Racers and Fans Mourn Paul Newman's Passingby Carl WagenfohrBRASELTON, GA – While the atmosphere at Road Atlanta last weekend was festive, sadness had its place as well, as fans and the racing community mourned the passing of Paul Newman. While most knew Newman as an Oscar-winning actor and philanthropist, racers knew him as a well-respected competitor and successful team owner. He was a partner in Newman-Haas racing, whose driver Graham Rahal won this year's St. Petersburg Grand Prix, and in Newman-Wachs Racing, which had two cars entered in last weekend's season-ending Atlantics race. 'Paul's devotion to seeing that young men and women have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and aspirations to become professional race drivers was elemental in forming this team,' stated Newman's partner Eddie Wachs. 'We have lost a dear friend but will carry on in his memory just as he would have wanted us to. He was an amazing man and actually I think he was a racer first and an actor second. He was a gentleman and we are all privileged to have had him in our organization these past few years. He will be missed.' Essentially every car in last weekend's seven races wore a sticker with 'PLN – Always In Our Hearts.' Paul would have enjoyed seeing that tribute carried at speed by those who shared his passion for racing.
Photo by Carl Wagenfohr
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