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Farewell to the coolest guy I ever knew
Darrell Waltrip
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FOXSports.com
27 days ago
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You know folks, I have been extremely fortunate in my life to meet some very famous people. My family and I have met Presidents, movie stars, musicians, athletes, etc. When I think back to those times, I am sometimes in awe of the opportunities that I have had to rub shoulders and hob-knob with the some of the greatest names.
But to me, there has been no greater man that I got to meet and know than Paul Newman. There is no doubt that Newman was one of the best road course and sports car racers. |
One of my fondest times with Paul was when he was hanging out with Tom Cruise during the filming of "Days of Thunder." When they were at Daytona International Speedway, Paul flew down and was hanging out with Tom and Rick Hendrick, who was supplying all the cars and basically acting as coordinator for the Hollywood folks from the racing side.
Cruise was in Daytona Beach, Fla., and he wanted to make some laps in a real race car, so they put him in one of Geoff Bodine's cars and he went out to run a few laps. Now Tom didn't push it or gas it up, he just basically cruised around and came in.
Well here comes Newman and he says to Tom, "Well if that is all you got, let me show you something." He gets all suited up and crawls in the car and we all head to climb on top of the hauler because he could drive and we wanted to see what he could do. We are up on the hauler and we are waiting, waiting, waiting and the car never comes out on the track. So I climbed back down off the truck and went over to see what the problem was.
I go over to the car and stick my head in the passenger side of the race car and there were a couple guys working on the seat while Paul just sat there. I jokingly said "What's taking so long. What's the problem?" Well the crew members replied that Paul wasn't comfortable with the car and wanted the seat adjusted. Again, Paul just sat there staring straight ahead.
So being a smart alec that I am prone to be at times, I jokingly said "That's just typical for these Hollywood prima-donna types. They gotta have everything just right." Well, folks, let me tell you what. Paul turned his head and those famous baby blue eyes of his locked onto me. You talk about a cold look. He didn't say a word, but the message was clear: "Boy, you better get away from me right now." I was just kidding, but he didn't think it was funny at all.
So they get the seat and the steering wheel the way he wanted and he pulls out onto the track. Now get this, he goes out and runs the exact same lap times in that car that Geoff Bodine had been running. He held that thing wide open and went around that 2.5-mile track just like the rest of us. It was very impressive.
Later on that weekend, I was staying at the Hampton Inn near the racetrack when one morning I hear this commotion out in the hallway. It was like 6 a.m. and I can hear women out there squealing and oooh'ing and ahh'ing. I open the door and here stands Paul Newman in the hallway surrounded by all the hotel maids. So I asked them what was going on and they said they were all getting Paul's autograph.
Well that shocked me because it's very well known that Paul doesn't give autographs. So I asked him why he was giving autographs and he said it was his birthday. I'm not sure, but I think it was his 60th birthday and Paul said a guy doesn't turn 60 every day and he thought he would just give those ladies his autograph.
So I told him that I hardly ever ask anyone for their autograph but that I would be truly honored to have his. He looked up at me with the sweetest expression and said "DW, I will give you my autograph only if you will give me yours." And so that's what we did. We swapped autographs at 6 in the morning in the hallway of the Hampton Inn in Daytona Beach. It's just a memory I cherish and it always brings a smile to my face.
To this day, other than Muhammad Ali, Paul Newman's is the only other autograph I can remember asking for and I still have it my collection. He was just a wonderful man. He was a great actor. The coolest movie of all time had to be "Cool Hand Luke." "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is right up there at the top in my book.
Newman also did so much for charity. His Hole In The Wall Gang Camp has done so much to help sick children. He worked with Kyle and Patti Petty to get their Victory Junction Gang Camp up and running. The man had a big heart and the sweetest personality in the world. He was beloved all over the world. He was a genuine hero. Even though our paths weren't able to cross that much, I really felt like Paul was a friend.
From Stevie, the girls and myself we extend our heartfelt sympathies to Paul's lovely wife, Joanne, and their extended family. We are all blessed to have shared in Paul Newman's life. Folks, racing didn't just lose a good friend, the whole world lost a good friend. I echo what Paul's dear friend Robert Redford said — "I have lost a real friend. My life — and this country — is better for his being in it."
Oh by the way
Paul and I were fortunate to be part of Pixar's "CARS" movie in 2006. He was Doc Hudson and I was Darrell Cartrip.
PIXAR decided to hold the world premier of the movie at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Earlier that day, the Disney folks had asked that I give some rides around the speedway to some Disney and Pixar VIPs in a specially decaled stock car I was to race that night in an exhibition at the track. Jimmie Johnson was there also giving rides in his No. 48 Lowe's car. Actor Owen Wilson was there too, plus a number of the actors who provided their voices to the movie. I mean all these famous people were there acting like kids at Christmas and they all wanted to go for a ride.
Now I had given a few rides and was waiting for the next VIP to get in when I look up and here comes Paul Newman and his buddy, famous Hollywood stunt man, Stan Barrett, riding on a golf cart. Paul sees me. I see him.
Now folks remember something, he was like 81 at the time. He jumps off the golf cart and runs — and I mean literally runs — around to the passenger side of my car to talk to me through the window.
When I finished up all my rides, photographs and autographs and was preparing to leave, I noticed a bunch of people surrounding my car. Right in the middle of that throng was Paul in a firesuit and he is climbing into my car. Pixar had a Hudson Hornet for him to drive but he didn't want to drive that, he wanted to drive my No. 17 car. He waves me over and wants to talk about how the track conditions are.
I have to be honest. I was pretty nervous about it when he was getting ready to fire the car up. Yes, it's Paul Newman, but still the man was 81 years old. Plus, if anything happened to that car, there was no time to get it fixed in time for the exhibition race that night.
So I am standing there telling my business manager about how uncomfortable I was about all this and he looks me dead in the eye and says "DW, do you want to be the one to go tell Paul Newman he can't drive your race car?" I just started laughing because we both knew that wasn't ever going to happen.
Oh and Paul didn't put a scratch on the car. He wheeled my No. 17 car around Lowe's Motor Speedway like he had been doing all his life. That was a special day for me and another one of those special memories I will always cherish.
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Highlights: 2009 BCS Championship
Photos:
Paul Newman was a fixture in the racing world as both an owner and driver. 
