Folks Of Interest Sorta O/T- Paul Newman

Over the last week or so I keep coming across this story on many of the vintage/roadrace boards. I hope it isn't true but I haven't seen any thing to refute it:

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."

 

I keep reading the same thing also. Sorry to hear the news. He seems like truly a great guy.

 

Big bummer!

 

have not heard anything about this as well , i hope this is not true and your right they dont come any better ..

 

He's one hell of an actor and competitor. I'll bet on him fighting this too. Best wishes to him.

 

that sucks. i just watched "the sting" last night and was telling my wife how much i always enjoyed his movies.

 

damn
not Cool Hand Luke

 

I've read that he isn't doing well, and knowing Lime Rock is just an hour north of his home it could be true. Sure would be nice to see him out and about at the Vintage Festival up there this weekend.

 

A true "car guy" through and through.

Raised countless millions of dollars for charity.
A man who's life will be honored for generations to come.
A man who made many sick and poor children's lives better.







His wicked sleeper Volvo wagon...turbo, Buick powered

 

I've read that a few places too. He's had a good run at life...great actor, racer, humanitarian, etc. Any of us would be lucky to be held in such high esteem by our peers. It seems we live in a most remarkable of times, when everything is so well publicized we can't help but notice the passing or pending passage of our heroes.

Charlie

 

used to race up at brainerd in the 80's the kelly girl series,and he was running his datsuns and hung out in the pits and the camping area , got to sit around and chat with a bunch of other people, very nice funny ,liked to listen to the other racers talk about the track and how they were running it, he was driving a rolls royce at the time, chevy powered talked about his favorite movie making times, SLAPSHOT was funny he was laughing about all the stuff they should have filmed while waiting to film,,

 

I hate cancer.

 

He said at indy this was his last and went around and talked to many friends at that time ,hes so lucky to line up his ducks and loose ends. a class act .c

 

He was a real guy. A friend painted a helmet for him once, did it nice and crazy. At the end of the season Paul signed it and sent it back to him.

 

One of my many highlights while filming Hard Shine in California, was the chance to pit crew for team Australia Champ car team during the 2007 Portland Race......I remember looking down two pit stalls away observing Mr. Newman helping run his team........I remember saying to myself I do not belong here.......Littleman

 

If true, that is too bad. Never met him or really knew too much about him other than his movies and hearing about his racing and charity stuff, but you don't hear much of anything bad about him. That is definitely pretty rare for a celebrity of any stature these days.

 

A life well lived and an example to follow....

 

Acting icon, racing icon, entrepreneur...bummer...Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Hustler, HUD, and the list goes on...one of the best movie lines ever...Robert Redford: "I can't swim" Paul Newman (laughing): "Hell the fall will probably kill ya!" Both Together: "OHHHHHHHHHHHH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTT!"

 

What do you say? Paul is a great actor, a great racer, a fine humanitarian, an excellent example of the American Dream, and a superb role model.

He has class. I'm reminded of a quote by Buddy Rich:

"I would say that about 75-percent of the world is mediocrity, whether it's food, or style, or music. A mediocre world. And the other 25-percent have an elitist attitude. That's the part of the world I belong to. You have to know your own worth. I like to say that my band consists of fifteen Ferraris in a world of Pintos."

"We don't have style. We have class."

I posted this in another thread awhile back. Quote:

Here's a true story:

Back in 1992, in the pits at Charlotte Motor Speedway, I spent a pleasant half-hour walking and talking with with Paul Newman. We eventually made our way back to where his two bodyguards had been watching us, so Paul could give me his business card. After one of his bodyguards opened up his briefcase, Paul reached in and pulled out a card. I cracked up all three of them when I deadpanned, "Why don't you sign it first. I'm not really fan of yours, I just thought it might be worth a few bucks after you're dead."

Dave
http://www.roadsters.com/

 

First Iv'e heard about this, very sad news if true, he was one of the favorite actors of my youth, and I still enjoy his movies today. He is definately a class act, hang tough Paul.

 

An actor who raced, a racer who acted.

 

Yep, the world get's alittle darker when people like him pass away.

 

Here's another story about Paul, as it was told to me back in Charlotte by someone I'll just refer to as a racing insider:

On a hot day, Paul was at a race track, and the air conditioning in his motor home went out. An A/C tech was summoned, and had been in the motor home for some time. As the day went on, the temperature rose, and he started to really miss that motor home.

Since everywhere Paul goes he gets hounded by people, he took a solo stroll to the thick trees at the edge of the race track to take a leak in privacy. Just as he started to go, out of nowhere came someone who said, "Mister Newman! Can I have your autograph?"

Paul turned and yelled, "Sure! How's this?" as he pissed his name in the grass.

 

Unfortunately were comming into a time (and have been for a few years now) were all of our great rolemodels and icons of the '5o's and '6o's are reaching the end of thair lives. Paul Newman sure is up with the best of them. Hope the "old dog" has got plenty of fight left in him, all the best Mr Newman.

 

I've seen a few references to his health lately and a picture or two that showed how he was declining. I don't usually have much good to say about folks with liberal views because they rarely back up their words with action. Mr. Newman never said much but his actions would be well imitated by us all.
He is a great actor and a man's man. I recently lost my father-in-law to cancer and it is no way for a life to end.

 

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There's a guy who lives near me that raced Trans Am with him,Stu Haner. He told me after one of our kids baseball games,that Paul called him up and asked if he still had his Corvettes. Stu said sure. Paul told him to bring them to LimeRock and we'll race 'em! Stu says,"where?". Paul said " LimeRock dummy...they'll let me race tractors if I want to!" He went there and they raced for three days...just the two of them!!!
Cool Hand Luke is my favorite movie of his,but one of his last movies is fuckin great! He fakes a stroak and is in a wheel chair,and plans an Armored Truck heist with his nurse. Where the money is... It's fuckin funny!!!
He's one of a kind!

 

I used to watch him practice, and race at Moroso Speedway in Florida in the late 80's.....He was with Nissan at the time....Man, could he drive !....He was the real thing...............If any of you guys haven't seen "Cool Hand Luke".....It's a great movie....go rent it .......................What a life he's had ..........He's a role model for all of us............

 

The guy he kicks in the Butch Cassidy scene is Lurch,from The Adams Family. Ted Cassidy.

 

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