Max Verstappen Born In Hasselt, Belgium - September 30, 1997

September 30, 1997

Max Verstappen

(Photo; redbull.com)

Born in Hasselt, Belgium.

He is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One with Red Bull Racing. Aged 17 years, 166 days, he became the youngest driver to compete in Formula 1 at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix for Scuderia Toro Rosso. He is also the youngest driver to lead a lap during a Formula One Grand Prix, youngest driver to set the fastest lap during a Formula One Grand Prix, youngest driver to score points, youngest driver to secure a podium and youngest Formula One Grand Prix winner in history.

After spending the entire 2015 season with Scuderia Toro Rosso, he started his 2016 campaign with the Italian team, before being promoted by Red Bull Racing as a replacement for Daniil Kvyat, who took over his seat at Toro Rosso. He won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix in his debut race for Red Bull Racing at the age of 18, becoming the youngest-ever winner of a Grand Prix and the first racing under the Dutch flag. He is the son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen.

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Jochen Mass Born In Dorfen, Germany - September 30, 1946

September 30, 1946

Jochen Mass

 Born in Dorfen, Germany.
He participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 14, 1973 at the British Grand Prix. He won one GP race, the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, secured no pole positions, achieved 8 podiums, and scored a total of 71 championship points.

Unfortunately, Mass is perhaps best known for his blameless part in the death of Gilles Villeneuve. On May 8, 1982, with only 10 minutes left until the end of the qualifying session for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, Villeneuve collided with Mass while attempting to overtake him. Just as the pair rounded a super-fast left turn, (Mass ahead, Villeneuve behind) Jochen moved to the right hand side of the track to let Villeneuve through. Villeneuve had already committed to the right hand side, and the two cars touched wheels, launching the helpless Canadian skyward. Villeneuve's car hit the ground violently and nose-first. His seat was dislodged and he was flung from his car, landing heavily among the catch fencing at the opposite side of the track. Mass stopped his car, jumped out, and ran back to Villeneuve’s wrecked car, but there was nothing he could have done. Villeneuve was flown to hospital and taken off life-support later that evening.

Mass was convinced to stop racing Formula One cars after an accident with Mauro Baldi at the 1982 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard. His March and the Arrows of Baldi touched at maximum speeds, both cars flying off the track and through a containment fence. Mass' car continued, hitting a tire-lined guardrail. The March finally came to rest upside down and on fire, almost halfway into a spectator area. Amazingly he escaped with light burns only, and Baldi was uninjured.

After leaving the Formula One circuit, Mass enjoyed great success in sports car racing, Among his many victories, in 1985 he won the Circuito del Mugello 1000 km race in Italy driving a Porsche 962C and in 1987 partnered with Bobby Rahal to claim victory at the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring race. Mass and Bobby Rahal combined to win the Champion Spark Plug Grand Prix at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Driving a Porsche 962, they inherited the lead 18 laps from the end. Mass won the most prestigious endurance race of all, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1989 driving a Sauber Mercedes C9. It was the second triumph for Mercedes-Benz at Le Mans, their previous win having come in 1952.

Jochen Mass now drives the Mercedes-Benz museum's historic cars. In the 2004 Mille Miglia, he drove the original Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR that Stirling Moss had driven to victory in the 1955 race. To raise money for charity, the passenger seat next to him was auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Mercedes 300 SLR del 1955

(photo credit: starpitti via photopin cc)

Buy this item? 

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"IMHF Member" Al Holbert Dies In Plane Crash - September 30, 1988

November 11, 1946 - September 30, 1988

Al Holbert

(Photo; motorsportshalloffame.com)

Born in Abington, Pennsylvania, USA.
The son of racecar driver Bob Holbert, Al competed in NASCAR, Indycar, Can-Am and Sport cars. He was a 3-time 24 Hours of Le-Mans winner and five-time champion of the IMSA Camel GT series.

On September 30, 1988, Holbert was at the IMSA Columbus Ford Dealers 500. That evening, Holbert was fatally injured when his privately owned propeller driven Piper PA-60 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near Columbus, Ohio when a clamshell door was not closed. Holbert successfully diverted his aircraft away from a group of houses it was heading toward. At the end of the season, the team was disbanded and IMSA would retire his race number 14.

In 1993, Holbert was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. For more see; Tribute To Al Holbert

(By Dan Wildhirt (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 )

Holbert driving a VDS in the 1982 Can-Am.

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Derek Oland Born In Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada - September 29, 1939

September 29, 1939

Derek Oland

(Photo;moosehead.ca)  

Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

Derek Oland is the Executive Chairman of Moosehead Breweries Limited with corporate offices and brewery located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Moosehead Breweries has been sponsoring auto racing in the Maritimes since 1970, contributing greatly to motorsport in Atlantic Canada. The Brewery helped to build Atlantic Motorsport Park and has sponsored the Moosehead Grand Prix on the streets of downtown Halifax. As President of Moosehead, Derek Oland has been the spark behind the breweries huge interest in motorsport. Derek was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1995.

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Memo Gidley Born In La Paz, Mexico - September 29, 1970

September 29, 1970

Memo Gidley

(Photo; champcar.com)
Born in La Paz, Mexico.

In his early years, he sold his apartment to fund his career and spent 4 months homeless living in his car. He worked at the Jim Russell racing school as a mechanic to fund his career for some time, eventually getting a chance in Champ Car with Derrick Walker in 1999, although this was as a short-term replacement. He did the same task for Gerry Forsythe a year later, and Chip Ganassi in 2001, twice coming close to race victories. He nearly retained his drive for 2002, Chip later suggested that they keep Bruno Junqueira over him as the Brazilian was under contract.

