Paul Newman lost his battle with cancer a few days ago. He was 83.
There’s no doubt that he was one of the greatest actors of all time. His list of influential and powerful films is one of the longest I’ve ever seen. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, The Sting, Cool Hand Luke. And a few personal favorites like, The Hudsucker Proxy and The Road to Perdition. (Hell, even his voice-role in Cars gave one goosebumps!)
But as an avid racing fan, I knew Paul in a slightly different way. Paul was the co-owner of Newman-Hass racing – a legendary American open-wheel racing team. Each time I saw him, or had the chance to speak with him at various Champ Car and Indy racing events, he was always cordial and commanding. He exuded charm and class as he walked through the paddock, and always had time for fans – both racing and film. In the past 20 years, Paul Newman championed a return to the romance of speed, and a departure from the hectic finances of the sport. All the while, winning countless trophies as a team owner. Oh, and by the way, he was still tearing up the racetrack at 73 years old, behind the wheel of various SCCA entries…
Go fast, Paul. You were the father of cool, and you will be sorely missed in a world that is lacking it.
michael lee 7:59 am on 1 October 2008 Permalink
I never knew him as a racer, only from his films. How often did you get to talk with him at races?
Zack 9:14 am on 1 October 2008 Permalink
Only a few times. I’ve been privileged to know a lot of people involved in open-wheel racing over the years, and they’ve gotten me through the red tape and whatnot. I always tried to seem like a casual race-”friend”, but I’m sure the super-geek race-”fan” came out every time. No matter, he was always gracious and super-f*cking-cool….
Chad 10:29 am on 1 October 2008 Permalink
He seemed like the antithesis of so much of what modern entertainment seems to be. Low-key. Married for half a century. Charitable. Focused.
Oh… and talented.
Cerise 11:58 am on 1 October 2008 Permalink
Man, you’re so right. I could never get into classy – probably because I’m so far removed from it – but cool, yeah. Where has the coolness gone, people? Has reality TV killed it off?
RIP, good man.