Oscar-winner Newman still needs racing rush

Even at 80, the thrill of competition fuels fire within actor

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- At an age when many senior citizens hesitate to get behind the wheel, Paul Newman climbs into a race car every chance he gets.

The 80-year-old Oscar winner is proud that he's still so active. He even wanted to get No. 80 for the Ford Crawford Daytona Prototype he'll co-drive this weekend in the Rolex 24 endurance race at Daytona International Speedway.

	Paul Newman Credit: daytonainternationalspeedway.com
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No luck.

"The guy who owned the number didn't want to part with it," Newman said. "So, we just put '79 Plus 1' on our car."

One thing really does bother him, though: being slow on the racetrack.

Newman was visibly agitated Friday when he managed only a handful of laps in the car he will share Saturday and Sunday with reigning Champ Car World Series champion Sebastien Bourdais, former series champion Cristiano da Matta and car owner Michael Brockman.

Newman didn't want to talk about his effort, but the 24-year-old Bourdais said his team's slow start had more to do with a car fire last month during testing than age.

"It was a major step back," Bourdais said. "From that time it's just been very, very difficult for our team. When we got here, the car was not ready.

"Paul did only three laps [Friday]. He might be feeling very tense and not very comfortable, but I'm sure after his first [race] stint, he'll be OK," he said.

Newman caught the racing bug in 1968 while making the racing movie Winning. Since then, it's become a rush.

A lot of people wonder why Newman feels the need to race while he is making movies, overseeing a successful food company whose profits go to charity and helping the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, which benefit children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

"I may joke about it, but I guess we all try to push the envelope as much as we can," Newman said.

Newman was at the wheel of the Crawford when a split fuel regulator caused the scary fire at Daytona last month.

He was not injured and the blaze certainly didn't deter him.

"Sometimes you make a mistake and we'll see whether this is a mistake or not," Newman said.

Bourdais, who spent Thanksgiving with Newman and his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, has no doubt what keeps Newman racing.

"Simply because he loves it. That's the only reason why he's doing it," Bourdais said after Friday's practice session.

"Paul keeps repeating that he's just had two passions and one love in his life," he said. "He loves Joanne and has passions for movies and racing. He discovered the second passion very late and that's why he keeps on doing it."

Bourdais sees no end in sight.

"As long as he's going to be fit enough to do it, he'll do it," he said. "There's no doubt that he has the intensity. He's a guy who knows what he wants. He's focused. When he does something, he does it right."

Newman has won seven national SCCA amateur championships and a pair of Trans-Am races, and finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He also was part of the winning team at Daytona in 1995 at the age of 70 -- a sports car record.

A victory this weekend would one-up that mark. Newman will be the oldest driver in the race -- 67-year-old Archie Urciuoli is next up among those entered.

"Well, we're going to give it our best shot," Newman said. "You're kind of at the mercy of the mechanics of the things.

"If you can keep the car out of the pits, you've got a good chance to score high. If something breaks, then that's just the nature of the beast," he said.