Oscar Winner Paul Newman’s Racing Passion Comes to Life
Paul Newman is best known to most as the Oscar-winning star of The Color of Money, and many other films. But gearheads know that Newman had a second career as an avid auto racer and racing enthusiast, much to the chagrin of the studios that had millions invested in his acting chops and photogenic baby blues.
Once he was bitten by the racing bug during filming of the Indianapolis 500 drama Winning in 1969, Newman threw himself into racing whenever his acting career would allow. He trained at Watkins Glen for the filming of that movie, and went on to spend a decade racing in SCCA, racking up four national championships, an astonishing achievement for a man who only took up racing at the age of 48. In 1979, Newman tackled the 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished second, another remarkable feat considering many observers and fellow racers considered him a dilettante posing as a driver.
Now Adam Carolla, another car enthusiast suffering from the Rodney Dangerfield “get no respect” attitude after co-hosting the pilot of the American Top Gear, has released a documentary about Newman’s racing passion, Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman. Judging by the trailer, the doc does an exceptional job capturing the passion of the late, great actor and racer for a sport and pastime we all love.