Jan 29, 2005 - Big screen legend Paul Newman is celebrating his 80th birthday in style. The Oscar-winning actor will be behind the wheel of a race car sponsored by Disney and Pixar on February 4th at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Newman's association with Pixar comes from lending his voice to the character of Doc Hudson, a 1951 Hudson Hornet, in Pixar's animated movie Cars which hits theaters in 2006.
In a press release announcing the race, Newman said, "We all like to push the envelope. I just hope the old bones can motor along Fed Ex and not Delayed Delivery. Fortunately, I'll be with a champion bunch of shoes and good race car courtesy of John Lasseter of Pixar and Disney."
Pixar's John Lasseter (the director of Cars) added, "When Paul races next week at Daytona, I’ll be there cheering him on along with a few others from the Cars production team. It’s been a thrill working with him on our movie, and getting a chance to discuss our mutual love of cars. Moviegoers are going to love hearing Paul’s amazing performance as Doc Hudson in Cars, and we’re really honored to have him in our cast."
Source: Walt Disney Pictures
