John Paul Sr. (racing driver)

John Lee Paul Sr.
Nationality	American
Born	Hans-Johan Paul (1939-03-12) March 12, 1939 (age 82) (if still alive, disappeared in 2001) Netherlands
Championships	1980 World Challenge for Endurance Drivers Champion 1979 Trans-Am Cat.2 Champion

John Lee Paul (born Hans-Johan Paul^{[needs Dutch IPA]}, March 12, 1939) is an American racing driver, convicted felon and fugitive. After his racing career, which saw him win both U.S. classic endurance races, 24 hours at Daytona and 12 hours of Sebring, he served a 15-year prison sentence for a variety of crimes including drug trafficking and shooting a Federal witness. In 2001 he disappeared on his boat while being sought for questioning by officials regarding the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. As of 2021, Paul's status is unknown. He is sometimes known in the motorsport scene as John Paul Sr. or John Paul.

Before racing[]

Paul emigrated to the United States from The Netherlands in 1956 with his family, settling in Muncie, Indiana and legally changing his name to John Lee Paul.^[1] He attended Ball State University and then received a scholarship to Harvard University, where he received a master's degree in business.^[2] He became a successful mutual fund manager, and a millionaire.^[1] In 1960, his wife Joyce gave birth to a son, John Jr., who went on to become a successful driver on his father's team, but also served prison time for joining in some of his father's numerous criminal activities.^[3][4]

Racing career[]

Paul started club-level sportscar road racing in the late 1960s, winning the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Northeast Regional Championship in 1968.^[1] When his wife and son left him in 1972, Paul left racing for a while, living on a sailboat he had purchased. He resumed racing in 1975 – now with his son, who had chosen to return to him, as a part-time member of his crew. He appeared at 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans for the Dick Barbour Racing team, taking a class win in IMSA GTX class – partnered by fellow American, Dick Barbour, and English driver, Brian Redman – in his first attempt at the French classic.^[5] This followed his class win in the 12 Hours of Sebring earlier that season.^[6]

In 1979, Paul won the Trans-Am Series race at Mosport by a margin of 33 seconds.^[7] He would win a total of six races, en route to winning the Trans-Am title. He had already won the World Challenge for Endurance Drivers title the season before.^[8] In 1980, Paul began teaming with his son, and on May 26 Paul remarried to Chalice Alford,^[9] holding the ceremony on the infield at Lime Rock Park.^[10] Later in the day he teamed with his son to win the day's race, the Coca-Cola 400, making them the first father-son duo to win an IMSA Camel GT race. It was the first IMSA GT race Paul Jr. had ever entered.^[10][11]

Father and son paired up again to win the Road America Pabst 500.^[12][13] Paul Sr. finished second in the IMSA GT series. In 1980 he won the World Challenge for Endurance Drivers by just four points over British driver John Fitzpatrick. He competed mainly in his specially modified Porsche 935s prepared by his own team, JLP Racing, operating out of Lawrenceville, Georgia.^[11]

In 1982, Paul Sr., teamed up with his son to win the 12 Hours of Sebring and, with third driver Rolf Stommelen, the 24 Hours of Daytona, running a race record (as of 2016) 2,760.960 mi (4,443.334 km). Together, the Pauls won three races. As a solo driver, Junior won another four, all in JLP Racing-prepared Porsche or Lola-Chevrolet T600. 1982 would be Paul Sr.'s last year as a driver. Lack of a major sponsor, even with the team's success, meant expenses overcame his earnings.^[2]

Criminal activity[]

Drug possession[]

The Pauls had their first legal troubles when on January 10, 1979, Paul Jr. and Christopher Schill were caught by customs agents loading equipment onto a pickup truck on the bank of a canal in the Louisiana bayous after dark. Following questioning, when one of them smelled marijuana on their clothing, Paul Sr. was apprehended on his 42-foot boat named Lady Royale, where customs discovered marijuana residue and $10,000 on board. A rented truck was discovered nearby, which contained 1,565 pounds (710 kg) of marijuana. In court, all three pleaded guilty to marijuana possession charges, where each was placed on three years' probation and fined $32,500.^[14]

Shooting of witness[]

On April 19, 1983, an individual named Stephen Carson was shot in the chest, abdomen and leg in Crescent Beach, Florida.^[15] Carson had been given immunity in a drug trafficking case. He testified that Paul Sr. had approached him, ordered him into the trunk of his car, and shot at him five times when he fled rather than comply. Paul then fled when a companion of Carson's began shouting.^[2] Paul was arrested, but while out on bail fled before his trial.^[2][16] Paul was apprehended by Swiss authorities in January 1985, served a six-month sentence in Switzerland for using a false passport, and was extradited back to the United States in March 1986.^[17] At the same time, Paul Jr. pleaded guilty to racketeering and received a five-year sentence. He'd refused to testify against his father,^[4] who had been indicted as the ringleader of a drug trafficking ring that also included his father, Lee. On June 4, 1986, Paul Sr. pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and received a sentence of twenty years, later expanded to twenty-five years after additional sentences were added.

Attempted escape[]

On March 10, 1987, Paul and another inmate unsuccessfully attempted to escape from prison by spraying a mixture of hot sauce and Pine Sol in a guards face then scaling a 12-foot fence. The guard recovered and fired two shots, scaring the inmates into surrendering. There was a stolen pickup truck in the parking lot that authorities suspect was for the two inmates.^[18] Paul served his sentence in USP Leavenworth.^[19][20][21] Paul was paroled on July 2, 1999.^[22]

Disappearance of girlfriend[]

Shortly following release from prison in 1999, Paul met an office manager named Colleen Wood. She would shortly leave her job, sell her condominium and move in with Paul on his 55-foot schooner to embark on a planned five-year around-the-world boating trip.^[23] In December the following year, Wood disappeared, never to be heard from again.^[24] Police questioned Paul in connection with the disappearance, but no charges were filed. Paul later disappeared himself, likely in violation of his parole.

