The “Roadster Era” at Indianapolis was characterized by lower, wider, offset-driveline cars that began after World War II. It was an exciting and very dangerous time, with drivers earning their rides at Indy by exhibiting skill, tenacity, and bravery while driving their midgets and sprint cars on rough and tumble tracks from coast to coast. The unique chassis and body designs varied from builder to builder, but the most famous of these powerful brutes were powered by the famously rowdy Offenhauser four-cylinder engines.

THE WATSON ROADSTERS

A.J. Watson built his first track car for CRA Hot Rod races in 1947, but ultimately, he became disinterested in driving. Instead, he came to Indianapolis off-and-on as a builder and mechanic; that is until 1954, when he was hired as the chief mechanic for renowned racing team owner and sponsor John Zink Jr. Success came quickly, with Bob Swiekert driving Zink’s Kurtis KK500C Roadster, which had been modified by Watson, to victory in the 1955 Indy 500.

The following year, Watson built the first true Watson Indianapolis Roadster for Zink. Recognizing that saving weight would translate into higher speeds, he departed from the usual Kurtis-derived design, narrowing the chassis slightly and removing any steel or bracing that he considered unnecessary. Rather than placing the Offy powerplant 36 degrees to the right, he mounted it upright, which allowed for increased left-side weight bias and easier maintenance. Lightweight 4130 chromoly tubing was used wherever practical, and the driveline parts were made of magnesium, with sheet magnesium used for body panels. At 1,640 pounds, the finished car was 220 pounds less than the winning Kurtis of the previous year.

Not surprisingly, driver Pat Flaherty handily won the 500 in this car in 1956, and Watson would continue on to build another 22 Roadsters, with some slight refinements and design work being performed by Larry Shinoda, of Corvette fame. Watson Roadsters would win the Indianapolis 500 six times in just nine years.

THE ANDREWS’S WATSON ROADSTER

The Roadster offered here was built in 1960 for Pete Salemi and Nick Rini, of Cleveland, Ohio. It was driven in the 1960 Indy 500, as the S-R Special #9, by Len Sutton, who qualified a strong 5th before engine trouble forced him out of the race on lap 47. The team went on to run four other races with the car that year, and it ultimately won at the Milwaukee 200.

For 1961, Len Sutton was back and posted strong qualifying times prior to that year’s 500. In this car, which was now sponsored as the Bryant Heating and Cooling Special #8, Sutton qualified 8th and ran with the leaders early in the race. Unfortunately, a clutch failure ended his race on lap 110, resulting in a 19th place finish. This did not deter Sutton, as he went on to score a 2nd place finish at the Milwaukee 200 that year.

For the 1962 Indianapolis 500, the Watson returned a third time, as the S&R Racing Special #83, and it was driven by rookie Allen Crowe. After qualifying in 22nd place, Crowe bumped another car while attempting to pass in turn four on the 17th lap, which resulted in a wreck that ended the racing season for Salemi and Rini. This was the last time that this particular Watson Roadster ran in competition.

The car faded into oblivion until the summer of 1981, when Mike Fulper found it by chance in Wauseon, Ohio, where it was owned by the proprietor of a local Dairy Queen. The car still showed the scars of Allen Crowe’s crash, and it looked much as it had when it left Trevis’s shop, with its 1962 race-day paint largely intact. A deal was quickly made for its purchase.

Bud Miller and Bill Chapin subsequently purchased the Watson from Fulper, and they had well-respected Indy Roadster fabricator and craftsmen Floyd Trevis and his son, Ron, restore it back to its original condition, which took two years to do. Originality was paramount and guided by Floyd’s knowledge and craftsmanship, which was supplemented by careful examination of period photos of the car. The 1961 Bryant Heating and Cooling Special livery was chosen for the car specifically for its striking blue color.

Chapin eventually bought out Miller’s interest in the car, and in 1992, he returned it to Indianapolis as one of seven privately owned Indy Roadsters invited to take a few parade laps prior to that year’s 500. Fittingly, Chapin asked Len Sutton to drive his old mount for a sentimental trip around the track. Thereafter, the car was purchased by well-known collector Joe MacPherson, who displayed it at the NHRA Museum and, later, at his own Joe’s Garage facility in Tustin, California, from where it was acquired by the Andrews’ in 2008.

As offered today, this car remains in wonderful condition, and it is extremely period-correct, which is a testament to its restorers’ attention to detail and perfectionism, as well as to its maintenance in the Andrews Collection. Complementing its rarity, it has never been butchered or turned into a Supermodified, which adds greatly to its stature among other restored Watson Roadsters and significantly contributes to its utterly remarkable history.