Saw him race at Summit Point right after Tom Cruise also joined the team that season. Very gracious, was a hoot at the workers party. Tom Cruise, not so much.
This will be going into my collection for sure. Can't wait to see it.
I was lucky enough to actually meet and chat with him at PIR in 1980 or 82 (?). I always went to the track on the Fri before the race weekend to watch the teams get set up and chat with the drivers. He came out of the tent they had and was standing next to his Datsun when I just blurted out some stupid hope for a great race. He turned towards me and smiled and asked if I was going to watch the race. Told him I hadn't missed one at PIR yet.....lol. He then came walking over to me and shook my hand and told me to make sure and wave when he came by....we then exchanged a few words and he went back to his tent. This is a day I will never forget.
I had the pleasure of seeing him run a vintage event at the Glen--in his old Datsun race car. I was in the my customary spot at the heel of the boot where you can see who is driving fast and who is pushing their cars hard. Newman was in the latter group. He was well over 70 years old at that point.
I saw him race a 510 at Nelson Ledges on an SCCA regional weekend. It was pretty neat that the racers just treated him as one of their own, no muss no fuss. Fast forward 10 years later & at Mid-Ohio he couldn't leave his bus without being mobbed by autograph seekers. Pretty sure that part was not fun, but he put up with it because he got to race. Quite a man he was for sure.
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