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Paul Newman's Volkswagen Beetle once rocked the motor racing world

The trim little California car looks ready to drive to the beach or cruise down the Sunset Strip on a Saturday night. But buckle your seatbelt before you get to the asking price — $250,000.

Obviously, this is no ordinary Volkswagen. Indeed, it has an extraordinary history. In car talk circles, it's known as the Newman Bug, the VW that the late Paul Newman had customized into a "sleeper" racecar in the late 1960s.

It's an Indy Bug with a 300-horsepower engine, racing suspension and five-speed gearbox. On the outside, it looks like Herbie the "Love Bug." But try to beat it off the line and it will blow off your door handles.

Newman bought the car in 1963, and later he and the convertible appeared in some magazine advertisements for Volkswagen. In 1969, he asked Jerry Eisert, a renowned Indy Car builder in Costa Mesa, to make some modifications on the car, which included installing a bigger motor.

Eisert took out the backseat and replaced the stock VW motor with a Ford 351-cubic-inch engine — the equivalent of putting a rocket on a kid's red wagon. After Eisert's work was complete, Hollywood gossip had Newman racing the car on Mulholland Drive with some of his industry pals and also competing against all comers at local racetracks. Cool Hand Bug.

Newman's passion for racing blossomed after he made the 1969 film "Winning," and the experience of learning how to drive for that movie turned into a second career. For the next 15 years, he was a successful driver on the Sports Car Club of America circuit and, driving a Porsche, finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979.

Newman once told ESPN, "It actually took me three years of rearranging my schedule before I could find time to get my license and everything. After that, I never did a film between April and September or October. [Racing] was all I did."

In preparation for "Winning," Newman and the film's co-star, Robert Wagner, took lessons at Bob Bondurant's driving school at Riverside Raceway. Soon after, Bondurant moved the school to Ontario Motor Speedway, and it was there one night in 1969 that Newman met Sam Contino, head of the automotive technology department at Chaffey College in Alta Loma.

Contino and his students were testing a car they had built — a Trans-American Sedan Series Camaro — as part of their "race car preparation technology" class, a three-unit course.

According to Contino, that night John DeLorean brought a new 1969 Camaro to the track for Bondurant, and Newman, who was on the speedway's board of directors, was putting a Formula Four open-wheel racer through its paces.

When Newman saw Contino and the students, he introduced himself.

"He looked at our Trans-Am Camaro and asked if he could drive it," Contino, 82, recently recalled. "After he drove it, he said, 'I'd like to show you one of my toys.'"

That's when the Chaffey class first saw the Newman Bug.

Newman told Bondurant that he was thinking of giving up the Volkswagen, but didn't know what to do with it. Bondurant suggested that he donate it to Chaffey's auto tech department.

"He said, 'It's yours if you want it,'" Contino said. "I had gotten some Chaffey jackets from the football team for our students to wear and we gave him a jacket." From then on, Newman was a sponsor of the Chaffey program.

The class added the Newman Bug to its collection of cars, which included a Trans-Am Boss 302 Mustang and two Ramblers that had been part of the James Garner Racing Team. The class turned one of the Ramblers into a Baja car for competition in Mexico road races and the other into a dragster.

They painted the VW the Chaffey school colors, white with red trim, and put on four Keystone chrome rims. Although they prepared the car for racing, it was used mostly as a training aid to show workmanship and construction.

In 1986, Contino retired from teaching at Chaffey and the school presented him the Newman Bug as a retirement gift. Contino and his son, Tom, did a complete restoration of the car in April 2009 and had plans to show it to Newman. But the actor died before the car was finished.

"The car is a tribute to Paul Newman for all that he did for us," Sam Contino said.

The Newman Bug was recently shown at the Long Beach Grand Prix, where it drew sizable crowds. "People look at it from a distance and think it's just a Volkswagen," Contino said, "but then they get closer and see the big Ford motor where the back seat should be, and it blows their minds."

Mostly, though, the car sits in Tom Contino's garage in Hesperia, awaiting a new owner.

"Sometimes I drive it around the block," Tom Contino said, "and my wife will take it out for ice cream."

Sam Contino said he hopes a car collector will buy it. Or, if a museum was interested, "I would be willing to give it up."