He has raced assorted sports cars since, although he made two Champ Car starts for Rocketsports in 2004, and briefly ran in the rival IRL series. Since 2005 he has competed full-time in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, co-driving with Michael McDowell to a victory in the Mexico City season finale. In 2006 he raced in the Team Playboy cars and in 2007 he partnered Max Angelelli in the SunTrust Racing team. In 2010 Gidley co-drove Team CytoSport's Porsche RS Spyder with Germany's Klaus Graf and Sascha Maassen to second overall at Laguna Seca, but he reportedly hasn't given up on a return to major open wheel racing.

In the 2014 24 Hours of Daytona, Gidley suffered serious injuries when his Corvette DP slammed into the back of a Ferrari being driven by Matteo Malucelli. Maluclli's car had lost power and had rolled to a near stop on the track, when Gidley hit him at approximately 120 miles per hour. Gidley was taken by ambulance to Halifax Health Medical Center, where doctors diagnosed him with a broken back and leg and arm injuries. Gidley had eight surgeries that took him three years to recover.

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Jeff Gordon Wins Last Cup Race At North Wilkesboro Speedway - September 19, 1996

September 29, 1996

 

(Photo; PresidenBertho via photopin cc)
Jeff Gordon wins the last NASCAR Winston Cup race ever run at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina, USA.

North Wilkesboro Speedway was a short track that held races in NASCAR's top three series from NASCAR's inception in 1949 until its closure in 1996. NWS was reopened in 2010 and briefly played host to several Stock Car series such as the now defunct ASA Late Model Series, USARacing Pro Cup Series (formerly Hooters Pro Cup) and PASS Super Late Models before closing again in the spring of 2011.

(Photo; proallstarsseries.com)

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Oliver Gavin Born In Huntingdon, England - September 29, 1972

 September 29, 1972

Oliver Gavin

(Photo; olivergavin.com)

Born in Huntingdon, England.

Oliver Gavin joined Corvette Racing in 2002. He has won five American Le Mans Series class championships, five 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins, five 12 Hours of Sebring class wins and five Petit Le Mans class wins.

Gavin was introduced to motor racing through the traditional karting route. After finishing as runner-up in the 1993 British F3 series to Kelvin Burt, Gavin graduated to Formula 3000 in 1994 with Omegaland. He failed to score any points in the five races he contested, and subsequently opted to drop back down to F3 for 1995. He managed to overcome rival Ralph Firman in the final round to snatch the title.

His previous work included being the test driver for the ill-fated mid-90s Pacific Grand Prix team. He nearly drove for the team in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, but he was not granted the required FIA Super Licence. Gavin also drove the Safety Car from 1997 to 1999 for the Formula One championship. He has also won his class in Le Mans on a number of occasions.

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Canadian Motorsport Legend Harvey Lennox Dies - September 29, 2014

October 21, 1929 - September 29, 2014

Harvey Lennox

Born in Lanigan, Saskatchewan.

 Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame and London Sports Hall of Fame member and one of Canada's greatest race car drivers, passed away at Chelsey Park Nursing Home, London, Ontario, Canada, in his 85th year.

The London motorsport legend, famous for driving his signature super modified vehicle 'Tammy 10', won 182 times in feature races at tracks in Ontario and Michigan from the 1950s through the '70s.

Lennox won five international stock car championships and three national titles and was the top driver at numerous tracks. Early in his career Harvey was the scourge of the dirt tracks that dotted Southwestern Ontario. He was big news at ovals such as Delaware, Nilestown, Ridge Raceway, Checker Flag in Windsor, Tilbury, Warwick, Tillsonburg, Sarnia Glendale to name some of them. It seemed every town had a track. Much of the time races were held on tracks at the fairgrounds.

Along came paved asphalt tracks, corners were widened and safety features installed as conditions improved. The dirt tracks eventually closed up with operations at Delaware, Flamboro, Bridgeport, CNE Toronto, Cayuga and Oswego, N.Y. taking over. Cars improved and were made to go faster and there was Harvey among the leaders again. Harvey took on all comers and cultivated some great rivalries. Who can forget the duels between him and Jack Sharpe in Lobo 1 or with some other leadfoots like Bill Rouse, Jimmy Howard, Trip Trepanier, Ron Pearn, Ted Hogan or Don Biederman?

In 1961, he won a five-mile feature at Harewood Acres, the first time super modifieds were contested on a Canadian road course.

Lennox was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport hall of fame in 1995 and the London Sports hall of fame in 2011. He is also a member of the Flamboro Speedway's hall of fame.

(Photo; londonsportshalloffame.com)

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Mika Häkkinen Born In Vantaa, Finland - September 28, 1968

September 28, 1968

Mika Häkkinen

(Photo; vebidoo.com)

Born in Vantaa, Finland.

Nicknamed "the Flying Finn", he is the 1998 and 1999 Formula One World Champion, driving for McLaren and has been ranked among the greatest Formula One drivers in various motorsport polls. Häkkinen currently works in driver management and is a brand ambassador for various companies.

Häkkinen began his career in karting at the age of five and achieved success by winning regional and national kart championships. He progressed to car racing when he entered the Formula Ford and Formula Three series in Italy and the United Kingdom. After success in the series, Häkkinen entered Formula One in 1991 with the Team Lotus where he remained until 1992. The following year, he moved to McLaren as test driver before he was promoted to the race team following the departure of Michael Andretti.

