Dick Barbour, a former racing driver and team owner best known for helping actor Paul Newman compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has died. He was 85.
Videos by FanBuzz
Barbour's death was announced this week by members of the motorsports community.
A longtime figure in sports car racing, Barbour enjoyed success both behind the wheel and as a team owner. He competed in major endurance events during the 1970s before building one of the most respected sports car teams in North America.
Barbour is perhaps most closely associated with Newman's memorable appearance at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Newman, then an established Hollywood star and avid amateur racer, joined Barbour's team for the famed endurance race in France. Driving alongside Rolf Stommelen in a Porsche 935, the trio finished second overall, narrowly missing victory in one of the most celebrated performances of Newman's racing career.
Barbour later found additional success as a team owner in IMSA competition. His organization captured the 1980 IMSA GT championship with driver John Fitzpatrick and earned victories in some of sports car racing's most prestigious events, including the 12 Hours of Sebring.
After stepping away from the sport for nearly two decades, Barbour returned in 2000 and once again built a competitive operation. Dick Barbour Racing won championships and races in the American Le Mans Series while continuing a long relationship with Porsche.
Before becoming a team owner, Barbour raced Porsche sports cars throughout the United States and competed multiple times at Le Mans, recording several class victories and top-five overall finishes.
