Skip to main content

International Formula 1 Air Racing

LoginDonateJoin IF1
HomeJosh & Fraed Naught




2024 Formula 1 Reno Air Race Gold Winner!






Josh Watson with #31 Fraed Naught

IMG 6803

Josh Watson flew Fraed Naught to a first place Gold win for Formula 1 in the last Reno Air Race in 2023. The year prior, he placed 7th in the Gold class in #21 Black Jack, which is now being piloted by his wife Jen. The pair of aviators own historic flight schools in San Jose and Monterey, California.


Josh is an extremely skilled Airframe & Powerplant mechanic with Inspection Authorization. He brought #21 Black Jack out of retirement for it's first flight of many years in 2022 by revitalizing and overhauling the plane to a fast qualifying time for a slab-wing Casutt. He purchased Fraed Naught later in 2022 and got to work on its engine with the help of multi-Gold winning race pilot Lowell Slatter.


Josh will forever be the final, first-place Gold winner at the last Reno Air Race.

IMG 4002
IMG 3645

Crew Chief: David Heckel


Dave is a licensed pilot holding a Private Pilot Certificate. He has approximately 5 years experience in Flight School management and aircraft maintenance, including 2 years of airplane racing experience acting as Crew Chief in the Formula 1 Class for Watson Air Racing.


Dave's regular profession is mechanical engineering specializing in design and supply chain engineering with 48 years of experience. He travels the world for his job, but he enjoys being home. He is happily married to his wife Amy and has 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

Crew: Marcus Espinoza


Marcus Espinoza was born and raised in San Jose, California, US. He started his career in aviation at age 16. A certified FAA Airframe & Powerplant technician, Marcus studied at Aviation Institute of Maintenance and received his technical training at AeroDynamic Aviation, the flight school owned by Josh & Jen Watson. He currently works at AeroDynamic Aviation restoring and maintaining a fleet of Citabria, Cessna, Maule and Piper aircraft.


Marcus started participating in Formula One Air Racing in 2022 on team #21 Black Jack as a mechanic. In 2023, he was on the gold winning team, #31 Fraed Naught, for the last year of the Reno Air Races as a mechanic. He was honored by receiving the International Formula One Air Racing Golden Wrench Award for Dedication.

IMG 4016