Pricewheels.com

  • Home
  • | Contact Us |
  • New Cars
  • Used Cars
  • Auto Loans
  • What Car Can I Afford
  • Car News

Paul Newman: Actor, Racer, Dies At 83

Research
  • See pricing and all the information you need to pick the right new car.

  • New Cars

  • Used car technical specifications, gas mileage, safety ratings, reviews and more.

  • Used Cars
Extended Warranty
  • Don't get caught off guard by expensive repair bills. Protect yourself today.

  • Get Extended Warranty on Your Vehicle
Get Auto Loan Rates
State:
Zip:
Loan Type:
Loan Amount:

Get New Car Quote
Make:
Model:

Find Car Parts
Year:
Make:
Model:

Sep 27th, 2008 by RJ Menezes

newmanportrait500.jpg

Paul Newman passed away recently after a long battle with lung cancer. He was best known for his riveting roles on the silver screen, and for being a very charitable man off it. His Newman’s Own line of products has been donating 100% of it’s profits to charity ever since it’s inception. But most noteworthy to this particular site, was that Mr. Newman was quite the accomplished racecar driver.

Newman raced sports cars at Daytona, Le Mans, and Sebring. He began racing rather late in life because, he said, “It’s the first thing that I ever found I had any grace in. I’m not a very graceful person.” His favorite sound was the “rumble of a V-8 engine,”as he himself once put it.

Newman once said, “I was never a great driver, I started racing when I was 47 years old, but I got to be pretty good. I was a pretty good driver for about five years.” Indeed he was. At his prime on the track Newman was a force to be reckoned with. He joined up with Datsun Motors in 1977 and two years later the combo of Datsun and Newman won the 1979 SCCA Championship, a feat which he called, “Better than winning the Oscars.” Legend has it that he refused payment and instead suggested that his compensation should be product from the car’s primary sponsor, Budweiser. Newman went on eventually to become the No. 1 driver for Datsun’s effort in the professional SCCA Trans-Am racing series.

As far as his acting goes, he was no second rate actor either. Newman endured a long list of hits during his career including Hud, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cool Hand Luke, The Hustler, The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Hudsucker Proxy, and The Verdict. He later won an Oscar for The Color of Money. Between 1963 and 1986, Newman was one of the top 10 money-making movie stars for 14 years until he formally retired from acting in May 2007.

But again, it was clear with Newman’s last role where his true passion was. As the voice of “Doc Hudson,” a 1951 Hudson Hornet in the Pixar-animated, NASCAR-inspired hit Cars, Newman won over a whole new genaration of viewers. He would later go on to say, “I did it mostly because I knew it would be good,” he said. “That it was about racing was just a bonus.”

But alas, his last dieing wish says otherwise. Though sick and weakening by the day, Newman wanted only one thing before he went, a lap of a racetrack in his favorite Corvette GT-1 racecar. A few months ago he got his wish and had his GT-1 flying around Lime Rock raceway like a seasoned pro.

Godspeed Paul, the checkered flag is waiting for you.

newmanvettelimerock500.jpg

Above: Newman lapping Lime Rock at a racer’s pace….


Posted in Automotive | No Comments

Comments are closed.


EXTENDED WARRANTY QUOTE

Protect your vehicle with an extended warranty! Get a fast free quote on affordable extended warranties for used and new cars here!

Get an Extended Warranty !

CHECK INSURANCE RATES

Don't forget to factor insurance costs into your research. Get accurate insurance rate information on any vehicle and shop for the best deal.

See How Much You Can Save!

AUTO LOAN QUOTE

Get real price quotes from local dealerships. Don't buy a car without checking the price first! Pit dealers against each other to get the best deal possible!

Explore Your Financing Options!


  • Auto Loan Center
  • Free Auto Loan Quote
  • Auto Loan Calculator
  • Car Loan Rates
  • Auto Rebates & Incentives
  • Auto Loan News
  • Brake Pad Center
  • Buy Brake Pads
  • Types of Brake Pads
  • Brake Shoes
  • Changing Your Brake Pads
  • Air Shock Center
  • Air Shocks
  • Air Bags
  • Load Levelers
  • Air Conversion Kits
  • Air Springs
  • Shock Center
  • Shocks
  • Air Bags
  • Load Levelers
  • Air Conversion Kits
  • Air Springs

New Cars | Finance | Privacy Policy | News Letter | Unsubscribe | About Us | Dealer Program | Affilliate Program | Site Map | Jobs | Do Not Sell My Personal Information

© Copyright 2002 - {$smarty.now|date_format:"%Y"}. PriceWheels, LLC. All rights reserved.

{literal} {/literal}