Lending his star power to the sport he adored, Paul Newman became an American icon of open-wheel racing as well as Hollywood.
His death Friday at age 83 was felt throughout motor sports as tributes poured in for the actor-turned-racer and car owner.
"It's certainly a sad day for all of us that knew Paul," said Michael Andretti, who drove for Newman's team before starting his own. "He was just a great guy and truly loved everything about racing."
Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, who worked with Newman on youth charities, said: "We connected as racers, but Paul's ideas of what we should do for charity is what really resonated with me the most. He set the bar, not only with his giving, but in how he gave. … Paul did it right, and he did it with class."
Extremely private, Newman used racing as a getaway. He avoided autograph seekers, but if a fan wanted to talk cars, he'd gladly accommodate.
At the San Jose Grand Prix, Newman sightings were common, although younger fans might not have recognized the wiry octogenarian behind dark glasses.
After his team won the 2006 race, security guards declined to let Newman – who had forgotten his credential – into Victory Circle while allowing several scantily clad young women into the enclosure. Only when the publicity director intervened did Newman join driver Sebastien Bourdais at the podium.
Newman didn't bristle as one might expect of a superstar. Instead, he quipped: "They're better looking."
Cars were Newman's passion. While filming "Winning" at the 1968 Indianapolis 500, Newman fell in love with auto racing and drove some sequences himself. He not only played a driver in the movie but took up the sport in real life.
After "Winning" was completed, Newman was presented with an honorary United States Auto Club license. He asked, "What do I have to do to get a real one of these?"
A four-time national champion, Newman started racing sports cars seriously in 1972 and had been a regular driver in major endurance races until this season.
At age 70, he became the oldest driver to be part of a winning team in a major sanctioned race when he won a class of the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. He celebrated his 80th birthday by driving in the 2005 Rolex 24. On dirt, Newman finished fourth in the 2004 Baja 1000, a grueling 1,000-mile trek across the Mexican desert.
"I'm running out of steam," Newman said before competing in a 2006 race. "I'll keep driving as long as I'm competitive and as long as I don't embarrass myself. And so long as I don't dissolve into a tub of sweat. Those cars get awful hot."
As an owner, Newman had been a major force in open-wheel racing for more than two decades. With partner Carl Haas in late 1982, Newman founded his own team. The partners won eight championships in CART/Champ Car, which merged with the Indy Racing League before this season.
Among their 106 wins (including this year in IndyCars with Graham Rahal) were the first two San Jose Grand Prixs with Bourdais. Twice, Newman's car finished second in the Indy 500.
Off the track, Newman recently switched to driving a hybrid. He also did another racing movie, the animated "Cars" (2006), in which he voiced forgotten champ Doc Hudson.
In May, after a 12-year absence, Newman was on hand for the 2008 Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a reunified series. In the 1980s and '90s, his cars led the famed race 13 times but never won.
"It brings back a lot of fond memories," he told reporters. "It's comfortable."
Call The Bee's Debbie Arrington, (916) 326-5514.
