Ralph “Trigger” Watson Passes at 82
Ralph “Trigger” Watson, the Clown Prince of the cutdown era, passed away on October 18 in Newburyport, MA.
Trigger was a real gasser, tough as nails. Leo Cleary recalls that “the only way to beat him was over the head.” His best years came in 1955 and 1956 when, aboard his infamous ’34 Ford mini-sedan aptly labeled “the Thing”, he won eighty features, including the Canadian American Classic in Toronto.
Watson was also a character through and through who approached his racing with an infectious joy. He was the promoters’ dream, the kids’ hero.
He was 82.