After four years which yielded minor success for Häkkinen, he clinched his first Formula One victory in 1997. He went on to win eight races of the 1998 season. securing the World Drivers' Championship at the season ending Japanese Grand Prix; his success also helped McLaren secure the World Constructors' Championship. Häkkinen repeated his World Championship success in 1999, taking five victories. He finished the runner-up in the Drivers' Championship in 2000, behind Michael Schumacher and secured two more victories in 2001 before announcing a sabbatical from the sport, which became full-time retirement in mid-2002.

For 2005, he moved to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series, where he secured his first victory that year. Häkkinen's form faded during 2006 although he secured two more victories in 2007. Häkkinen retired from top level active motorsport at the end of 2007 and has also competed in sports car racing with Mercedes-Benz.

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Ray "Mr. Modified" Hendrick Dies Of Cancer - September 28, 1990

April 1, 1929 – September 28, 1990

Ray Hendrick

(Photo; www.findagrave.com)
Born in Richmond, Virginia, USA.

Known as "Mr. Modified", the Virginia native collected more than 700 victories in modifieds, NASCAR Winston Cup series, and late model sportsman series during his 36-year career.

Hendrick raced his famous winged No. 11 Modified coupe fielded by Jack Tant and Clayton Mitchell. Rick Hendrick (no relation) was a pit crew member on his car in the 1960s. He won five track championships at South Boston Speedway, four of them while competing in the NASCAR Modified division and one in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman division. Ray never won the National Modified Championship but finished in the Top 10 in Points nine times.

Ray also finished 8th in 1974 and 9th in 1975 in the National Late Model Sportsman Points before it became known as the Busch Grand National Division. Ray won the Modified "Race of Champions" 2 times, in 1969 on the 1-mile Langhorne Speedway asphalt and in 1975 on the Trenton Speedway 1.5-mile oval. Ray is 1st on the all-time winners list of Martinsville Speedway with 20 wins between 1963 and 1975. Next on the list is Richard Petty with 15 wins, followed by Geoff Bodine, Darrell Waltrip, and Richie Evans. Ray also won a 100 Lap National Championship race on Memorial Day Weekend of 1970 at Stafford Motor Speedway.

Hendrick was best known for his racing philosophy of racing anywhere and everywhere. Hendrick's modified career and philosophy of racing anywhere and everywhere prevented him from competing full-time in NASCAR Winston Cup. In 17 starts, he collected two top-five and six top-10 finishes.

Ray Hendrick was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and ranked No. 4 on All-Time Top 10 Modified Drivers list as of 2010. He was inducted into the the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1993, the Virginia Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2003, and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Ray Hendrick died of cancer September 28, 1990.

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Ron Fellows Born In Windsor, Ontario - September 28, 1959

September 28, 1959

Ron Fellows

Born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame member, accomplished SCCA Trans-Am, IMSA, and American Le Mans Series driver, and a NASCAR "road course ringer".

Fellows at the age of 4 became interested in auto racing with his family. He found a love for French-Canadian Formula 1 driver Gilles Villeneuve. Fellows has one of the biggest collections of Gilles Villeneuve merchandise in Canada and called Villeneuve his idol. To attend F1 races at a young age, Fellows went to watch them at a local track on an island in Montreal, Canada named Île Notre-Dame, a track that eventually would be named Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. When Villeneuve died in 1982 the track was named after Villeneuve himself. Fellows developed a dream to win at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve when he became a racing driver. He accomplished his goal in 2008, winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the track the NAPA Auto Parts 200.

Besides his racing career, Fellows owns a corporate business chain the Ron Fellows Performance Driving Schools and is one of the owners of car brand, Corvette as well as Corvette's racing operations. He also owns a charity called the Sunoco-Ron Fellows Karting Championship to help young kids become race-car drivers. In January 2013, Ron Fellows purchased the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park racetrack and NASCAR hosted a truck series race there-the first time since 2000 that the truck series came to a road course. Fellows' current goal for his track is to bring the Cup series to the track someday.

He and wife Lynda  have 3 kids, Lyndsay, Sam and Patrick Fellows. Ron is a close friend of Dale Earnhardt Jr. who he currently drives for in the NASCAR Nationwide Series; as well as Gilles Villeneuve's son Jacques who was a student in a racing school with Ron.

See also: Tribute To Ron Fellows

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Jacques Laffite Wins Canadian Grand Prix - September 27, 1981

September 27, 1981

Frenchman Jacques Laffite took what was to be his last F1 victory, winning the "Labatt" Grand Prix of Canada, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec. Laffite was joined on the podium by John Watson of Briton and  Canada's own Gilles Villeneuve.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 

(Photo: Archives de la Ville de Montréal via photopin cc)

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"Remembering" Paul Newman

January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008

Paul Newman

(Photo: jimculp@live.com / ProRallyPix via photopin cc)
Born In Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA.
Newman showed an early interest in the theater, which his mother encouraged. At the age of seven, he made his acting debut, playing the court jester in a school production of Robin Hood.

