Paul Newman is one of the most famous actors in the world. It could also be said that he is the most famous and well-known IndyCar Series team owner. Newman first took an interest in auto racing while filming the 1968 motion picture “Winning,” in which he played the role of an Indy car driver. His racing career spans from his first event in 1972 at Thompson, Conn., in a Lotus Elan until today. His most recent professional racing victory took place in the Rolex 24-Hours of Daytona on February 5, 1995 where he and his co-drivers won the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GTS-class. He was 70 years and 10 days old when he scored this grueling and historic victory. Newman competed in select races in 1997 including a GTS race in Lime Rock, Conn. on May 26, where he started third in a Ford Panoz and finished second. He also drove in a historic sportscar race in Daytona, Fla. on October 5. He competed in a one-hour endurance race as well as a sprint car race. He started 11th and finished second in a 1986 Porsche 962 in the sprint race. In January of 1999, his test drive in a Richard Childress-owned Winston Cup stock car garnered attention after he circled the high-speed Daytona oval at better than 184 mph which was only mere miles slower than times set by current drivers at the test. He competed in the 2000 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race on February 6 but his hopes for another victory in the prestigious race were cut short by an engine failure only eight hours into the race. His comment after the race? “There’s always next year.” Not one to mince

words, he was back for the 2001 race but a mechanical failure prevented another victory in the event. Plans to compete in the 2002 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona with team drivers Christian Fittipaldi and Cristiano da Matta failed to happen but he continued to competed in, and win, events in the SCCA GT-1 category in 2002 and 2003. For the first time in nine years he competed in the SCCA’s headline professional series – the Trans Am Series and finished fifth in Lime Rock Park (5-26-03) against full-season veterans in the series. He kicked off the 2004 racing season in the rain-soaked 24 Hours of Daytona race although his team was forced to retire after engine failure. In November of 2004 Newman joined Centrix Financial CEO Bob Sutton, Pikes Peak Hill Climb Winner Rod Millen and Rally driver and Pikes Peak Hill Climb winner Jeff Zwart in a Team Centrix entry of the Baja Challenge class for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 and finished fourth. After reluctantly handing the driving duties to a teammate Newman remarked “You know, I think I like dirt more than asphalt.” To begin the 2005 racing season, Newman co-drove a Crawford Ford with former NHR drivers Bourdais and Cristiano da Matta, respectively, and Michael Brockman. While proudly competing in the No. 79+ car which usually represented his age (No. 80 was already being used), the team started 13th but finished 51st in the 24 hour event after struggling due to mechanical problems and off-track excursions. Perhaps his highest profile race in 2005 was his win over “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno after the two competed in a go-kart race backstage on Leno’s set during an appearance by Newman on the show. He earned back-to-back wins when he returned in 2006.

In the early years of his racing career, Newman developed his skills as a sports car driver as well as competed in a modified stock car at Daytona. In 1977, he finished fifth in the 24 Hours of Daytona, and two years later co-drove a Porsche 935 to second place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He earned his first Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national title in 1976 in the D-Production category, and followed that with the C-Production class championship in 1979. He was GT-1 champion in both 1985 and 1986. Newman also was a semi-regular competitor in the SCCA Trans-Am series and scored his first professional victory at Brainerd, Minn., in 1982. His second career Trans-Am win came in 1986 at his “home” track in Lime Rock, Conn.

Before joining forces with Haas for a Championship car team in 1983, Newman fielded cars in the Can-Am series for five years. His drivers included Danny Sullivan, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser, Teo Fabi, Keke Rosberg and Elliott Forbes-Robinson.

Newman is also famous for his philanthropic endeavors. One of the charitable organizations he is most known for is the founding of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps. Presently there are 10 operating camps in six countries. Children facing serious illnesses and life-threatening conditions come to Camp to experience the simple joys of childhood, without compromising any of their medical needs thanks to state-of-the-art medical care. More than 140,000 children from the United States and 31 other countries have attended free of charge. Since founding Newman’s Own, an all-natural line of food products in 1982, he has given away 100 percent of after-tax profits to thousands of charitable and educational causes – a total that is over $240 million.