Goodbye, Paul

We knew this was coming, but it still sucks nonetheless - Paul Newman passed away yesterday. Most folks, of course, are familiar with Newman's prodigious acting career and social activism. But he also held a special spot in the hearts of racing fans:

In a statement issued today by the Newman Foundation, the charity organization mourned its founder saying he will be missed by all who surrounded him.

'Paul Newman's craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place for all.

Newman was not a rich poseur whose only result on a race track was to get in the way of the professional fast guys. He was a winner and a champion:

In the 1970s, Newman, admittedly bored with acting, became fascinated with auto racing, a sport he studied when he starred in the 1972 film, ''Winning.'' After turning professional in 1977, Newman and his driving team made strong showings in several major races, including fifth place in Daytona in 1977 and second place in the Le Mans in 1979.

In 1995, he became the oldest driven to win a major race as part of the winning driver lineup in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He won in Trans-Am and (IIRC) was an SCCA Runoffs winner. In addition, he was a founder of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing in 1983, which became one of the premier teams in Champ Car racing, winning 8 titles, and being one of the leading lights in American open wheel racing.

As I said, this isn't a complete surprise:

On August 13, the Lime Rock Park race track near his Connecticut home shut down for a couple hours so that Newman could take a few final laps in his GT1 Corvette. The world will certainly be a poorer place with his passing.

Indeed.

UPDATE: According to one of my SCCA buds, Newman was, in fact, a 4-time SCCA National Champion: 1976 (D Production), 1979 (C Production), 1985 (GT1), and 1986 (GT2).