Bill Watkins
Bill "ran his last lap" April 21, 2021
April, 2010
"Space Mountain fan gets the roller coaster’s 87-year-old designer to ride it one last time at Disneyland" by Keith Sharon (February 7, 2018):
"FORMER DISNEY IMAGINEER BILL WATKINS ON DESIGNING SPACE MOUNTAIN" by Dan Heaton (August 22, 2018):
https://tomorrowsociety.com/disney-imagineer-bill-watkins/
2009 video interview by Bill Pollack:
https://youtu.be/hm38B93OTpc2009 video interview by Bob Schmitt:
Bill's first race car, a Triumph TR-2
Click for Bill's home movie of this May 1, 1955 race
Click for Bill's story about racing Arnolt-Bristols
Bill testing Space Mountain
Lee Raskin (lmr356@aol.com) sent this:
"Bill was my "Hero Racer"...as an Arnolt-Bristol owner/driver during most of his racing career. Yes, he did race against James Dean in Bill's first SCCA race at Bakersfield in May, 1955. I have written about Bill's memorable TR2 race in detail in many publications. over the years.
Bill's many engineering accomplishments will live on... at Disneyland and Disney World, Universal Park, as well as many other amusement /entertainment centers world-wide.
Would be honored to share some memories about our Arnolt-Bristol tales at a future tribute event.
Race In Peace, my friend..."
Bob Schmitt notes:
"I met Bill at Laguna Seca where he was racing his Arnolt-Bristol in the Monterey Historics. His race car had a Bristol engine, similar to the engine in my then-unrestored Frazer Nash. I needed help and Bill was quite the expert.
When the Frazer Nash chassis and body were nearly complete, I planned to send it to New Zealand to join a Frazer Nash Club "Raid" to that country. When one restoration shop told me they were too busy to take on the project, Bill had a recommendation based on his visits to race on the South Island. So the car was shipped to Invercargill.
When that shop told me the crankshaft was cracked and bent, Bill told me to call Henry Velasco, who had made several crankshafts for Bill's Arnolt: "Henry may still have one left over". That was true and the crank was airmailed (!) to New Zealand. The Frazer Nash was completed in February 2005, we joined the Raid and have enjoyed visiting New Zealand many times since to drive the Frazer Nash.
After he sold his last Arnolt-Bristol, Bill started a registry of the cars and provided technical advice on modifying the Bristol engine for racing.
We'll miss you Bill!"