks after his 70th birthday and, with three crew members, drove a Ford Mustang to victory in their class and to third place overall in the 24-hour endurance race at Daytona Beach. He was the oldest person to win the event."
His career as a race driver would last until 2005, when, ESPN reports, he became the oldest driver ever to compete in a sanctioned race, driving in the 2005 Rolex 24 at Daytona at the age of 80. He funded other drivers as well. His Newman/Haas Racing team "became one of the most enduring and successful teams in Indy car racing," compiling 107 wins wince 1983.
Edmunds Inside Line notes "P.L. Newman put on his helmet one last time this past August, when he took his SCCA GT-1 Corvette for a few laps at Lime Rock Park. Over the years, he raced cars by Lotus, Datsun (now Nissan), Porsche and General Motors.
Motor Trend reports that Newman took pride in the speed of all his cars and enhanced many with aftermarket tuning. MT editors remember him "rumbling through the paddock in a deceptively fast Volvo station wagon," which was powered by a Buick V8.
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