Paul Newman Called Elizabeth Taylor 'a Helluva Actress'

Even in the sanitized 1958 MGM version of Tennessee Williams's potent drama in which they costarred, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – with the sultry Newman as the drunkard ex-athlete Brick and an indelible Taylor as his neglected wife, Maggie the Cat – the two sent audiences' pulses racing. But they were more than simply sex symbols. Both proved themselves Academy Award-level actors and world-class humanitarians.

Now, sadly, they are both gone. Newman died at age 83, in 2008, and Taylor, at 79, early Wednesday morning.

Fortunately, their performances remain – as does a tribute Newman paid Taylor on behalf of Turner Classic Movies. (See the video here.)

"What can you say about a legend?" Newman muses at the beginning of the four-minute video love letter. Acknowledging but not dwelling upon her remarkable violent eyes or stunning beauty, Newman instead concentrates on her screen presence, "her volatility, her sense of truth."

"On the screen," he said, "her very presence seemed to radiate charm."

And while "she practically grew up in front of the camera," Newman noted, "her life has not been an easy or a private one, but a series of tribulations, serious illnesses, senseless tragedy and lost love."

Left a widow during the making of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof when the private plane carrying her husband, impresario Mike Todd, crashed in New Mexico, Taylor continued acting as Maggie, finding the work therapeutic. "I was overwhelmed with her professionalism," Newman said.

"One thing for sure: She is not afraid to take chances in front of people. I find a lot of actors who reach the top, they become very protective of themselves, and self-indulgent, but not Elizabeth," added Newman. "I was always staggered by her ferocity."

Echoing a sentiment that was often said about Taylor – who was unstintingly devoted to friends (and costars) Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift and Roddy McDowall – Newman said, "Not only is she a phenomenal actress, but she is also a generous human being and one who cherishes and works at her friendships. She gives her talent and her time unselfishly … She has risen above her pain and troubles to help others overcome theirs."

On Sunday April 10, Turner Classic Movies will present a 24-hour tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, with nine films, including the two for which she won the Best Actress Oscar, 1960's BUtterfield 8 and 1966's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Daughter: Newman liked being on Nixon enemies list

Nell Newman's father died a year ago at age 83. She says he considered himself lucky and wanted to give back, leading to his passion for philanthropy.

His daughter gave a rare glimpse into the actor's life Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. Her company, Newman's Own Organics, is highlighting its partnership with McDonald's Corp., where it sells coffee.

She says her father enjoyed practical jokes and liked turning up on President Nixon's enemies list. She says he also preferred the company of race car mechanics to the Beverly Hills jet set.

Her company and Newman's Own have given $250 million to charities.

Scott Sharp's Paul Newman Memories

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.

"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.

COUPLE OF JUNKYARD JOKES BETWEEN STARS

Julia Roberts Among the Stars for Paul Newman's Charity Fundraiser

Among what they had to say about Newman, who died last year, was:

• "We've done a lot of these galas," Julia Roberts said, after doing a dancing kick line with kids who have attended the camps. "And I've never stood up without my buddy Paul Newman. It seems so much easier to sing and dance and make a fool of yourself when he's right next to you. He encourages fun, more than any person I've ever met. "

• "I went up to the camp and Paul had me eat my first oyster," Jerry Seinfeld said during a sidesplitting stand-up routine. "I had never had an oyster in my life. And he convinced me to eat one. And it was horrible and it was exciting. And I thought, this will be gross and I'll have a story: I had my first oyster with Paul Newman."

• Former President Bill Clinton remembered meeting Newman as a "penniless law student" and then recalled his first visit to the first Hole in the Wall Camp in Connecticut as a "penniless governor" of Arkansas. "I have watched it since then," he said, "expand to "Florida, Ireland – which really touched my heart – France, and soon the Middle East." In fact, there are now camps, available to eligible children free of charge, in all 50 states and in 39 countries around the world, says the organization's Web site.

Harry Connick Jr., who performed "a little New Orleans Boogie Woogie" in Newman's honor, recalled once getting a voicemail from Newman that "changed my whole thing with my wife. I became more eloquent. He was the only guy who could really make you, as a man, feel like total crap. Feel like white trash," Connick Jr. joked, referring to Newman's accomplishments onscreen as well as with his substantial charity work.

