The Watson Roadster

[Mitch G.]

Since I'm such a nut over Watson roadsters, I thought I would ad to the history of the Skip Roberts recreation #62. The original car was built new in 1957 by A.J. Watson for Jack Zink, and Troy Ruttman (Indy 500 winner in 1952) was assigned driving duties, and Watson as crew chief. Ruttman put the car outside front row for the 1957 Indianapolis 500. Ruttman led early, but by the 13th lap, the thermostat may have locked, oil may have leaked, maybe a burned piston, it's never been known exactly what took Ruttman out that day. The Zink team took the roadster to Monza, Italy for the "Race of Two Worlds", on the high banks of the Monza circuit, against the best sports and Formula cars in Europe. Ruttman got a 5th, 2nd, and won the last of 3 "heats".
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The new Watson, and the Zink Team, at Indy 1957
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In Gasoline Alley, 1957, note this is before A.J. Watson and his main body man Wayne Ewing, developed the "two hole" nose piece for the roadsters starting in 1959
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Neat color photo of A.J. Watson pushing the Zink car through "Gasonline Alley", Indy 1957
1958 would be tough for Zink and Watson at Indy. Ed Elisian put the now #5 on the front row, that's as good as it got. It was an all Watson front row, Dick Rathman on the pole in Lee Elkins Watson, Elisian in the middle, and Jimmy Reece on the outside in another Zink Watson. Rathman beat the pace car out of the pits, Reece and Elisian chased him, the pace car only had 10 rows of cars, and on the back chute the front row starters scrambled to pass the rest of the field. They finally assumed the front row, took the green, Rathman, Elisian, and Reece went into "win it on the first lap" mode for 3/4 of the first lap, then crashed going into 3, taking a 1/3 of the field with them.
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Here you see Elisian, and Rathman against the turn 3 wall, Reece is in #16 with Pat O'Conner going over him. O'Conner did not survive the ensuing flip.
3 Watson's all involved in the opening lap crash.
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Ed "Smokey" Elisian in the Zink Watson #5, Indy 1958, that's Watson on the left next to Jack Zink
Later in 1958 Jim Rathman is hired to drive the Watson at Monza for the 2nd edition of the "Race of Two Worlds". Rathman and the "Zink, Leader Card Monza Special" sweeps all 3 heats.
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Rathman is in the #5, 3rd row inside.
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Rathman on the high banks of Monza, Italy.
Zink and Watson split up, and the car became a back up for the 1959 season with Pat Flaherty driving it at Daytona, and Tony Bettenhausen at Milwaukee, and Buddy Cagle at Trenton. The car sat out 1960, but in 1961 was sold to Denver's Myron "Ozzie" Osborn, and entered for the 1961 Indy 500 as the "Denver-Chicago Trucking Special". Foster Campbell as crew chief, and Chuck Arnold as driver. They failed to make the Indy 500 that year, but Lloyd Ruby drove the car for Osborn at Milwaukee.
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Gasoline Alley, 1961.
Osborn hires veteran Paul Russo for the 1962 Indy 500, Russo puts the car in at the 14th starting spot, but mechanical ills force him out at 20 laps.
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Here's the Osborn and DC trucking crew, with Russo in the seat for 1962, this is at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Russo in for an early pit stop, this was Russo's last 500, and the roadsters last race.
1963 Osborn has the Watson back at Indy with Don Freeland in the seat, but they fail to make the show. The car was known as the "White Spot Special", for that year.
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The record for the 1957 Watson roadster, outside of Monza, Italy the old car just was not that successful. Osborn sold the car to the Indianapolis Speedway Museum, and they restored it as the "Zink Leader Card Monza Special". It resides with honor in the speedway museum, of the 23 wonderful roadsters that Watson built, it is one of the most original as it was never cut up and run as a supermodified, like many, and was repaired in it's early days, by Watson himself.
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Here's how she looks today, pretty beautiful I'd say.
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And Skip Roberts absolutely stunning recreation of the Watson, finished as it looked in 1961

[lakeside #29]

Hi Mitch, I don't know if you knew that Buzz Calkins has the Watson roadster that Roger Ward used to win the Indy 500 in 1959. It is stored here in town. It's restored in the 1959 livery #5. I believe Buzz had it at a vintage Indy car show in California last year. Greg McLaughlin and Jim Weese made arrangments with Buzz to show it a couple times two or three years ago. One of those times was the Colorado Motor Sports Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in 2006.

Peggy and I got a chance to get up close and personal with the car at that time. What a thrill. I got to help push the car down 44th ave. and help load it in the trailer, I won't forget that any time soon. The Offy engine in it is absolutely beautiful. Greg McLaughlin got Buzz Calkins and Foster Cambell together. I don't know if Foster was able to work on the engine before his passing.

Chris Ertler

[Mitch G.]

Wow, I didn't know that. I knew the Calkins were pretty well heeled, but that's big time car collecting. I'll put together a profile of that roadster also. 1959 was the first year Watson and Ewing used to "2 hole" nose piece. Watson built 2 roadsters that year. It gets sticky here, A.J. Watson built an exact copy of that 1959 Indy winner several years ago, and it was owned by a Tom Malloy in California. I'll work on a bio of this car and post it later today. Chris, did the Calkins tell you who they bought the car from, and when?