Let's show vintage racing pictures. I'll start.

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Not sure of the decade but I would guess '80's?

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I found this the other day.

http://www.toadhallcars.com/HowThisGotStarted.asp

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I found this the other day.

http://www.toadhallcars.com/HowThisGotStarted.asp

This might even be different evolutions of the same car. Bill Putman? He would be about 70 now... Quite a collection!

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Moved

Edited March 26, 2011 by black gold man

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Paul Newman at Race Track Pits

Original caption: 6/22/1984-Detroit, Michigan- Actor/race car driver Paul Newman pushes his car into the pits as he prepares to practice for the Trans-Am 100 race 6/22, a support race for the Detroit Grand Prix. Newman is in 9th place in the standings driving a Datsun 280ZX Turbo.

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Scott Sharp’s Paul Newman Memories

Scott Sharp has fond memories of Lime Rock Park, and rightfully so, as the Norwalk, Conn.-native literally grew up at the historic Northeast circuit. Watching his Dad’s Bob Sharp Racing team compete in SCCA national events as a youngster, Sharp got the racing bug early in life.

Paul Newman's 1979 Datsun 280ZX. (LAT)

At 17, Sharp began taking part in Tuesday test sessions at Lime Rock in his Dad’s SCCA national championship-winning Datsun 240Z. And once Scott began competing in races the following year, it didn’t take long for him to reach success.

“It actually sat in our basement for years,” Sharp said of the 240Z, which at the time was 17 years old. “I used to hang around it all the time, opening the doors, and showing it off to my friends. Then, my Dad’s team did a little bit of an update to it, and I started driving it. The first year driving it, I won my first SCCA national championship.”

Sharp’s maiden title in 1986 was his first of three consecutive national championships, in the midst of the glory years of SCCA GT1 and GT2 competition. While Scott was working up the ladder, he not only looked up to his Dad, but also to a Hollywood legend who also was a quick shoe on the track.

Paul Newman began racing for BSR in the late ‘70s and was a fixture with the team for over a decade. In fact, Bob Sharp Racing became known as Newman Sharp Racing in the ‘80s, when the young Sharp was racking up the wins and national championships.

“I still have a lot of great memories of Paul,” Scott said. “The guy was so personable and a lot of fun to be with. He always had a fun time no matter what he did. If you were with him you of course had a good time as well.”

Sharp and Newman drove together as teammates in Trans-Am in 1989 and 1990 and also raced a handful of times in GT1 and GT2 competition. But most of Sharp’s memories of Newman came right at their home track at Lime Rock, putting around during open test sessions.

“I remember one time we were up there in a regular production Nissan with a roll-cage in it with thin little shaved tires,” Scott explained. “We were out, and it was raining! We were trying to get tuned up for the end-of-year Runoffs at Road Atlanta. Paul said, ‘Hey let’s go take this car out.’ It then started pouring.

“I went out and came down the hill and did three 360’ spins. I ran off into the mud, luckily didn’t hit the wall and had enough of it. I pulled into the pits and Paul decided to take it out.

Paul Newman competed in a variety of different racing series, but enjoyed most of his success in SCCA with Bob Sharp Racing. (LAT)

“So he gets in and I’m in the passenger seat, and he’s just hauling. I’m like, ‘wow!’ We went down the back straightaway and he just blows by the braking point that I had. All of a sudden, the car doesn’t turn, then boom! He pancakes the thing.

“Laughing our butts off, we drive back to the pits with a totaled car. He was just laughing as he gave the key back to my Dad. We were all standing there stunned, but Paul was just having a good time. That was a great memory.”

Newman, who earned four national titles over the span of a decade, helped mentor drivers like Scott, who were at the time just getting into the sport. He provided a lot of advice, mainly since he had raced many of the cars before, such as the 240Z and 280Z.

“One thing about Paul is that he was a very smooth driver,” Scott said. “To think that he didn’t start racing until he was 42 or 43 years old is amazing. As quick as he got, particularly when he was in his 60’s, was pretty amazing. If he could have backed that up 20 years, he could have gone very, very far in racing.”

Like the Sharp family, Lime Rock Park was Newman’s home track, and his memories will live on for generations to come.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-lime-rock-friday-notebook/

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Another picture of our fallen hero...

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I found this one today. I don't know what all that stuff is strapped to the back though...

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This is Camel GT vintage judging by the graphic and the vehicles parked along the fence line...

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Another Newman BSR-ZX shot...

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Still another Newman BSRZX shot...

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Devendorf...