Introducing the event on behalf of Newman's wife Joanne Woodward, Robert Redford, Newman's costar in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting, said that "with success comes the pleasure to follow your passion. And Paul had many. Joanne, the girls, the whole family, racing, and salad dressing. I couldn't believe that when I first heard it."

Paul Newman tribute: Doornbos to run with Hole in the Wall camps logo during Indy 500

"I'm honored to have the Hole in the Wall Camps on my race car for the Indy 500," said Doornbos. "The owners decided to run these colors as a tribute to Paul and I am proud to represent such an extraordinary man and the organization he founded to bring happiness to seriously ill children. I met him when I raced against the team in Champ Car and he was one of the first to congratulate me on my win in Mont Tremblant and told me he enjoyed the battle. I know that he was competitive just like me and like everyone at Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and I will try to do my best to make the Hole in the Wall Camps proud on Sunday.”

In addition, NHLR driver Graham Rahal announced on Friday the formation of the Graham Rahal Foundation and the commitment to make the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps the primary beneficiary. For more information on the camps, please visit www.holeinthewallcamps.org.

Newman's secret sex life alleged

Porter interviewed Brando about Newman before the acting great died in 2004 - and he was stunned with what the heavyweight star let slip.

In his book, Paul Newman: The Man Behind The Baby Blues, he quotes Brando as saying, "He never fooled me. Paul Newman had just as many on-location affairs as the rest of us, and he was just as bisexual as I was. But, where I was always getting caught with my pants down, he managed to do it in the dark."

Porter tells America's the Globe he has been tracking Newman's secret sexual encounters since he met the actor in 1959 and alleges in his new book the late star, who was happily married to actress Joanne Woodward for 50 years, bedded icons like Grace Kelly, Judy Garland, Natalie Wood and Marilyn Monroe.

The writer also claims Newman and James Dean had a gay romance.

But the actor's family has dismissed Porter's book, claiming the sex allegations are "disgusting".

A source says, "Paul knew there were rumours out there about his sexuality and to have to face them when he's not here to dispute them is Joanne's worst nightmare."

'Butch & Sundance' top bromance poll

The pair's Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid roles beat Lethal Weapon's Murtaugh and Riggs, portrayed by Danny Glover and Mel Gibson, on RoddysRockinReviews.com's online countdown.

Naming Newman and Redford's portrayals number one, the website claims Butch and Sundance are the "Bromance of Bromances," adding, "When things in their wild world goes awry the two have so much devotion to each other that they face their imminent doom together without even blinking."

Point Break's Bodhi and Johnny Utah, played by Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, Star Trek's Spock and Captain Kirk and Top Gun's Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Iceman (Val Kilmer) also make the new top 10.

We Hear...

NOT SO COOL SIDE OF NEWMAN

The Post's Kyle Smith reports Shawn Levy's new bio, "Paul Newman: A Life," out next month from Harmony Books, portrays the late Oscar-winner as a functioning alcoholic who, wearing a bottle opener on a chain around his neck, put away "beer after beer after beer, a case or more a day," followed by the hard stuff, usually scotch.

Onlookers said Newman was seen "drinking beers on the set, in his office, at parties, during interviews, watching TV, getting ready for TV and relaxing after dinner. Mort Sahl recalled him filling a brandy snifter with ice and scotch and sipping it in a steam room. Newman himself joked about drinking even in bed." Preparing for his role as the sozzled detective in "Harper," Newman bragged, "I just got drunk."

On the set of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," despite his reputation as Hollywood's most faithful husband, Levy relates, Newman had an affair for a year and a half with a journalist who was writing a puff piece on the movie: " 'I finally said to myself, 'I can do better than this,' she remembered. 'I told him, 'You're always drunk, and you can't even make love.' I ended it."

Newman hated when people asked to see his famous blue eyes. He raged, "There's nothing that makes you feel more like a piece of meat. It's like saying to a woman, 'Open your blouse, I want to see your t - - s."

