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A. J. Watson

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131: 170: 127:, Watson came to Indianapolis in 1948 but missed the race. He returned the following year with a home-built car that failed to qualify. For the next 11 years, his cars not only qualified but were leaders in many years. 360: 166:. Watson's cars dominated the race through 1964. Although he continued entering cars for another two decades, he was never able to regain the commanding position of his heyday. 458: 115:. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War, training as a B-17 navigator. He would not see deployment before the war's end. 448: 463: 182: 155: 212:
For many years, Watson and his family would spend the racing season in Indiana, and the off-season in California. Eventually the family located to
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successful car. These worked reasonably well, but could not reproduce the success Watson had with his front-engined "roadsters". He built
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In 1964, with many teams following Lotus's example and moving to rear-engined "funny cars", Watson built a pair of vehicles based on
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and then built a small series of highly derivative new "Watson" cars in 1977, 1978 and again in 1982 based on Lightning and
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drove the John Zink entry to victory in that year's Indianapolis 500. Watson had won the previous year as a crew chief for
90:(May 8, 1924 – May 12, 2014) was an American race car builder and chief mechanic. Competing from 1949 through 1984 in the 389: 240: 261: 443: 200:
designs before retiring. He was frequently listed on the Indianapolis 500 entry sheet as the "race strategist" for
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rear-engined cars in 1966 and 1967 with ever-decreasing success.
158:. Watson's first win as a car builder came in 1956 when 204:, though his role with the team was largely honorary. 293:
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/a-j-watson
150:From 1955 to 1958, Watson was associated with the 459:International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees 420: 414:Legendary Mechanic Celebrating 50th Year at Indy 94:, he won the race six times as a car builder. 449:Formula One constructors (Indianapolis only) 464:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees 168: 129: 421: 333: 118: 379: 284: 282: 226: 390:Motorsports Hall of Fame of America 241:Motorsports Hall of Fame of America 13: 334:Martin, Dick (September 1, 2011). 98:won 18 races driving Watson cars. 14: 485: 398: 279: 192:From 1969 until 1977, Watson ran 234:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 207: 173:Image of the winning car of the 363:. May 12, 2014. Archived from 353: 327: 254: 1: 439:American racecar constructors 247: 106: 154:team, and from 1959 on with 101: 16:American auto racing builder 7: 10: 490: 75: 56: 30: 23: 336:"The A. J. Watson Story" 444:Auto racing crew chiefs 262:"Motorsport Memorial -" 239:He was inducted in the 232:He was inducted in the 123:Resettling in southern 469:People from California 266:motorsportmemorial.org 178: 147: 221:Indianapolis, Indiana 175:1964 Indianapolis 500 172: 133: 68:Indianapolis, Indiana 367:on November 22, 2014 88:Abraham Jacob Watson 81:Auto racing mechanic 79:Auto racing builder 35:Abraham Jacob Watson 111:Watson was born in 179: 148: 140:Race of Two Worlds 119:Motorsports career 315:Missing or empty 227:Awards and honors 223:on May 12, 2014. 214:Speedway, Indiana 183:Rolla Vollstedt's 85: 84: 481: 474:People from Ohio 454:Indianapolis 500 392: 383: 377: 376: 374: 372: 357: 351: 350: 348: 346: 331: 325: 324: 318: 313: 311: 303: 301: 299: 290:www.hemmings.com 286: 277: 276: 274: 272: 258: 92:Indianapolis 500 63: 44: 42: 21: 20: 489: 488: 484: 483: 482: 480: 479: 478: 419: 418: 401: 396: 395: 384: 380: 370: 368: 359: 358: 354: 344: 342: 332: 328: 316: 314: 305: 304: 297: 295: 288: 287: 280: 270: 268: 260: 259: 255: 250: 229: 219:Watson died in 210: 121: 113:Mansfield, Ohio 109: 104: 80: 71: 65: 61: 52: 49:Mansfield, Ohio 46: 40: 38: 37: 36: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 487: 477: 476: 471: 466: 461: 456: 451: 446: 441: 436: 431: 417: 416: 411: 400: 399:External links 397: 394: 393: 378: 352: 326: 278: 252: 251: 249: 246: 245: 244: 237: 228: 225: 209: 206: 138:which won the 134:A 1958 Watson- 120: 117: 108: 105: 103: 100: 83: 82: 77: 73: 72: 66: 64:(aged 90) 58: 54: 53: 47: 34: 32: 28: 27: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 486: 475: 472: 470: 467: 465: 462: 460: 457: 455: 452: 450: 447: 445: 442: 440: 437: 435: 432: 430: 427: 426: 424: 415: 412: 410: 406: 403: 402: 391: 387: 382: 366: 362: 356: 341: 337: 330: 322: 309: 294: 291: 285: 283: 267: 263: 257: 253: 242: 238: 235: 231: 230: 224: 222: 217: 216:permanently. 215: 208:Personal life 205: 203: 199: 195: 190: 188: 184: 176: 171: 167: 165: 161: 157: 153: 145: 141: 137: 132: 128: 126: 116: 114: 99: 97: 93: 89: 78: 76:Occupation(s) 74: 69: 59: 55: 50: 33: 29: 22: 19: 409:Find a Grave 405:A. J. Watson 381: 369:. Retrieved 365:the original 355: 343:. Retrieved 339: 329: 317:|title= 296:. Retrieved 289: 269:. Retrieved 265: 256: 218: 211: 191: 180: 164:Bob Sweikert 160:Pat Flaherty 149: 122: 110: 87: 86: 62:(2014-05-12) 60:May 12, 2014 25:A. J. Watson 18: 434:2014 deaths 429:1924 births 386:A.J. Watson 177:(A.J. Foyt) 136:Offenhauser 96:Rodger Ward 45:May 8, 1924 423:Categories 345:October 9, 340:MotorTrend 248:References 202:PDM Racing 125:California 107:Early life 41:1924-05-08 187:monocoque 156:Bob Wilke 152:John Zink 102:Biography 308:cite web 298:April 7, 271:April 7, 243:in 1996. 236:in 1993. 388:at the 371:May 13, 146:, Italy 194:Eagles 70:, U.S. 51:, U.S. 198:March 144:Monza 373:2014 347:2023 321:help 300:2024 273:2024 57:Died 31:Born 407:at 142:in 425:: 338:. 312:: 310:}} 306:{{ 281:^ 264:. 375:. 349:. 323:) 319:( 302:. 275:. 43:) 39:(

Index

Mansfield, Ohio
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis 500
Rodger Ward
Mansfield, Ohio
California

Offenhauser
Race of Two Worlds
Monza
John Zink
Bob Wilke
Pat Flaherty
Bob Sweikert

1964 Indianapolis 500
Rolla Vollstedt's
monocoque
Eagles
March
PDM Racing
Speedway, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
"Motorsport Memorial -"


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