Newman served in the United States Navy in World War II in the Pacific theater. Initially, he enrolled in the Navy V-12 pilot training program at Yale University, but was dropped when his colorblindness was discovered. Boot camp followed, with training as a radioman and rear gunner. Qualifying in torpedo bombers in 1944, Aviation Radioman Third Class Newman was sent to Barber's Point, Hawaii. He was subsequently assigned to Pacific-based replacement torpedo squadrons VT-98, VT-99, and VT-100, responsible primarily for training replacement combat pilots and air crewmen, with special emphasis on carrier landings.

Newman later flew from aircraft carriers as a turret gunner in an Avenger torpedo bomber. As a radioman-gunner, he was ordered aboard the USS Bunker Hill with a draft of replacements shortly before the Battle of Okinawa in the spring of 1945. An ear infection grounded his pilot, leaving the pair the detail's sole survivors when the rest of their unit was wiped out in action during the campaign.

 After the war, he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in drama and economics at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio in 1949. Shortly after earning his degree, Newman joined several summer stock companies, most notably the Belfry Players in Wisconsin and the Woodstock Players in Illinois. He toured with them for three months and developed his talents as a part of Woodstock Players. Newman later attended the Yale School of Drama for one year before moving to New York City to study under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.

Newman was married to Jackie Witte from 1949 to 1958. They had two daughters, Stephanie and Susan, and a son, Scott, who died in November 1978 from a drug overdose. Scott appeared in films including Breakheart Pass, The Towering Inferno and the 1977 film Fraternity Row. Paul Newman started the Scott Newman Center for drug abuse prevention in memory of his son. Susan is a documentary filmmaker and philanthropist and has Broadway and screen credits, including a starring role as one of four Beatles fans in I Wanna Hold Your Hand, and also a small role opposite her father in Slap Shot. She also received an Emmy nomination as co-producer of his telefilm, The Shadow Box.

Newman met actress Joanne Woodward in 1953. Shortly after filming The Long, Hot Summer in 1957, he divorced Witte. He married Woodward early in 1958.

(Photo: Film Star Vintage via photopin cc)
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
They remained married for fifty years until his death. They had three daughters, Elinor "Nell" Teresa, Melissa "Lissy" Stewart, and Claire "Clea" Olivia. The Newmans lived away from the Hollywood environment, making their home in Westport, Connecticut. Newman was well known for his devotion to his wife and family. When asked once about infidelity, he famously quipped, "Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?" Newman was also an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church Monastery, a one-day online certificate program to officiate weddings.

Newman arrived in New York City in 1951. He made his Broadway theater debut in the original production of William Inge's Picnic with Kim Stanley in 1953 and appeared in the original Broadway production of The Desperate Hours in 1955. In 1959, he was in the original Broadway production of Sweet Bird of Youth with Geraldine Page and three years later starred with Page in the film version.

During this time Newman started acting in television. He had his first credited TV or film appearance with a small but notable part in a 1952 episode of the science fiction TV series Tales of Tomorrow entitled "Ice from Space". In the mid-1950s, he appeared twice on CBS's Appointment with Adventure anthology series.

Newman's first movie for Hollywood was The Silver Chalice. The film was a box office failure and the actor would later acknowledge his disdain for it. In 1956, Newman garnered much attention and acclaim for the boxer Graziano lead in Somebody Up There Likes Me. By 1958, he was one of the hottest new stars in Hollywood. Later that year, he starred in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, opposite Elizabeth Taylor. The film was a box office smash and Newman garnered his first Academy Award nomination. Also in 1958, Newman starred in The Long, Hot Summer with Joanne Woodward, with whom he reconnected on the set in 1957. He won best actor at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival for this film.

Newman was one of the few actors who successfully made the transition from 1950s cinema to that of the 1960s and 1970s. His rebellious persona translated well to a subsequent generation. Newman starred in Exodus, The Hustler, Hud, Harper, Hombre, Cool Hand Luke, The Towering Inferno, Slap Shot, and The Verdict. He teamed with fellow actor Robert Redford and director George Roy Hill for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969 and The Sting in 1973.

He appeared with his wife, Joanne Woodward, in the feature films The Long, Hot Summer, Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!, From the Terrace, Paris Blues, A New Kind of Love, Winning, WUSA, The Drowning Pool, Harry & Son, and Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. They both also starred in the HBO miniseries Empire Falls, but did not have any scenes together.

In addition to starring in and directing Harry & Son, Newman also directed four feature films starring Woodward. They were Rachel, Rachel, based on Margaret Laurence's A Jest of God, the screen version of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, the television screen version of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play The Shadow Box, and a screen version of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie.

Twenty-five years after The Hustler, Newman reprised his role of "Fast" Eddie Felson in the Martin Scorsese–directed film The Color of Money, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. The Award has been looked upon as a "make-up" for his past body of work. He told a television interviewer that winning that Oscar at the age of 62 deprived him of his fantasy of formally being presented with it in extreme old age.

In 2003, Newman appeared in a Broadway revival of Wilder's Our Town, receiving his first Tony Award nomination for his performance. PBS and the cable network Showtime aired a taping of the production, and Newman was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie

Newman's last screen appearance was as a conflicted mob boss in the 2002 film Road to Perdition opposite Tom Hanks, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, although he continued to provide voice work for films. In 2006, in keeping with his strong interest in car racing, he provided the voice of Doc Hudson, a retired anthropomorphic race car in Disney/Pixar's Cars, this was his final role for a major feature film.

Newman announced his retirement from acting on May 25, 2007. He stated that he did not feel he could continue acting at the level he wanted to. "You start to lose your memory, you start to lose your confidence, you start to lose your invention. So I think that's pretty much a closed book for me." He recorded narration tracks for two more films, however, the 2007 documentary Dale, about the life of the legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, and the 2008 documentary The Meerkats, which was his final role before his death.

