Posted by Randy Lamp
on 10/1/2008, 10:36 am, in reply to "Paul Newman"
68.73.75.198
I had a brief incounter with him years ago at the Nelson Ledges course in north east Ohio. I was leaning over a guard rail , checking out a four door Puegeot race car. A guy walked up beside me and put his foot on the rail and said "what do you think of her" ? With out turning my head , I said it might be the uglyist race car I have ever seen. He kind of choked on the bottle of soda pop he was drinking and spit out what he had in his mouth. When I turned towards him,he was laughing and wiping off the soda running down his chin as he leaned forward so it wouldn't get on his drivers suit. He patted me on the shoulder and said, " I think your right". He turned as he walked away and said I'm driving it today. I looked back at my then girl friend, now wife and she was just standing there with her mouth hanging open. That was Paul Newman, she shrieked.
I think it was Showroom Stock class,and it really was ugly.
--Previous Message--
: Since some of us here are old enough to
: remember the days when Triumphs were
: winning SCCA Championships (you know
: who you are!), I wonder if anyone here
: encountered Paul Newman back in the
: day?
:
: Steve Smith, maybe??
:
: You'll recall that he started out
: driving a Triumph 2000 sedan and later
: won at least two SCCA National titles
: in D Prod A(not in the Triumph).
:
: I first saw him at VA International
: Raceway (VIR) in 1971, on my 18th
: birthday. He was driving a Bob Sharp
: Datsun and I got within a few feet of
: him in the pits. He was very nice and
: friendly to everyone, acted like a
: "normal" guy. Also, he was
: the first person I ever saw drinking a
: Coors beer!
:
: I later saw him drive a various east
: coast tracks through the years. Always
: competitive.
:
: Did any of you guys see or meet him on
: the track??
:
: To me, he was a true American hero.
: Not many like him from Hollywood.
:
: RIP, Paul.
:
: --Mark in C'ville
:
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