Of the rivalry between Newman and Steve McQueen, who was asked to play the "Sundance Kid," Levy writes: "McQueen was a star, but . . . he felt a kind of rivalry with Newman as a real man who didn't stand for Hollywood cant and gloss. [He] got hung up on the fact that Newman, demonstrably a bigger earner . . . would receive billing over him." When he asked for top billing and Newman said no, McQueen walked -- and the part went to Robert Redford.

Film icon Paul Newman joins Conn. Hall of Fame

Newman died in September at age 83. He was a longtime Westport resident and an Oscar-winning star of stage, television and films.

He also was known as a champion of the underdog. He gave $250 million to charities through his food company and set up camps for severely ill children.

Newman was inducted into Connecticut's Hall of Fame on Thursday. The president of the Newman's Own Foundation received the award on behalf of Newman and his wife, actress Joanne Woodward.

U.S. Congress honors late actor Paul Newman

Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, introduced the resolution honoring Newman on the House floor in Washington. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from the actor's native state of Ohio, was among the House members who spoke about Newman.

"His legendary acting, steely blue eyes, good humor and passion for helping the less fortunate made him one of the most prominent figures in American arts for 40 years," Jordan said.

In a statement, Cohen called him "a talented artist whose craft has been a part of our American tapestry for over 50 years" and a person who "made the world a better place."

Newman, who died at age 83, earned nine Oscar nominations and appeared in more than 50 movies including "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting."

Aside from auto racing and his commitment to quiet family life outside Hollywood's media glare, Newman was also a noted philanthropist who in 1982 co-founded Newman's Own, a food company that has given more than $250 million to charity.

The House resolution's approval came two days after Newman was celebrated at the Academy Awards on Sunday, where a video clip of the actor concluded an annual tribute to entertainers who died the year before.

Stars Pay Tribute to the Legends Who Left Us

After I made Raging Bull, my life and my career were at a low ebb. During that time, I received two unsolicited letters of admiration that meant the world to me. One was from Paul Newman; needless to say, I have always treasured that letter. A few years later, I had a chance to work with him on The Color of Money. He was, as I suspected, a true professional as well as an extremely dedicated artist. I loved him as an actor; I loved him as a man. And I miss him very much. —Martin Scorsese

Paul Newman's Will Revealed

The details of the late Paul Newman's will have been made public, and reveal to whom—and what—the legendary actor chose to bequeath his belongings.

While the lion's share of the charitable man's personal possessions were, as expected, left to his wife Joanne Woodward, Newman opted to leave his three Oscars and various other theatrical awards, including an Emmy, three Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award, among others, to his Newman's Own Foundation.

According to the will, signed by Newman in Connecticut on April 11 of this year, the actor's "tangible personal property," including real estate holdings, musical instruments and works of art were left to Woodward.

The widowed actress will also maintain control of Newman's production companies and his various real estate holdings, including the duo's shared home in Westport, Conn.

The avid driver also instructed that his airplane and race cars be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with proceeds going back to his estate.

Additionally, the ever-generous actor directed that his interest in the Newman-founded Newman's Own and Salad King companies were to be directed back to his Newman's Own Foundation, which would in turn distribute the profits to charity.

Newman died of cancer on Sept. 27. He was 83.

Newman's 18-page last will and testament was first obtained by Radar Online.

Hollywood's A-list turns out for Newman charity

The lineup for a dramatic reading of "The World of Nick Adams" on Monday night at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall already was set when the acting legend died of cancer Sept. 26 at the age of 83. The event benefited The Painted Turtle, a camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, that was started by Newman in 1999.

"We expected Paul to be with us and so this kind of turned into kind of a tribute," said Danny Glover, who joined Jack Nicholson, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Warren Beatty, Sean Penn and other big names in the reading. "This is the first time we are doing this without Paul — there is a void there, without a doubt."

Some 2,500 people attended the star-studded benefit, which began with a video in which Newman discussed his work with the Association of Hole in The Wall Camps, which runs 11 camps around the world including The Painted Turtle.

"What I was trying to do was acknowledge luck," Newman said in the video narrated by Nicholson. "If you acknowledge it, you have to do something about it — something for the less fortunate."

There was no mention of Newman during the scripted 90-minute reading, which are the words of Ernest Hemingway adapted for television by A.E. Hotchner, who started the food company Newman's Own with the actor. But after the performance, children from the camp joined the 17 actors on stage as singer Bonnie Raitt performed "Put a Little Love Into Your Heart," which she dedicated to Newman.

