Actor/race car driver/philanthropist Paul Newman and racing entrepreneur Carl Haas, who had been competing against each other in the Can-Am Series, began discussing the possibility of joining forces and forming an Indy car team to compete in the CART-sanctioned PPG Indy Car World Series in the fall of 1982.
Since their first season of competition in 1983 the team has earned eight titles, 109 poles and 107 race wins making them one of the most successful open-wheel teams in existance. The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season will mark their 29th in open-wheel racing.