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Lesson #3: Take Your Foot Off the Brakes and Drive!

Article Overview: Newman’s first law: “It’s useless to put on your brakes when you’re upside down.”

Lesson #3: Take Your Foot Off the Brakes and Drive!

Newman’s first law: “It’s useless to put on your brakes when you’re upside down.”

In 1968, Newman played a racecar driver named Frank Capua in the film “Winning.” Trained to drive by the best of the best, Newman was quickly hooked on the sport, and soon began racing professionally – a hobby that would last for the rest of his life. He ran the 24 hours of Le Mans, and at the age of 70 became the oldest driver to be part of a winning team of a major sanctioned race – the 24 Hours of Daytona. Today, Newman fulfills his love of the motor sport through the Newman/Haas racing team he co-founded.

“In racing, the fastest person wins,” says Newman. “It is very simple.” However, Newman’s love of all things fast and furious is not just limited to the racetrack. Off the track, Newman has approached both his films and his business with full force. Whether it was refusing to listen to market research for his products, or speaking out about social causes, Newman has listened to his gut instincts and proceeded full speed ahead. It is that combination of stubbornness and determination that helped propel him to the front of the race.

“If you don’t have enemies, you don’t have character,” Newman once said. If that is true, Newman’s character must have been off the charts seeing as he once had one of the most powerful men in the world as his enemy. At number 19, Newman was placed on Richard Nixon’s Top 20 Enemies List for his outspoken views on what Nixon considered his radical liberal views. The List was meant to “screw” Nixon’s political enemies by creating problems for them through such means as tax audits by the IRS. However, in typical Newman style, he saw this as a mark of distinction. “Being on President Nixon’s enemies list was the highest single honour I’ve ever received,” he says. “Who knows who’s listening to me now and what government list I’m on?”

Newman took pride in the fact that he was outspoken on everything from gay rights to the organic food industry, and that he stood up for what he thought was right. It was that boldness that allowed Newman to make movies that often challenged people’s views, and to donate all of his corporate profits to charity when everyone was telling him he was crazy. Newman was determined to have fun and to do things on his own terms, never mind who was telling him to do otherwise – even if it was the President of the United States.

“Running at the limit is just kind of average,” says Newman. “You are always trying to go as fast as you can go.” These days, Newman shows no sign of slowing down. He is still approaching his business and his life with the same high energy he had in his youth. “I keep trying to retire from everything and I’ve discovered that I’ve retired from absolutely nothing,” he says. “I’m like a good cheese. I’m just getting moldy enough to be interesting.”

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Article Tags: 24 hours of daytona, 24 hours of le mans, capua, full force, full speed, gut instincts, irs, liberal views, mark of distinction, motor sport, newman haas racing, number 19, organic food, outspoken views, political enemies, racecar driver, racetrack, stubbornness, tax audits, winning team



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