Newman and the Newman's Own brand have given more than $250 million to charity over the years.

Hanks, who starred with Newman in 2002's "Road to Perdition," remembered him Monday as a down-to-earth actor who was always willing to share the screen.

"Paul was a member of the ensemble more than anything else," Hanks said. "He didn't care about the hierarchy, but he was a guy, quite frankly, who should have won the Nobel Peace Prize."

Newman team back in the pits

During Friday’s practice session, the Newman/Haas/Lanigan cars of Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal will feature small decals honoring Newman’s life. They include a logo with “PL,” a nickname by which most of his racing friends knew him, and a reference to him being a “true friend” of racing.

“We have just a few little things on the cars,” general manager Brian Lisles told The Associated Press in an interview in the team compound at the Indy Racing League’s Indy 300 on Thursday. “Paul was a very low-key person. We’ve paid our respects in our own private way, and that’s the way we wanted to do it.”

And the Newman/Haas/Lanigan team, which has won 107 races, 107 pole positions and eight driver titles, will continue for 2009 and beyond—without a name change.

“Purely on the business side, arrangements were made beforehand, that the team name would continue,” Lisles said. “That was talked about by all the partners in the event of any of them no longer being part of the team. Of course, none of us would have it any other way.”

The team was formed when Newman and Carl Haas, competitors in the Can-Am series, began investigating the possibility of entering a team in the old CART series. It was created in 1982, with Mario Andretti as its driver, and Mike Lanigan joined the team at the start of its 25th season in 2007.

“The biggest thing was (Newman) was dedicated to the team,” said team manager John Tzouanakis, who has been with the team since the beginning. “And he could come and be left alone. People were always chasing him, wanting pictures of him, autographs.

“It was his kind of country club, to get away from the hustle-bustle of his life and come to the race track and watch the team perform.”

Newman’s last race was at Milwaukee in June, and Lisles said most on the team knew the prognosis wasn’t good for their longtime friend.

“We were well aware of the situation with Paul,” Lisles said. “He came to see us a few times during the past year, and everybody pretty much knew what was going on and what the end game would be.”

Newman never traveled to Australia with the team, which has six wins, seven poles and 10 podium finishes in 17 years of racing Down Under.

The American Rahal would like to make it seven Sunday, when organizers plan a special video tribute to Newman and a minute’s silence in his honor.

“It’s obviously a different atmosphere not having Paul with us,” Rahal said at a driver breakfast Thursday. “Everybody on the team looked at him as a friend more than a team owner. Certainly he is missed, and we are going to be giving it our all for him this weekend.”

Helping Newman's legacy

It also spurred the Belfords to expand the program. It just so happened that 195 acres of gently rolling hills, lakes, woods, meadows and wetlands was adjacent to their property - the ideal setting for a year-round camp modeled after the Hole in the Wall Camps created by Academy Award-winning actor/IndyCar Series team co-owner Paul Newman.

The idea is becoming reality with Flying Horse Farms scheduled to open in 2010, and it soon will receive a $40,900 donation from IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal - the proceeds from an eBay auction of a Newman movie poster-themed helmet worn by Rahal in the July race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The helmet is signed by Rahal, designer Troy Lee and Newman, who died Sept. 26 at age 83.

"I cannot express how happy I am that the helmet auction raised $40,900 for the Flying Horse Farms," said Rahal, 19, driver of the No. 06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing car. "Paul Newman set such a tremendous example of the impact that can be made by giving back and doing what you can for others. I hope he would have been proud of what I was able to accomplish with the help of Troy Lee and that this will help Flying Horse Farms move one step closer to being able to bring some happiness to future campers."

The non-profit organization is working with the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps to become the Midwest's first Hole in the Wall Camp. The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps is a charitable partner of the Indy Racing League and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Taking its name from the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, in which Newman played a likable outlaw, the original Hole in the Wall Gang Camp opened in 1988 in Ashford, Conn.

"If I have a legacy, it will be the camps," Newman, a native of suburban Cleveland, said.