Newman was an auto racing enthusiast, and first became interested in motorsports while training at the Watkins Glen Racing School for the filming of Winning, a 1969 film.

Because of his love and passion for racing, Newman agreed in 1971 to star in and to host his first television special, Once Upon a Wheel, on the history of auto racing. It was produced and directed by David Winters, who co-owned a number of racing cars with Newman. Newman's first professional event as a racer was in 1972, at Thompson International Speedway, and he was a frequent competitor in Sports Car Club of America events for the rest of the decade, eventually winning four national championships. He later drove in the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans in Dick Barbour's Porsche 935 and finished in second place. Newman reunited with Barbour in 2000 to compete in the Petit Le Mans.

From the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, he drove for the Bob Sharp Racing team, racing mainly Datsuns in the Trans-Am Series.

(Photo: Hans J E via photopin cc)
He became closely associated with the brand during the 1980s, even appearing in commercials for them. At the age of 70 years and eight days, he became the oldest driver to be part of a winning team in a major sanctioned race, winning in his class at the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona. Among his last races were the Baja 1000 in 2004 and the 24 Hours of Daytona once again in 2005.

During the 1976 auto racing season, Paul Newman became interested in forming a professional auto racing team and contacted Bill Freeman from Santa Barbara. Bill is credited as the man who introduced Paul Newman to professional auto racing management, and their company specialized in Can-Am, Indy Cars, and other high performance racing automobiles. The team was based in Santa Barbara, California and commuted to Willow Springs International Motorsports Park for much of its testing sessions.

Their "Newman Freeman Racing" team was very competitive in the North American Can-Am series in their Budweiser sponsored Chevrolet powered Spyder NFs.

(Photo: racin jason via photopin cc)
Ex Paul Newman Lola at the recent all Historic Meeting at Eastern Creek Raceway.

Paul and Bill began a long and successful partnership with the Newman Freeman Racing team in the Can-Am series which culminated in the Can-Am Team Championship trophy in 1979. Their drivers included Keke Rosberg, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Randolph Townsend, Mike Brockman, Howdy Holmes, Teo Fabi, Patrick Depailler, Danny Sullivan, Bobby Rahal, Johnny Parson Jr., among others.

(Paul at Mosport - Early 80's)
Paul was also associated with Bill Freeman's established Porsche racing team which allowed both Paul and Bill to compete in S.C.C.A. and I.M.S.A. racing events together, including the Sebring 12-hour endurance sports car race. This car was sponsored by Beverly Porsche/Audi. Bill Freeman was also Sports Car Club of America's Southern Pacific National Champion during the Newman Freeman Racing period.

Later Newman co-founded Newman/Haas Racing with Carl Haas, a Champ Car team, in 1983, going on to win 8 drivers' championships under his ownership. The 1996 racing season was chronicled in the IMAX film Super Speedway, which Newman narrated. He was also a partner in the Atlantic Championship team Newman Wachs Racing.

(Paul - 2004 Montreal)
Newman was scheduled to make his professional stage directing debut with the Westport Country Playhouse's 2008 production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, but he stepped down on May 23, 2008, citing health issues. In June 2008, it was widely reported that Newman had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was receiving treatment at Sloan-Kettering hospital in New York City. In August, after reportedly finishing chemotherapy, Newman told his family he wished to die at home.

Newman died on September 26, 2008, aged 83, surrounded by his family and close friends. He was survived by five of his six children and eight grandchildren. His remains were cremated after a private funeral service near his home in Westport.

Newman was posthumously inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame at the national convention in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 21, 2009.

(Photo: Bryce Womeldurf via photopin cc)
(Nissan 280Z windshield with Paul Newman memorial)
With writer A. E. Hotchner, Newman founded Newman's Own, a line of food products, in 1982. The brand started with salad dressing, and has expanded to include pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn, salsa, and wine, among other things. Newman established a policy that all proceeds, after taxes, would be donated to charity.

(Photo: Petezin via photopin cc)
As of 2013, the franchise has donated in excess of $380 million. He co-wrote a memoir about the subject with Hotchner, Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good. Among other awards, Newman's Own co-sponsors the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award, a $25,000 reward designed to recognize those who protect the First Amendment as it applies to the written word.

One beneficiary of his philanthropy is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a residential summer camp for seriously ill children, which is located in Ashford, Connecticut. Newman co-founded the camp in 1988, named after the gang in his film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Newman's college fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, adopted Hole in the Wall as their "national philanthropy" in 1995. One camp has expanded to become several Hole in the Wall Camps in the U.S., Ireland, France, and Israel. The camps serve 13,000 children every year, free of charge.

(Photo credit: The359 via photopin cc)


(Photo credit: The359 via photopin cc)

Paul Newman Dies At the Age Of 83 - September 26, 2008

January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008

Paul Newman

(Photo: jimculp@live.com / ProRallyPix via photopin cc)
Born In Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA.
Actor, film director, entrepreneur, professional racing driver, auto racing team owner, environmentalist, social activist, and philanthropist. He won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for best actor for his performance in the 1986 Martin Scorsese film The Color of Money and eight other nominations, six Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Festival Award, an Emmy Award, and many honorary awards. He also won several national championships as a driver in Sports Car Club of America road racing, and his race teams won several championships in open wheel IndyCar racing.

