Paul Newman, 1925- 2008

“Paul Newman—a real American hero, an inspiration to me in much that I have attempted in my adult life. Not so much for the parts he played, but for the man that he was. He was one of Hollywood’s greatest. He could not only talk the talk on film but, more importantly, could walk the walk as a private citizen.”—NASCAR team owner Jack Roush.


“I have come to know his passion, humor and above all, his generosity. Not just economic generosity, but generosity of spirit. His support of the team’s drivers, crew and the racing industry is legendary. His pure joy at winning a pole position or winning a race exemplified the spirit he brought to his life and to all those that knew him. We will truly miss him.”—Carl Haas, co-owner of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.

“Most of us knew him as Butch or Fast Eddie from the theater or from our living rooms at home. He was much more than a great actor. … Paul was a man of character who cared about the world and the people who lived in it. Putting a smile on a young person’s face and helping people in need was a virtue he excelled at.”—Michael Lanigan, co-owner of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.


“He was just a great guy and truly loved everything about racing. He and I shared a true passion for motorsports in general, but specifically IndyCar racing. … Paul was one of a kind.”—IndyCar team owner and former driver Michael Andretti.


“We connected as racers, but Paul’s ideas of what we should do for charity is what really resonated with me the most. He set the bar, not only with his giving, but in how he gave. … Paul did it right, and he did it with class. He’ll be terribly missed.”—NASCAR driver Tony Stewart.


“He was dedicated to giving back to those less fortunate, and with each child we see, we honor his spirit and vision. Undoubtedly he has touched millions of lives.”—NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and co-founder of the Victory Junction Gang Camp, modeled after Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang camps.


“He has been a great friend to Hendrick Motorsports. Rick (Hendrick) has a play day and puts a restrictor plate on the car and lets guys go out and drive around with half the horsepower. Numerous times, Paul has gone out on sticker tires, the plate off and run really quick laps. I was always so impressed with his driving ability and who he was as a person.”—NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson.


“To all his fans worldwide and those close to him in our racing community, we share a deep sense of loss, but cherish the many fond memories we will forever carry with us.”—Tony George, chief executive officer of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the founder of the Indy Racing League.

“I had the pleasure of driving for Mr. Newman in 1981 and I was richer for the experience. He was a man of class and he was also deservedly very highly regarded for his driving skills. The world is a poorer place today for his passing.”—Bobby Rahal, IndyCar team owner and former driver.


“He was a real racer and a great person.”—NASCAR driver and former open-wheel driver A.J. Allmendinger.

General Motors' Electric Dreams

Amid the glamour and fanfare of its 100^th anniversary, General Motors unveiled the new Chevrolet Volt to the public at the GM Renaissance building in downtown Detroit. Although the look is a far cry from the futuristic concept that GM unveiled to the public in 2007, the electric powered Volt is being hailed as its “moon shot’ in the green and fuel- efficient automobile category.

Company executives proclaimed that it is the car of the future for the giant American car maker and its attempt to show the world that General Motors, a producer of monster vehicles and rugged gas- guzzlers is also capable of producing a compact and fuel efficient car.

Here’s what Robert Snell of the Detroit News has to say about the new car that will begin production in 2010 and will start showing up in various show rooms all over the United States by 2011--

The Volt will operate like a plug-in hybrid;

it will be rechargeable via a standard 110-volt outlet and able to travel up to 40 miles on electric power alone. The car also will have a gas engine that powers a generator to recharge the battery and keep the vehicle running when its lithium-ion battery pack runs low on power.

The vehicle could cost as much as $40,000 because of its expensive batteries, and Congress is considering tax breaks for plug-in vehicles that would defray the purchase cost of the Volt.

Now, whether they will remain a leader in this field in two years time remains to be seen.

I am sure that the Japanese carmakers will not back down on the challenge that their American counterpart has hurled on this side of Motown.

I’m sure Toyota and Honda are cooking up something and will come up with their own versions of the electric car in the near future.

Whatever the outcome, I am sure that the buying public will surely benefit from it. In the end, it will be good for us and the planet to be less dependent on the big oil.

Amir Khan, Gone!

Amir Khan, the celebrated and much- hyped boxer coming out of England in recent years was knocked out by the unheralded Breidis Prescott of Colombia in just 54 seconds of the first round.

The 21- year old British darling was exposed by the heavy- hitting Prescott as nothing but a mere pretender and a clown in the mold of his predecessor and another British media darling Prince Naseem Hamed who were given a succession of patsies just to pad their records. Thus, their bloated exploits in the square ring were
washed away on the quayside when faced with quality oppositions.

Thus, Khan’s dream and that of British boxing of lording it over the boxing world turned into a nightmare just like what happened to Hamed when Marco Antonio Barrera pummeled him to submission years ago.





Here's the original clown in his fight against Barrera--