Flying Horse Farms will serve children from Ohio and surrounding states, creating a fun, safe and supportive camp experience for children as well as providing free support services and retreats for the entire family. Visit Association of Hole in the Wall Camps Web site.

"As we work to build Flying Horse Farms with the inspiration from Paul Newman, we are blessed to have had Graham's foresight to have this tribute helmet designed to benefit the camp," said Mark Bivenour, CEO of Flying Horse Farms. "We are only sorry that Mr. Newman won't be able to see the fruits of this auction, but we know his spirit will be with each camper. And many thanks to the anonymous winning helmet bidder for their generous contribution."

Syracuse Crunch honours Newman by retiring late actor's "Slap Shot" jersey

The Syracuse Crunch announced Tuesday that the team will pay tribute to the late actor by raising a banner before Saturday’s American Hockey League game against the Rochester Americans. The banner will stay there for the entire season.

Crunch president Howard Dolgon says it’s appropriate Newman’s legacy should be recognized and honoured in the arena where parts of the legendary movie were filmed in 1977.

Newman died last month at age 83 after a battle with cancer.

A video tribute to Newman’s role in “Slap Shot” will be shown during the ceremony.

Several Tributes To Atlantic Team Owner Paul Newman at Road Atlanta Season Finale

Every car in the Atlantic field is carrying special decals with Newman's initials, "PLN," and Newman Wachs Racing drivers Jonathan Summerton and Simona De Silvestro have also been wearing "PLN" patches on their firesuits. Prior to this afternoon's season finale, a moment of silence will be observed for Newman, and a special remembrance is also planned for this evening's Awards Banquet at the Chateau Elan Resort & Winery.

"Paul Newman was a racing icon, and we were fortunate to count him as a team owner and friend in the Atlantic Championship," said Atlantic Championship President Vicki O'Connor. "Our hearts obviously go out to Paul's partner, Eddie Wachs, the Newman Wachs Racing team, and all of Paul's many friends and family as they continue to deal with this loss. We hope our tributes will provide some comfort to them."

A long-time racing driver and team owner, as well as an Academy Award-winning actor, Newman joined forces with Wachs to field an Atlantic Championship team for the first time in 2006. Now in its third season of Atlantic competition, the team celebrated its first series victory with De Silvestro in the 2008 season-opener at Long Beach driving the No. 34 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/NEI/Entergy entry. Summerton has since added two wins--at Edmonton and Road America--and will start this afternoon's race from the pole position in the No. 36 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/NEI/Entergy machine. Summerton could bring the team its first Atlantic Championship title, as he enters the race trailing points leader Jonathan Bomarito by just seven points.

Broadway Lights Dim for Paul Newman

The Great White Way will pay tribute to the late acting legend by dimming the lights on the marquees of all Broadway theaters on Friday night at 8 p.m. The venues will remain dark for one minute.

While most acclaimed for his screen work, Newman was no stranger to the boards, making his Broadway debut in 1953 in Picnic, where he met his future wife, Joanne Woodward.

As recently as 2003, Newman received a Tony Award nomination for his role in Our Town, a role that also earned him an Emmy nod after the play aired on television.

"For over half a century Paul Newman has graced our stages and inspired our souls with his brilliant talent," said Charlotte St. Martin, the executive director of the Broadway League.

"After beginning his illustrious career on stage, his love for theater continued throughout his life as demonstrated by the Newman family's support of the renowned Westport Country Playhouse. Off-stage, his tireless devotion to philanthropic work has enhanced many lives and worthwhile causes.

"His presence everywhere will be missed."

John Mayer Pays Tribute to Paul Newman

The singer-songwriter recently took to his blog to explain the game and, more importantly, to honor the late screen legend.

"I used to play this game with my friends where we'd try and figure out who the 'heaviest' legend was in terms of having the clout to bump another superstar from a reservation at a packed restaurant on a Saturday night," Mayer wrote. "It starts to get fun when ... [you're] bickering about whether Robert De Niro bumps Bob Dylan, or Springsteen bumps Bono."

But the game "quickly runs out of steam," he noted, "when you realize that nobody can top Paul Newman."

Mayer, who turns 31 in two weeks, signed off with an emphatic salute to the blue-eyed icon: "Nobody will ever be that cool again."

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