A few stories

We received this e-mail from Bart Brown of Wings'n'Wheels Hobbies, Clinton CT, USA. He forwarded it. We do not know the writer.

"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, they did not come any better."
Labels: Paul Newman

LimeRock was closed down today Wednesday for an hour and a half so Paul Newman could take a few last laps there in his GT1 Corvette and say goodbye. He was diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago and is not expected to make it past September.
Hearing this has left a sick feeling in my stomach. Newman was and will always be one of my racing hero's. Bob Sharp Racing being our local "big race team" and the fact that my Dad raced with Bob Sharp back when he was racing Sprites in G Production in the 60's was my "connection" When Bob got the Datsun deal and showed up at LimeRock with those Red White and Blue 510's, it really but the bug in me for racing. I was a bit too young to remember the Datsun Roadsters but for some reason the 510's made a big impression on me. When I was 7 years old in 1972 my Dad and I walked into the old timing tower at the Glen and met up with Bob and Paul who were standing there eating peanuts. My dad said to say hello to Mr. Sharp and Mr. Newman They drive the Red White and Blue cars you like so much. All I could do is stand there and stare. Newman said hi, took my hand and filled it up with peanuts and said "have some, there good for ya". From that moment on all I could think about is driving race cars and someday having my own Red White and Blue 510. It was one of those defining moments in your life that you will never forget. 32 years later at the 2004 LimeRock National I drove my first GT race in a 77 Datsun 200SX. Newman was the first GT1 car to lap me. As he went past I gave him the thumbs up and he did the same to me. Surreal !





http://www.trackpedia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4485

http://noparticularorderblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/paul-newman-says-goodbye-to-lime-rock.html

I watched P.L.Newman, as his cars were always signed above the drivers window, drive in the Datsun at Riverside, at about the same time, in the early 70s. I watched the VARA vintage cars racing at Fontana a few weeks back, and I still think of Paul, when I see that paint scheme. I still recall when Paul was up for an Oscar award, but chose to be in the pit box ,in Mexico, to watch his team race instead. Acting is what he did to pay the bills, but racing is where his passion has been.

A legend of a person who lives with complete class and grace, Paul Newman.

Very sad in a way, but I am so glad he was able to enjoy this "last lap" of Lime Rock.

Paul is going out in style, with a lot of class, as always.

Racing, and society in general, will be much poorer without him.

Unfortunately, I don't see anyone to fill his shoes.

PL Newman is a role model fit for any generation. He is a living legend.
God bless you, Paul.

Dopey

tbd_2k - 24 August 2008 03:28 PM

Very sad in a way, but I am so glad he was able to enjoy this "last lap" of Lime Rock.

Paul is going out in style, with a lot of class, as always.

Racing, and society in general, will be much poorer without him.

Unfortunately, I don't see anyone to fill his shoes.

I absolutely agree. Class act in every regard.

This is probably one of the saddest stories I've ever read. Paul Newman is an exceptional man and has given the world an beautiful example of what people could be. His heart is bigger than a bull's, he is intelligent, caring and passionate about life, especially racing life. To see Paul leave us is truly heart-wrenching. He's human, he's gone through struggles and hardships like us all, but has always been able to shine an uplifting light on any situation.

Paul Newman- “You can't be as old as I am without waking up with a surprised look on your face every morning: 'Holy Christ, whaddya know - I'm still around!' It's absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career.”

And what a career it was. We will all miss you Paul.

It is the saddest, yet most comforting story I've read in a while. Paul Newman is one of the greatest, and always will be.

As with most OW fans, I've long been a fan of both Newman's driving and acting. But I've felt a special fondness for PLN as a person, ever since a chance phone encounter when I worked at Petersen Publishing (Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Car Craft etc.) in the mid-'90s. Newman's crony Mike Brockman had an office there at the same time, and apparently his phone extension was numerically close to mine. Late one afternoon, I took a call in my office and heard an unmistakably familiar voice on the other end.

"Brockman. This is Newman."

"Sorry, I think you might have the wrong extension," I replied.

"Is Brockman there?"

"I'm not sure. Let me look up his number. Do you know his extension?"

Without missing a beat, Newman responded, "No, but if you hum a few bars, I can fake it."

Another nice tribute here:
http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2008/08/23/6546921-sun.html

Paul will leave us quietly, just like he carried himself. No BS or arogance. There should be a bronze cast in his likeness. Very sad 2008.

Glad he got to drive off into the sunset one last time.