Jim Watson, crew member for Martin Truex Jr., dies at 55

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) Jim Watson, one of the crew members for NASCAR star Martin Truex Jr., died Saturday night of a heart attack while in town for the playoff race at Kansas Speedway. He was 55.

The Furniture Row Racing team announced the news in a statement Sunday.

Watson was a long-time late model driver in his native Wisconsin, and spent nearly a decade with Roush Fenway Racing. He spent last season with HScott Motorsports before joining Truex's team in February.

Truex, who earned the pole for Sunday's elimination race, was already assured of advancing to the next round of the playoffs by virtue of his victory at Charlotte.

Watson is survived by his wife, Laurie, and a daughter, Brittany.