Many know Paul Newman as an actor and charitable food entrepreneur, but he was also a racer. After starring as Frank Capua in the 1969 film Winning, Newman launched his own racing career at the age of 47. Newman found himself behind the wheel for another 35 years, and grew from a self-described “slow study” to a winner at Le Mans, the SCCA National Championships, and the Trans Am pro races, to name a few of his accolades.
The movie Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman explores the man’s late-in-life passion for cars, drawing from the book by Matt Stone and Preston Lerner, first published by Motorbooks in 2009. Directed by Adam Carolla and Nate Adams, the biopic combines Newman’s love for art and sport, honoring his passion for cars in a full-length documentary.
The film includes sports footage and interviews with influential people such as Joanne Woodward and Robert Redford. Clips of crashes show the danger of the game, which Newman faced up until age 82, but a year before his death, while talks with fellow actors and racers show his spirit, committing everyone’s trackside victories and misadventures to celluloid memory.