Newman was scheduled to make his professional stage directing debut with the Westport Country Playhouse's 2008 production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, but he stepped down on May 23, 2008, citing health issues. In June 2008, it was widely reported that Newman had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was receiving treatment at Sloan-Kettering hospital in New York City. In August, after reportedly finishing chemotherapy, Newman told his family he wished to die at home.

Newman died on September 26, 2008, aged 83, surrounded by his family and close friends. He was survived by five of his six children and eight grandchildren. His remains were cremated after a private funeral service near his home in Westport.

For more visit; Paul Newman - Tribute Page

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Joe Nemechek Born In Lakeland, Florida - September 26, 1963

September 26, 1963

Joe Nemechek

(Photo: purduenila via photopin cc) 
Born in Lakeland, Florida, USA.
Nicknamed "Front Row Joe", a nickname given him by former teammate Wally Dallenbach for his tendency in the late 1990s to be a regular contender for a front row starting position. Nemechek began racing at the age of thirteen in motocross, and won three hundred career races over the next six years.

After winning various awards in different short track series around the country, Nemechek made his Busch Series debut at North Carolina Speedway in 1989, and won the 1992 Busch Series championship. He made his Cup debut at New Hampshire International Speedway in 1993. 

Nemechek is the older brother of the late John Nemechek and the father of John Hunter Nemechek.

Among his achievements and awards Nemechek was the 1989 All PRO Super Series Champion, the 1992 NASCAR Busch Series Champion, the 1988 USAR Rookie of the Year, the 1990 Busch Series Rookie of the Year and the 1992, 1993 Busch Series Most Popular Driver.

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Andy "Dead Dog" Green Tops 700 MPH - September 25, 1997

September 25, 1997

Andy "Dead Dog" Green, pilots the Thrust SSC to a new Land Speed Record of 714.144 mph, in the Black Rock Desert. He became the first person to drive a land vehicle over 700 mph. 

Green is a British Royal Air Force fighter pilot and current holder of the World Land speed record, and the first person to break the sound barrier on land. On September 25, 1997 in ThrustSSC he beat the previous record in Black Rock Desert, USA, reaching a speed of 714.144 miles per hour (1,149.303 km/h).

The Thrust SSC at Coventry Motor Museum 

(Photo: Ben Sutherland via photopin cc)
On October 15, 1997, 50 years and 1 day after the sound barrier was broken in aerial flight by Chuck Yeager, Green reached 763.035 miles per hour (1,227.986 km/h), the first supersonic record (Mach 1.016). His call sign was "Dead Dog".

Green is now working with Richard Noble again on their new record attempt to break the 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 km/h) mark with Bloodhound SSC.

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NASCAR Legend “Shirtless” Jimmy Florian Born - September 25, 1923

September 25, 1923 - February 14, 1999 

Jimmy Florian

(Photo;racing-reference.info)

Born in Cleaveland, Ohio, USA.

He was a stock car, midget and sprint car driver. Florian entered the NASCAR Grand National Division competition in 1950 campaigning his No. 27 Ford sponsored by Euclid Motor Co. Onlookers scoffed that Florian had brought a knife to a gun fight campaigning a flathead Ford against the Oldsmobile “Rocket” overhead valve engines.

Florian paid the scoffers little attention, finishing a respectable third place finish in his first outing in the NASCAR Grand National Division at Langhorne. He then qualified on the pole at Canfield Speedway in Canfield, Ohio and finished 6th. An 8th place finish then followed at Vernon Fairgrounds in Vernon, New York.

On June 25, 1950, Jimmy Florian, the 27 year old mechanic from Cleveland, Ohio did what many thought was impossible. He beat Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Lee Petty in the 100-lap NASCAR Grand National event at Dayton Speedway in Daytona, Ohio, giving Ford its first win in the series.

With 35 laps to go, Florian passed Curtis Turner and had established a half-lap advantage by the time the race was over. Turner, Weatherly, and Petty quickly protested. They could not believe that they have been outrun by a flathead Ford. But at 4 A.M., after careful inspection, NASCAR officials declared the Ford was as stock as could be. The win was official. In his 10 starts in the 1950 NASCAR Grand National Division, Florian recorded 1 win, 3 top-5s, and 6 top-10s.

Florian returned to Grand National competition in 1951 driving Don Rogalla’s Oldsmobile in 3 events. He also campaigned his own No. 27 Ford in 6 events recording a fourth place finish on the 1-mile dirt track at Bainbridge Speedway in Bainbridge, Ohio and another fourth place finish at the ½-mile dirt track at Pine Grove Speedway in Shippenville, Pennsylvania. He charted 2 top-5s and 5 top-10s in the 1951 NASCAR Grand National Division.

In 1952, Florian campaigned his own No. 18 Oldsmobile at West Palm Beach and Daytona Beach before swapping to a Ford for Jacksonville, Columbia, Atlanta, and Macon. He picked up 2 top-10s for the season. Florian returned to the NASCAR Grand National ranks for one final event in 1954 driving his No. 15 Hudson at Daytona Beach finishing 37th.

Despite retiring from the NASCAR ranks, Florian continued to race midgets and sprint cars. In his 60’s, he participated in the VARC (Vintage Auto Race Cars) exhibition races. He finally retired from racing completely at 70 years old, selling his vintage sprint car at age 72.

