My condolences to his family. I don't know that I ever spoke with Jim, but certainly knew who he was and had seen him race a number of times. I instantly pictured his glasses in my mind when I first saw the name.
A solemn time for Wisconsin area racing as this year winds down. They have many to be proud of for their accomplishments throughout their careers, and Jim was certainly one of them.
Jim worked for Furniture Row Racing as a Fabricator....#77 Erik Jones and #78 Martin Truex Jr. His brother Mike races the W2 modified, you may have seen him race at places such as La Salle, Farmer City, and Fairbury in the past couple of years. A lot of us met Jim through racing, myself included. If I didn't know Mike and the guys I crewed for, I wouldn't have know Jim. I was privileged to meet Jim once, when he was home to see his family, one hell of a guy, great racing stories. Thanks for that privilege Jim.
#AnybodyButBobby
Races in 2021:
Illini 100 (WoO) @ Farmer City Raceway
Diamond Jim 43 @ Wilmot Raceway (Dirt Kings)
Truck Country 50 (LOLMDS) @ 300 Raceway- Farley, IA
27th and 26th Double Down Dream @ Eldora Speedway (UMP Dirtcar)
Silver Dollar Nationals @ I-80 Speedway (LOLMDS)
Prairie Dirt Classic @ FALS (WoO)
You're welcome cnbf... Jim was one of those guys that would buy a chassis, run it then modify it to make it suit his style. I know he had a down tube car that he built years ago that was on his list to restore.
Member of the Luxemburg Speedway Hall of Fame
Class of 2019
Jim started driving in '83 which was my first year in the promoting biz. I knew him from his time as a crew member and a frequent participant at after race parties.
Three years ago I started talking to him again via FB... he was the guy who did the cranks at Roush. Gave me a lot of pride when he told me he thought my Torino was one of the best built sportsman cars running at Hales Corners in 81/82...
His funeral will be in Lincolnton, NC this Friday with a Wisconsin memorial later.
Last edited by Krooser; 10-26-2017 at 12:12 PM.
Member of the Luxemburg Speedway Hall of Fame
Class of 2019
Senior Member
Lost an old friend... RIP Jim Watson
Originally Posted by race14
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