Indianapolis 500 veteran Paul Goldsmith has passed away. He was 98, the oldest Indianapolis 500 starter at the time of his passing.

West Virginia native Goldsmith made six consecutive "500" starts between 1958-63. His best finish came in 1960, a third-place result in the No. 99 Demler Epperly/Offy car.

Raised in Detroit, Goldsmith began racing motorcycles as a teenager. His first major American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) win came in 1952 on the 1-mile dirt track at Wisconsin State Fair Park, now paved and known as the Milwaukee Mile.

In 1953, Goldsmith won the Daytona 200 motorcycle race on the old beach road course, with his Harley prepared by legendary engine builder and tuner Smokey Yunick. He also won the 100-mile race at Langhorne Speedway in Pennsylvania. Goldsmith finished second in the AMA standings in 1954.

While still racing motorcycles, Goldsmith tried his hand at stock car racing, winning a 250-mile race in 1953 at the Detroit Fairgrounds. He made his final motorcycle start in 1956 and then focused on stock car racing, earning his first NASCAR victory that year in a 300-mile race at Langhorne Speedway for Yunick's team.

Goldsmith was the final NASCAR Grand National winner on the old beach course in 1958 in Daytona Beach, Florida, while the construction of Daytona International Speedway was underway. He is the only competitor to win on the beach course in a car and on a motorcycle.

Goldsmith also won the USAC Stock Car championship in 1961 and 1962 and finished second in 1960 and 1965. He won 26 USAC Stock Car races in 85 starts, with 44 top-three finishes, and won nine races and had 59 top-10 finishes in 127 NASCAR starts. His final NASCAR win came in 1966 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.

His noteworthy accomplishments on two and four wheels were honored with membership in several Halls of Fame, including the IMS Hall of Fame, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Motorcycle Hall of Fame, USAC Hall of Fame and Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame.

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