Jimmy Florian passed away after a battle with cancer in February 1999. He was 75

(Photo;racing-reference.info)

Jimmy Florian at the Dayton Speedway in 1950. ​And while his accomplishment on the race track was big enough news, he generated even more when he got out of car in victory lane bare chested.  NASCAR eventually established a rule that a driver had to at least wear a shirt while driving.  Hence, the nickname “Shirtless” Jimmy Florian.

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"Sprint & Midget Hall Of Famer" Johnny Thomson Dies In Crash - September 24, 1960

 April 9, 1922 - September 24, 1960

Johnny Thomson

(Photo;public.fotki.com)

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA.

Thomson was nicknamed "the Flying Scot." He won the 1948 UCOA New England title after winning 32 midget events. He won his second UCOA title in 1950. He won the 1952 AAA Eastern division Midget championship. He won the Eastern Sprint Car championship in 1954. He was the 1958 USAC Sprint Car Series champion.

Thomson drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1953-1960 seasons with 69 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each season. He finished in the top ten 43 times, with 7 victories. His best Indy finish was third in 1959, after starting on the pole and setting the fastest lap. Roy Sherman, the first National Midget Champion, was his chief mechanic for several Indy 500s.

He was the first driver to win a 100-mile dirt track race in less than an hour at Langhorne, Pennsylvania. His champ car's average speed was 100.174 miles per hour.

In 1960, Thomson died at a sprint car event at the Great Allentown Fair in Allentown, Pennsylvania when his car crashed through the fence and flipped into the infield.

Thomson was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1997.

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Kevin Gobrecht Dies In Sprint Car Crash - Sept. 24, 1999

May 2, 1969 - September 24, 1999

Kevin Gobrecht

(Photo;York Daily Record)

Born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, USA.

He was a 1987 graduate of New Oxford High School and a 1992 graduate of Millersville University. He was a member of the New Oxford Social and Athletic Club, the York County Racing Club, the Allstar Circuit of Champions, the World of Outlaws, the Checkered Flag Fan Club and the Republican Club of Hanover. He was the driver of the # 93 Amoco Sprint Car owned by Hylton-Blaney Motorsports.

He won over 100 Go Kart races from 1977-1989 and competed throughout Eastern and Southern U.S. He won over 100 Micro-Sprint races from 1990-1999, including the Coors National Open in 1992 and 1994.

He won the 1995 Lincoln Sportsman of the Year by Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown, Pennsylvania and was named the 1995 National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year by National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum.

He was a replacement driver for Jac Haudenshild in the Elden Racing # 22 car, competing on the 1996 World of Outlaws tour. He raced in four events including a 3rd place finish in the Amoco Knoxville Nationals make-up feature.

In 1997 he drove the Stauffer's Apple Chevrolet car and won the Jack Gunn Memorial at Williams Grove Speedway.

On July 31, 1998 he won his first World of Outlaws feature at Williams Grove Speedway and won the Kenny Weld Memorial at Lincoln Speedway on Oct. 10, 1998.

In 1999 he won the All Star Circuit of Champions Feature at Volusia Speedway Park, won three races in less than 24 hours (Williams Grove, Lincoln, Port Royal), was the winner of Williams Grove Speedway's "Early-Bird Championship", debuted in the National Sprint Car Pole with a national ranking of 5th, won the Historical Big One at Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio and placed 3rd at the Knoxville Nationals in Knoxsville, Iowa.

Gobrecht died on Saturday, Sept. 24, 1999 at age 30, in a sprint car crash at I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska.

(Photo;photobucket.com)

Bob McLean Born In Australia - September 24, 1933

September 24, 1933 - March 26, 1966

Bob McLean

(Photo; www.thecoralsnake.com)
Born:Australia, Home: Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Bob started his driving career in 1957 with an MGA, racing frequently at his home track, the very new Westwood Racing Circuit in Coquitlam, located close to his hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. By all measures, McLean was well liked and respected on the road racing circuits.

In 1965, McLean set out with his 1.6 litre twin-cam powered Lotus 23B to conquer the Canadian Driving Championships, a venture which would see him travel extensively. By air and by ground he travelled to every national event that year, covering nearly 100,000 kilometres. After a season of dominant performances, he was successful at winning the Championship, a remarkable accomplishment considering the eastern Canadian "establishment" drivers and their bigger and faster cars.

Early in 1966, Bob McLean earned a spot with the Comstock Racing Team, a Canadian endurance-racing team. Sharing the driving with fellow Canadian driver Jean Oulette, they piloted one of the team's two Ford GT40s in the 16th Annual Sebring 12 Hour Grand Prix of Endurance for the Alitalia Cup race at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida, United States of America. This was a showdown battle between Ford and Ferrari. Shortly after McLean took over driving duties in the fourth hour of the race, his Ford GT40 crashed into a utility power pole and exploded into flames, killing McLean.

Bob McLean left behind his wife Kathie and their two young children. McLean's death was a huge blow to the motorsport community. The funeral procession to his final resting place in Burnaby included a line of cars that reportedly stretched out some two miles, a testament to the fact that he was well admired.

McLean was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1993. In more recent years, McLean was featured in a Peter Lipskis documentary entitled King of Westwood.

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Peter Revson Wins Canadian Grand Prix - September 23, 1973

September 23, 1973

(Photo; Laurie Button - Own work)

American Peter Revson wins the "Labatt's Canadian Grand Prix" at Mosport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. This Grand Prix saw the first ever use of a safety car in Formula One. Eppie Wietzes drove a yellow Porsche 914. Wietzes stayed in front of Howden Ganley's Iso-Marlboro car by mistake, which allowed several drivers, including eventual winner Peter Revson, to gain a lap on the field. Also this is the first Grand Prix to have a car with the number 0, as driven by Jody Scheckter.