Behavior[]

Paul Sr.'s "tantrums" made those in the vicinity fear for their safety. As one IMSA official put it, "Senior is the most terrifying man I have ever met. Temper tantrums and wild outbursts are pretty commonplace in racing, but Senior's extend way beyond that. He is more than frightening. He is scary." He once stormed into his racing offices and threw a full briefcase across the room like a Frisbee. "If it had hit a secretary, it would have taken her head off," reported a witness. "And I know he never looked before he threw. He could have killed someone."^[15]

Racing promoter Steve Earwood remembered a event between father and son at a Camel GT race in 1982. "The kid had just won the pole and we had him on a radio show and everyone was in a good mood... he couldn't have been happier," Earwood said. But, then "the old man showed up with his bride-to-be... (and) started screaming and yelling and chewed the kid up and down and sideways for something that had happened earlier. It was quite a scene and it rattled the hell out of the kid. He never did recover the rest of the night. He just looked beat."^[15]

When asked if he was afraid of his father, Paul Jr. said, "My father can be very intimidating at times."^[15]

Missing[]

Shortly after his disappearance, Paul Sr. was spotted by a passerby in the Fiji Islands who had recognized him from an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Having sailed back to Europe, he sold his sailboat via a magazine classified ad in Italy. He was last seen in Thailand.^[25] The FBI wish to question him about Wood's disappearance, although they have no new leads.^[26] He also appeared in an episode of Disappeared in 2012. As of 2019, the case remains unsolved.^{[citation needed]}

In the summer of 1981, Paul Sr.'s then wife Chalice^[27] had vanished without a trace. He had later divorced in her absence to seek marriage with Hope, sister of Hurley Haywood in Haiti.^[9][15]

Racing record[]

Career highlights[]

Season	Series	Position	Team	Car
1977	IMSA Camel GT Challenge[28]	8th	John Paul	Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Chevrolet Monza
1978	FIA World Challenge for Endurance Drivers [8]	1st	Jim Downing JLP Racing	Mazda RX-2 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR
	IMSA Camel GT Challenge[29]	6th	JLP Racing	Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Chevrolet Corvette
1979	Trans-Am Cat. 2	1st	JLP Racing	Porsche 935 JLP-1
1980	FIA World Challenge for Endurance Drivers [8][30]	1st	Preston Henn JLP Racing Downing/Maffucci	Porsche 935 K3 Porsche 935 JLP2 Mazda RX-3
1981	Camel GT Championship [31]	12th	JLP Racing	Porsche 935 JLP3 Lola-Cosworth T600
	FIA World Endurance Championship of Drivers [32]	112th	JLP Racing	Porsche 935 JLP3
1982	Camel GT Championship	3rd	JLP Racing	Porsche 935 JLP3
	Camel GTO Championship [33]	41st		Pontiac Firebird
	FIA World Endurance Championship of Drivers [34]	103rd	N.A.R.T.	Ferrari 512BB LM

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results[]

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1978	IMSA+2.5	90	G	Porsche 935/77A	Dick Barbour Racing	Brian Redman	337	5th	1st
1980	IMSA	73	G	Porsche 935 JLP-2	J.L.P. Racing	Guy Edwards John Paul Jr.	312	9th	2nd
1982	IMSA GTX	72	M	Ferrari 512BB LM	N.A.R.T.	Alain Cudini John Morton	306	9th	4th

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results[]

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
	GTO	38	G	Porsche 911 Carrera RSR	John Paul		217	DNF
	GTO	33		Porsche 911 Carrera RSR	Boricua Motors		637	4th	2nd
	GTX	18		Porsche 935 JLP-1	JLP Racing	Al Holbert	12	DNF Electrics
	GTX	09		Porsche 935/77A	Thunderbird Swap Shop	Al Holbert	682	2nd	2nd
	GTX	18		Porsche 935 JLP-2	JLP Racing	John Paul Jr. Gordon Smiley	53	DNF Piston
1982	GTP	8		Porsche 935 JLP-2	JLP Racing	John Paul Jr. Rolf Stommelen		DNS
	GTP	18	G	Porsche 935 JLP-3	JLP Racing	John Paul Jr. Rolf Stommelen	719	1st
1983	GTP	8		Porsche 935 JLP-4	JLP Racing		15	DNF withdrawn

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results[]

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
	GTO	38	G	Porsche 911 Carrera RSR	John Paul Sr.	John Graves	13	DNF Engines
	GTO	33		Porsche 911 Carrera RSR	JLP Racing		233	4th	1st
1979	GTX	18		Porsche 935 JLP-1	JLP Racing	Al Holbert	176	DNF Transmission
1980	GTX	09		Porsche 935/77A	Thunderbird Swap Shop	Preston Henn Al Holbert	239	4th	4th
1981	GTX	8	G	Porsche 935 JLP-3	JLP Racing	John Paul Jr.	40	DNF Suspension
1982	GTP	18	G	Porsche 935 JLP-3	JLP Racing	John Paul Jr.	244	1st

See also[]

• List of fugitives from justice who disappeared

References[]