Ernie is the driver of the 1959 Old Yeller II Buick Special. He was a good friend of Max Balchowsky, the builder of this legendary race car. Ernie has raced Formula Fords in SCCA racing a Swift DB1. With the help of Max, Ernie started Historic Racing with the 1964 Shelby Cobra CSX 2203 with a hard-top and he has raced the Shelby Cobra for over 34 straight years at international events. He has owned and raced the Old Yeller II for over 27 straight years. The Old Yeller II has raced at over 12 Goodwood Racing Events as well as racing in New Zealand and Australia. Ernie and the Old Yeller II have won the Rolex Phil Hill Monterey Cup, first Bruce McLaren Perpetual Trophy in New Zealand, and the Rolex Australia F1 Grand Prix Historic ‘Winner’ trophy.
Ernie Nagamatsu - 1959 Old Yeller II Buick Special
Ernie is the driver of the 1959 Old Yeller II Buick Special. He was a good friend of Max Balchowsky, the builder of this legendary race car. Ernie has raced Formula Fords in SCCA racing a Swift DB1. With the help of Max, Ernie started Historic Racing with the 1964 Shelby Cobra CSX 2203 with a hard-top and he has raced the Shelby Cobra for over 34 straight years at international events. He has owned and raced the Old Yeller II for over 27 straight years. The Old Yeller II has raced at over 12 Goodwood Racing Events as well as racing in New Zealand and Australia. Ernie and the Old Yeller II have won the Rolex Phil Hill Monterey Cup, first Bruce McLaren Perpetual Trophy in New Zealand, and the Rolex Australia F1 Grand Prix Historic ‘Winner’ trophy.
1959 Old Yeller II Buick Special:
The 1959 Old Yeller II Buick Special has been racing almost continuously since 1959 with only a short break of four years. It was driven by some of the most important race car drivers of its day and has won major sports car races as well as breaking track records along the way. The legendary drivers of the Old Yeller II in 1960 were Dan Gurney (two times), Carroll Shelby (two times), Bob Bondurant, Bobby Drake (first Birdcage Maserati driver in USA), Billy Krause (first Cobra driver for Carroll Shelby), Paul O Shea (national champion Mercedes 300 SL) and Max Balchowsky. The Old Yeller II was the classic ‘underdog’ race car built by Max and Ina Balchowsky and known fondly as the ‘Junkyard Dog’ – that challenged all of the very best factory teams from Europe.