Main Menu
Home News Events Racing News Features Reviews PLN Tribute Columnists Contact Us Advertise

Home PLN Tribute Newman in Endurance Racing

Newman in Endurance Racing Written by Bruce Anderson   Tuesday, 09 September 2008 Paul Newman looks into a Porsche to speak with Brian Redman about taking a Daytona ride! (Editor's Note: Bruce Anderson has a background in Porsches that is so extensive that we'd have to write a book to get it all in. He is currently Editor of Excellence Magazine, the ultimate magazine on Porsche that is distributed worldwide. Bruce is a member of the Western Automotive Journalists group.) In 1979, Paul Newman raced with our Porsche 935 team three times -- at the Daytona 24-hour race, Le Mans 24-hour and the Watkins Glen 6-hour race. The team belonged to Dick Barbour and the cars were prepared by our team at Garretson Enterprises, a company co-owned by Clark Anderson, Bob Garretson and myself. We went to Daytona early for a test day as Paul was not sure he wanted to race the Porsche 935 and wanted time to find out if he was a good fit or not. At first he had a little trouble coming to grips with the course, the speed and all of the power of the 995. That's Paul Newman on the left: Imagine, 200 mph, and hanging on with no seat or belts! At one point Brian Redman offered to take him out for a ride around the track and off they went. The car was neither equipped with a passenger seat nor belts and Paul just wedged himself in among the roll cage . . . and they went testing. Brian went as fast as he had been going alone, and showed Paul all of the correct lines and how to drive the banking. This was back before the bus stop chicane on the back straightaway, so they took the bankng in Turns 3 and 4 at right around 200 mph . . . which back in 1979 was fast. They took several laps until Brian felt Paul had a feel for the track and then turned Paul loose himself again on the track and his times were only about a second a lap slower than he and Brian had gone on their training laps. And off they go, Paul Newman taking a high-speed ride with Brian Redman at Daytona. Unfortunately, the car did not last the 24-hours, but Newman drove with the team the two other times and placed second overall at Le Mans and at Watkins Glen. Wish we could have raced more with him! Paul is a great cook and tells some of the best jokes . . . all and all a great guy to be with.   Last Updated ( Sunday, 21 December 2008 )   < Prev   Next > [ Back ]