Paul Goldsmith

Paul Edward Goldsmith (born October 2, 1925) is a retired American racing driver.

During his career he raced motorcycles, stock cars, and Indianapolis cars, achieving success in each discipline.

Goldsmith would run the remainder of the event unchallenged, setting a new record time of 94.45 MPH. His victory was Harley-Davidson's first at the event since 1940.

His racing career began by accident in 1946, while spectating an event at Partington Pastures in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

A lower number of riders appeared than had been expected, and Goldsmith was invited to participate, finishing third.

He soon began competing locally every weekend.

Goldsmith would race Harley-Davidsons throughout his cycling career, possibly inspired by Leo Anthony, a Michigan-born rider at the peak of his career in 1946.

During 1947, Goldsmith earned the backing of leading Detroit Harley-Davidson dealer Earl Robinson.

Teaming up with Robinson’s chief mechanic, Boots Carnegie, Goldsmith campaigned throughout the county fair circuit of the Midwest.

By 1948, Goldsmith had achieved Expert rating from the AMA.

In March of that year, he competed in his first Daytona 200, finishing in 5th position.

In 1950, Goldsmith increasingly ran among the leaders.

His first Class C podium came at Strawberry Hill Raceway, near Richmond, Virginia, where he finished third in a 10-mile race.

During the year, Goldsmith scored two further podiums - third place in a 20-mile event at Bay Meadows, in San Mateo, California; and third in a 5-mile national at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

During the 1951 season, Goldsmith repeated his performance at Strawberry Hill.

He later finished second at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, the best finish of his career up until then.

Goldsmith scored his third and final podium of the season in an 8-mile national at Williams Grove Speedway, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

He co-owned a service-station in Royal Oak, Michigan, until 1952.

Goldsmith began riding motorcycles soon after the end of the Second World War.

In 1952, Goldsmith competed until midway though the season before scoring his first podium of the year, a third place in the Class C National Championship event, a 25-mile race held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.The following week, Goldsmith scored the first victory of his career, at the Milwaukee Mile, close to the headquarters of Harley-Davidson.

In the 15-mile event, extended four extra laps due to a caution, Goldsmith beat Ernie Beckman to the flag.

Two weeks later, he finished second in a 5-mile event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

During the season Goldsmith began competing directly for Harley-Davidson.

Offered the new KR model, he disliked the handling, and continued competing on an older WR, while working on the handling and tuning of the KR model in order to bring it up to speed.

Earlier in his career, he was a successful motorcycle racer within the AMA circuit, capturing the Daytona 200 for Harley-Davidson in 1953.

For the opening race of the 1953 season, the Daytona 200 on the Daytona Beach road course, Goldsmith entered riding the newly-developed Harley-Davidson KR-TT road-racing variant of the KR model introduced the season before.

While in Daytona Beach, he would work on his cycles at the race shop owned by famed local racer Marshall Teague.

It was on one such occasion that Goldsmith first met and began consulting famed local mechanic Henry "Smokey" Yunick, going on to impress him with his racing style and work ethic.

Goldsmith prepared diligently for the event, fine-tuning his engine, and testing repeatedly on local roads.

On March 14, starting in the second row, Goldsmith took the lead heading into the North Turn, before being passed by John Hicks on the back stretch.

By the ninth lap, Goldsmith had settled into third place, behind the Triumphs of Hicks, and Ed Kretz.

For the duration of the event, Goldsmith would adhere to a remarkably consistent pace; his lap times for the duration of the 48-lap event on the 4.1 mile course varied by less than three seconds of one another.

On the tenth lap, a serious accident occurred, which bunched up the field, allowing Kretz and Goldsmith to pass Hicks.

On lap 21, shortly before the midpoint of the race, Goldsmith passed Kretz for the lead heading into the north turn.

In 1958, driving a Pontiac for Smokey Yunick, Goldsmith won the final NASCAR stock car race on the Daytona Beach road course.

Goldsmith is currently the oldest living veteran of the Indianapolis 500; he and A. J. Foyt are the only living competitors from the 1958 Indianapolis 500.

Born in West Virginia, Goldsmith relocated to Detroit, Michigan, with his family at an early age.

During the Second World War, Goldsmith served in the Merchant Marine.

After the war, he worked full-time at a Chrysler plant in Detroit.

Goldsmith won the USAC Stock Car national championship in 1961 and 1962, driving a Pontiac for Ray Nichels.