Founder, president, visionary

In the mid-1980s, Watson, with other Novi, MI public officials, had a vision for a national racing hall of fame. He then devoted the next 30+ years of his life to building the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America into the world’s premier such institution. Three keys to the MSHFA’s success were Watson’s uncanny ability to enlist others to his cause, his knack for entertaining and his personal integrity. Even now, many MSHFA volunteers are people Watson recruited 20 and 30 years ago. Induction continues to be decided by a strict vote among 200 inductees and racing experts. And the induction ceremony remains “the Oscars of motorsports.” By the time of his death in 2019, Watson had given his life to racing. Said longtime MSHFA emcee David Hobbs, “Ron was a human dynamo, whose life was centered on the Hall of Fame, and making sure he was laying down the history of motorsports in all its disciplines for future generations to see and appreciate.” Said Roger Penske, “He will be missed.”