Paul Goldsmith

Paul Goldsmith (2 October 1925 - 6 September 2024) was an American racing driver who competed across multiple motorsport disciplines including motorcycle racing, NASCAR stock car racing, and Indianapolis 500 competition, achieving the remarkable distinction of winning on the Daytona Beach road course in both motorcycles and cars, winning three AMA motorcycle championships (1952, 1953, 1954), nine NASCAR races, and two USAC Stock Car championships (1961, 1962), while also competing in six consecutive Indianapolis 500 races between 1958-1963 with a best finish of third place in 1960, and because the Indianapolis 500 counted toward the Formula One World Championship from 1950-1960, he is officially credited with three Formula One starts, one podium, and six championship points despite never driving a Grand Prix car or competing on a European circuit.

Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, on 2 October 1925, Goldsmith relocated with his family to Detroit, Michigan, at an early age, growing up in the Motor City during the Depression and World War II, and after serving in the Merchant Marine during the Second World War, he returned to Detroit and began working at a Chrysler factory while pursuing his passion for motorcycle racing. Goldsmith began racing motorcycles as a teenager after World War II ended, and despite working full-time at Chrysler, he competed at the highest levels of American Motorcyclist Association racing, jumping immediately to expert status and riding Harley-Davidson machines prepared to the highest standards, and his talent was so obvious that he became AMA Grand National Champion three consecutive years in 1952, 1953, and 1954, establishing himself as one of America's premier motorcycle racers.

In 1953, Goldsmith won the Daytona 200 motorcycle race on the old beach-and-road course that combined hard-packed beach sand with paved public roads, riding a Harley-Davidson prepared by legendary engine builder and tuner Smokey Yunick, and this victory at America's most prestigious motorcycle race cemented his reputation as one of the country's fastest and most versatile racers. While still competing in motorcycle racing, Goldsmith began trying stock car racing, winning a 250-mile race in 1953 at the Detroit Fairgrounds, and he gradually transitioned from motorcycles to cars, making his final motorcycle start in 1956 and earning his first NASCAR Grand National (now Cup Series) victory that same year in a 300-mile race at Langhorne Speedway driving for Smokey Yunick's team.

In 1958, Goldsmith achieved a unique distinction by winning the final NASCAR Grand National race ever held on the Daytona Beach road course before NASCAR moved to the new Daytona International Speedway, and this victory made him the only competitor in history to win on the beach course in both a car and on a motorcycle, a record that can never be broken since racing no longer occurs on the beach. Goldsmith made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1958 as a rookie, but his first appearance at the Brickyard was marred by tragedy when he was caught in the horrific multi-car accident on the first lap that claimed the life of Pat O'Connor, and Goldsmith completed zero laps, a traumatic introduction to America's greatest race.

He returned to Indianapolis in 1959 and finished fifth, a strong result that demonstrated he had mastered oval racing at the highest level, and in 1960 he achieved his best Indianapolis 500 finish with third place driving the number 99 Demler Epperly car powered by an Offenhauser engine, earning him significant prize money and establishing him as one of America's elite Championship Car drivers. Goldsmith continued competing at Indianapolis through 1963, making six consecutive 500 starts, though he never matched his 1960 third-place finish, and his 1958, 1959, and 1960 Indianapolis appearances counted as Formula One World Championship races according to FIA regulations, giving him three official Formula One starts, one podium (his 1960 third place), and six championship points despite having no connection to European Grand Prix racing.

Beyond Indianapolis, Goldsmith dominated USAC Stock Car racing in partnership with ace mechanic Ray Nichels, winning the USAC Stock Car championship in both 1961 and 1962, finishing second in 1960 and 1965, and winning 26 USAC Stock Car races in just 85 starts with 44 top-three finishes, establishing himself as the premier driver in American stock car racing outside NASCAR. In NASCAR, Goldsmith won nine races and earned 59 top-ten finishes across 127 starts, with his final NASCAR victory coming in 1966 at Bristol Motor Speedway, demonstrating longevity and competitiveness across two decades of stock car racing. Despite only six race starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Goldsmith turned thousands of laps at the Racing Capital of the World as Firestone's chief test driver, using his technical knowledge and smooth driving style to develop tires that would be raced by other drivers, and this testing work demonstrated that his value to motorsport extended beyond his own competitive achievements.

After retiring from active competition, Goldsmith was inducted into multiple halls of fame recognizing his extraordinary achievements across different motorsport disciplines: the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2008, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 2016, cementing his legacy as one of American motorsport's most versatile and successful competitors. Paul Goldsmith died on 6 September 2024 in Munster, Indiana, at age 98, making him the oldest living Indianapolis 500 starter at the time of his death, and his passing marked the end of an era, as he represented the generation of American racers who competed across multiple disciplines before specialization became the norm, and who raced for the love of competition rather than the enormous financial rewards that characterize modern motorsport.

Paul Goldsmith's Formula One statistics—three starts, one podium, six points—are utterly meaningless in understanding his significance, as these were American oval races that had nothing to do with European Grand Prix racing, but his real legacy was as a three-time AMA motorcycle champion, nine-time NASCAR winner, two-time USAC Stock Car champion, Indianapolis 500 podium finisher, and the only driver ever to win on the Daytona beach course in both a car and on a motorcycle, making him one of the most versatile and accomplished American racing drivers in history whose career encompassed virtually every form of American motorsport across more than two decades of competition.