Around local racing, the name Jim "Wildman" Watson is still revered. Now at the 4th annual Wildman Late Model Classic at Wilmot Raceway, his memory lives on with more than 150 bikes donated to kids.
"People start messaging literally in December, January. Are you going to do the bike giveaway? Are you going to do the bike giveaway? And it's not just people that are receiving the bikes. It's people that are donating the bikes. It's happening more and more every single year, the pay it forward thing," Wilmot Raceway Promoter Nick Simons says.
In keeping the memory of Jim Wildman Watson alive, Nick Simons keeps the future of racing alive and thriving.
"If we get one kid or two kids to go home that night, driving home and they have never been to a race before. And they say to their mom and dad, when's the next one? It worked," Simons says.
The fourth edition of the Jim Wildman Watson Classic should be bigger and better.
"Last year during the time of where you couldn't buy bikes, we managed to get donated from the local businesses and the drivers alike, we gave away 142 bikes last year," Simons says. "They're on track to surpass that number."
It's something families love.
"Parents win bikes the year before, and they call back and say hey we won two bikes last year. We'd like to give you two bikes back this year. So that's happening a lot and just the outpouring support from the local businesses is overwhelming," Simons says.
And it brings generations together.
"Wildman was known as putting on a show on the high side at Hales Corners," Simons says. "And you know, what's really nice about this show, is the Wildman show is, you get to see all the reminiscing of the past. You get to see all the Hales Corners T-shirts. You get to see the old school, you know, Wildman shirts in the grandstands."
The race is Saturday night, Sept. 11, with the action beginning at 6 p.m.
