Race car driver John Lee Paul Sr....

Race car driver John Lee Paul Sr. was sentenced in St. Augustine, Fla., to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty last June to the attempted murder of a federal drug witness.

The 20-year term will run concurrent with federal drug charges pending against the former race driver in Jacksonville, Fla., Atlanta and Miami. The charges against Paul in Jacksonville allege that he and his son, race-car driver John Paul Jr., and several others conspired to smuggle 200,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States between 1975 and 1983.

The 20-year term was the result of a plea agreement with state prosecutors for the April 19, 1983, attempted slaying of Steve Carson. Paul, who is being required to make $47,956 in restitution to Carson for his injuries, could have received a life term for the shooting.

Carson was shot three times. He recovered from his wounds but suffered some permanent disability, including the loss of a kidney.

Paul forfeited $500,000 bond, plus $17,000 when he failed to show up for his December, 1983, trial in the shooting. The county has collected $304,000 of that amount and expects to receive another $187,000 seized from Paul when he was arrested in Switzerland.