Very cool!
Paul Newman was a great guy and an amazingly dedicated man. When he started racing he was pretty slow but by the time he retired he was very quick and competitive. He truly dedicated himself to the sport and became a very competitive driver.
I will be traveling down to New Zealand in a little over one week to meet up with my Dad (Steve Millen) to celebrate his birthday as well! Steve Millen was NISSAN's #1 factory driver in the IMSA 300ZX for 5 years. He retired in 1995 after a career ending wreck at Road Atlanta. However, he still holds the record for most pole positions and remains the winningest driver in IMSA history!
NISSAN and Steve Millen won quite a few races and championships together:
1989 Joined Nissan with inaugural IMSA GTO Team driving 300ZX
1st – Road America Raceway (Elkhart Lake, WI) – IMSA GTO
Competed in IMSA GTO Series for Factory Nissan Team – 13 Races including four 3rd place finishes, one pole and one win
Qualifying lap records at Topeka, Kansas and Road America Raceway (Elkhart Lake, WI)
1st – Truck Division at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with a time of 13:30:13
Pikes Peak Hill Climb “Rookie of the Year” in a Nissan Hardbody pick up
1990 24 Hours of Le Mans Rookie of the Year & 17th overall Piloting Nissan R90CK Prototype – captured lap record at 3:40:03 at 138.208 mph average
Won three GTS races – Miami, Mosport, Elkhart Lake
Record qualifying laps, Mosport & Lime Rock
Captured five GTS pole positions – Miami, Mosport, Portland, Lime Rock, Del Mar
1991 Earned seven poles in Exxon GTS Series – Sebring, Miami, Mosport, New Orleans, Portland, Road America, Watkins Glen
Scored four wins in Exxon GTS Series – Long Beach Road America, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock
Record race laps at Road Atlanta & Lime Rock
1992 Crowned IMSA Exxon Supreme GTS Drivers Champion
Earned four poles in Exxon GTS Series – Daytona, Miami, Laguna Seca, Road America
Scored four wins in Exxon GTS Series – Miami, Mid Ohio, New Orleans, Lime Rock
Record qualifying laps at Miami & Road America
Record race laps at Miami, Mosport, Mid Ohio & Portland
1st GTS Manufacturers Championship for Nissan
Won 2 IMSA races at Fuji Speedway, Japan
1993 1st Sebring 12 Hour Race achieving 15th career GTS win
Record qualifying lap at Miami
Finished second at Miami, third at Daytona & fifth at Mid-Ohio before being sidlined for the remainder of the season due to serious injuries sustained at Watkins Glen on June 26th
1994 Exxon Supreme Series GTS Drivers Champion
Led Nissan to Exxon Series GTS Manufacturers Championship
Scored four wins including two solo wins at Road Atlanta & Portland
1st 24 Hours of Daytona
1st 12 Hours of Sebring
1st in class at 24 Hours of Le Mans, 5th overall
Earned Pole Positions at Daytona, Sebring & Portland
Record race laps at Atlanta & Mosport
Voted to First Team AARWBA All-American Team
2nd at IMSA Race in Autopolis, Japan
1995 Debuted new V8 Engine in GTS 300ZX car at Daytona
1st 12 Hours of Sebring
Invited to compete in the prestigious International Race of Champions (IROC) Series – raced at Daytona, Darlington & Talladega Super Speedways – missed Michigan event due to Road Atlanta accident
A career-ending accident occurredApril 30th while running 2nd at Road Atlanta & leading the GTS Championship
Became the winningest driver in IMSA GTS history with 20 career wins
Attained record for most pole positions in IMSA GTS history with 23
http://speedhunters.com/archive/2008...the-300zx.aspx
