Paul Newman

Renowned actor and Westport, CT resident Paul Newman was quite the race car driver over the years. He began his career at Thompson Speedway. He first drove underpowered cars owned by Bob Sharp. Newman was also known for his love of Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.

The highlight of Paul’s driving career came in the 1979 24 Hours of LeMans, his only start in the event. Despite the terrible conditions (rain and fog throughout), Newman and co-drivers Dick Barbour & Rolf Stommelen finished second overall and first in class after leading much of the event. It was the best finish by a New Englander in the world’s most prestigious road race.

Newman also won the 1982 Brainard Trans Am and 1986 Lime Rock races. He twice finished runner-up in IMSA races. Newman won the SCCA Runouffs four times (1976, 1979, 1985 and 1986) and was a 3-time SCCA National Champion.

As a co-owner of Indy Cars with Carl Haas, Newman recorded 107 wins with various drivers over the years. Newman/Haas also won 8 CART/Champ Car Championships: 1984 with Mario Andretti, 1991 with Michael Andretti, 1993 with Nigel Mansell, 2002 with Christian da Matta and four straight from 2004-2007 with Sebastien Bourdais.

Paul also dabbled in super modifieds with the help of Bentley Warren, center-steer dirt modifieds with Will Cagle and modifieds at Stafford Speedway. He won at Lime Rock at the age of 81 and won the pole at his last professional race at Watkins Glen in 2007.

Newman was posthumously inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2009. Lime Rock’s No Name Straight was renamed Paul Newman Straight in 2022. He passed away on September 26, 2008 at the age of 83. His racing career was subject of the 2015 documentary Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman.