Ed Watson, a Northern California auto racing pioneer who built and owned cars that carried top racers to victory, died March 4 of a heart attack, his family said. He was 77.
Mr.
Watson was a master at building, modifying and repairing cars for speed
– from jalopies to modifieds to sprint autos. He also had a skill for
matching them with the right driver and helped propel the careers of
many Northern California Auto Racing veterans.
He fielded cars for new and established drivers, including Mike Andreetta, Larry Burton,
Jac Haudenschild and Jimmy Sills. He partnered with Burton – the
"Roseville Rocket" – for a series of wins in the 1960s and 1970s,
including 25 consecutive main events and back-to-back championships at
West Capital Raceway and All-American Speedway.
"Ed would make you do things that you would only do because he
believed in you," Andreetta said. "The first sprint car I ever drove on
dirt was for him at West Capital. I had the fastest time."
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