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Dale Whittington Born In Orlando, Florida - September 23, 1959

September 23, 1959 - June 14, 2003

Dale Whittington

(Photo;pinterest.com)

Born in Orlando, Florida, USA.

He was the youngest of three Whittington brothers. All three are race car drivers and sons of Dick Whittington, a 1950s race car owner.

Despite having little oval experience, Whittington entered the 1982 Indianapolis 500, joining his brothers Bill and Don to become the only trio of siblings to qualify for the same race at Indy. He qualified 23rd, on the eighth row.

On race day, he found himself caught up in the infamous Kevin Cogan crash. During the final pace lap, just before the green flag was to drop on the front stretch, Kevin Cogan struck A. J. Foyt, and then Mario Andretti. As the field checked up to avoid the carnage, Whittington locked his brakes and spun into Roger Mears, a driver in the sixth row. All four drivers were eliminated from the race. Dale was out of the race having never taken the green flag, and never again managed to qualify at Indy.

Whittington avoided prison time in connection with the 1980s IMSA Camel GT drug smuggling scandal which involved his brothers Bill and Don, as well as Randy Lanier, John Paul Sr., and John Paul, Jr. Both of his brothers received prison time.

Whittington transitioned to endurance racing, competing in the ALMS series, as well as competing at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1999 and 2000. He competed in Grand-Am in 2001 often racing with his brother, Don.

During his final years Whittington was working at World Jet, owned by his brother Don, at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. His death came on June 14, 2003. He was found dead by his oldest son, reportedly from a drug overdose.

(Photo;pinterest.com)

Henry Segrave Born In Baltimore, Maryland - September 22, 1896

September 22, 1896 - June 13, 1930

Sir Henry Segrave

(Photo; en.wikipedia.org)
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Henry Segrave was famous for setting three land speed records and the water speed record. He was the first person to hold both the land and water speed records simultaneously. He was the first person to travel at over 200 mph in a land vehicle. The Segrave Trophy was established in 1930 to commemorate his life.

A British national, Segrave was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Ireland and attended Eton College in England. He was commissioned into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1914 and served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps from January 1916. He was wounded twice, in 1915 and 1916. In July 1916 he became a flight commander as a temporary captain. In 1919 he transferred to the Royal Air Force Administrative Branch, but soon resigned his commission due to his wounds. Segrave bragged that he would drive a car at over 200 miles per hour.

In 1921 the 200-Mile Race at Brooklands was organised by the Junior Car Club, the first long-distance race to be run in Britain. The race, a contest for 1,500cc light cars, was won by Segrave in a Talbot-Darracq.

He was the first Briton to win a Grand Prix in a British car. He won the 1923 French Grand Prix and the 1924 San Sebastian Grand Prix at Circuito Lasarte, Spain, in a Sunbeam automobile. After a further win at Miramas in France, he retired from racing to concentrate on speed records.

On 21 March 1926, he set his first land speed record in his 4-litre Sunbeam Tiger Ladybird on the sands at Southport, England at 152.33 mph (245.149 km/h). This record lasted for just over a month, until broken by J.G. Parry-Thomas driving Babs.

He regained the land speed record in 29 March 1927 in his 1000 HP Sunbeam Mystery (also known as 'the Slug') at the Daytona Beach Road Course at 203.79 mph (327.97 km/h), becoming the first person to travel over 200 mph.

Segrave set his final land speed record at 231.45 mph (372.46 km/h) in his new car, the beautiful Golden Arrow, at Daytona Beach on 11 March 1929. This car had only 18.74 miles (30.16 km) on it, which is the least used car to set the record. After being the first person on the scene of Lee Bible's death, Segrave began concentrating on the water speed record. Golden Arrow has never been used since. The Golden Arrow is on display along with the Sunbeam 350 HP and the Sunbeam 1000HP at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

Golden Arrow 3D

(photo credit: wim hoppenbrouwers via phot)

Sunbeam 1000hp 

(photo credit: Dave Hamster via photopin cc)
Segrave was also an avid motorboat racer. After his 1929 land speed record, he immediately went to Miami for a motorboat race against Garfield Wood, multiple water speed record holder and the first man to travel over 100 miles per hour on water. Segrave won, causing Wood's first defeat in nine years. After Segrave returned to Great Britain, he was knighted for his many accomplishments.

A few months after receiving his knighthood, on Friday 13 June 1930, Sir Henry Segrave unknowingly captured the water speed record driving Miss England II on England's largest natural lake, Windermere. In a follow-up run the boat presumably hit a log and capsized, killing Miss England's mechanic, Victor Halliwell. Segrave's unconscious body was recovered, and taken to a hospital. He regained consciousness for a moment, was informed that he had indeed broken the record, then died a few moments later of lung haemorrhages.


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"1931 Indianapolis 500 Winner" Louis Schneider Dies - September 22, 1942

December 19, 1901 - September 22, 1942

Louis Schneider

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
The ex-motorcycle policeman won the race in front of 150,000 fan at an average speed of 96.629 miles per hour. It was his second top 10 finish, as he had a 3rd place finish the year before. Schneider drove in a total of six 500's.

Louis Schneider died on September 22, 1942 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

(photo credit: wplynn via photopin cc)
Borg Warner trophy with Louis Schneider inscription.

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