Newman/Haas Racing

Lore & Background

The partnership that became Newman/Haas Racing grew out of Paul Newman's decades-long relationship with Al Haas, who had run a NASCAR outfit in the 1970s. Newman, already a two-time F1 champion and by then a household name from films like The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, wanted a genuine competitive open-wheel program. Haas brought the operational backbone; Newman brought the name, the passion, and the willingness to pour personal resources into the garage. Together they built a team that was never the biggest budget on the grid but was consistently in the fight. Mario Andretti's 1992 Indianapolis 500 win remains one of the most emotional victories in the race's history, a 47-year-old legend delivering for the team he called home. Through the split into IRL in 2008, Newman/Haas fielded a young, fast crew including Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti, and Scott Dixon, keeping the Newman name prominent on the speedway grid even as the sport's landscape shifted. Paul Newman's passing in 2008 cast a long shadow over the operation. Al Haas continued to steward the team through its final seasons, and in 2010 the Newman/Haas Racing name and assets were folded into Andretti Autosport. The garage in Long Beach and the red-and-white paint scheme became part of the sport's shared memory — a reminder that the most memorable teams are often the ones built on friendship, stubbornness, and a refusal to quit.

In Their Own Story

The garage smelled of brake fluid and old coffee. Mario leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the crew swap the front wing endplate. He didn't need to tell them to hurry. He never did. Al Haas walked in with a thermos, set it on the toolbox, and said nothing for a long moment. Then: "You good, Mario?" Mario nodded. "Good. Then we go get it." The red-and-white car slid out of the bay into the Long Beach afternoon light, and somewhere in the stands, a kid in a Newman cap looked up and knew, without being told, that this team was different. It always was.

Reader's Guide

If you grew up watching CART on a Saturday afternoon, the red-and-white Newman/Haas car was the one you pointed at. Not the biggest budget, not the factory-backed machine — but the one that felt alive. Al Haas, a NASCAR veteran from the '70s, and Paul Newman, the F1 champion who became the world's most famous actor, built this team on a handshake and a shared stubbornness. The garage culture was small, loud, and fiercely loyal. Mechanics knew their names. Drivers knew their names. There was no corporate layer between the driver and the wrench. The identity was simple: red body, white stripes, the number 2 or 5 on the nose. You could spot them from the backstretch. Mario Andretti's 1992 Indy 500 win is the crown jewel — a 47-year-old legend, in a Newman/Haas car, leading the last lap at the Brickyard. That's the memory that lives in the garage forever. By the IRL era, the team was a different shape but the same spirit. Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon — young, fast, hungry. The garage still ran on Haas's quiet authority and the memory of Newman's voice on the radio. When it all folded into Andretti Autosport in 2010, the name went quiet. But the livery, the number, the smell of that Long Beach garage — that's yours. It's always been yours.

Did You Know?

• Paul Newman's racing number was 2, and the team's cars carried that number as a permanent tribute to his F1 and sports-car career.
• Al Haas had previously run a NASCAR team in the 1970s before turning his attention to open-wheel racing with Newman.
• Mario Andretti was 47 years old when he won the 1992 Indianapolis 500 for Newman/Haas, making it one of the most celebrated victories in the race's history.
• The team's Long Beach, California garage became a pilgrimage site for fans, and its red-and-white livery is still referenced in modern IndyCar paint schemes as a nod to the era.