OLD YELLER II

The History of Max and Ina Balchowsky and Old Yeller II (Part 6)

Carroll was a pre-race favorite and the engine blew on the 6th lap on Saturday. The biggest highlight of the year bringing the very best of race-cars and International drivers was the Riverside International Raceway-Times Mirror Grand Prix (October 15-16, 1960). Bobby Drake raced the Old Yeller II in the Times-Mirror Grand Prix and finished in 2nd place following a sputtering Maserati Tipo 61 raced by Billy Krause. Bobby Drake collected his $150 Autolite Contingency check for second place … attached the mufflers and drove off in the late afternoon down the Freeway back to Hollywood Motors. The Pacific Coast Championship was held at Laguna Seca on October 22-23, 1960 and Bobby Drake and Dan Gurney raced the Old Yeller II. Max helped try to repair the Lotus XIX that Dan had planned to drive and Max offered the seat to Dan Gurney again. The Old Yeller II was a DNF. Billy Krause was a respected and experienced driver and he raced the Old Yeller II at the Pomona Road Races – November 6, 1960 and was a DNF. Billy Krause was asked at the closing of the legendary Riverside International Raceway… what was the most potent race- car that he ever drove…he stated- “without a doubt… the Old Yeller II”. Max drove the Old Yeller II to Arizona for the Tucson Road Races (November 22, 1960) and placed 2nd following Morgensen in a TR Ferrari. Max always enjoyed telling of the story of Graham Hill calling Max to ask him if he could race the car in the winter Bahamas Speed weeks races if Max could get the car to the Bahamas. The final race for the Old Yeller II in the 1960 racing season was the Las Vegas Road Races and Paul O Shea raced the car to a first Place.

Chuck Baldwin was a Law student in Chicago and he saw the Old Yeller II race at the Road America GP in July. Chuck arranged to buy the Old Yeller II and he raced the car in the Chicago area. Chuck had difficulties with the car and there were many letters to Max for advice for the Old Yeller II. On May 27-28, 1961, Chuck finished 1st in the preliminary race and placed in 1st in the main event following the Scarab. The Old Yeller II was raced at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Elkhart- Road America, Meadowdale among other race venues.

John Brophy was a good friend of Max and he bought the Old Yeller II. The Old Yeller II returned to the Southern California area. On April 4, 1963, John Brophy placed the Old Yeller II in 5th overall at the Tucson Road Races.

Jerry Entin was an experienced Drag Racer and he bought the Old Yeller II. He had the help of Max to start Road Racing. Max used the Old Yeller II in the movie- Viva Las Vegas. Jerry Entin raced the Old Yeller II at the Santa Barbara Road Races, Candlestick Park Road Race, Del Mar Races and the Arizona Road Races. On November 1, 1964, the Old Yeller II placed 1st in C Modified at the Phoenix Road Races. Jerry Entin entered the Old Yeller II in the major Times Grand Prix on October 10-11, 1964 and the engine broke in qualifying.

Eric Hauser (co-raced the Old Yeller I with Max) bought the Old Yeller II and raced in regional club races. Eric being the ultimate jester on the track, converted the outer appearance of the car. He decorated the car in the style of the “Fokker D-7” fighter aircraft plane…with all of the target design and mounted mock machine guns on both fenders in the paddock. The fenders were flared straight outward for the now wider tires.

Chuck Cornett of Fresno bought the Old Yeller II and raced the car in regional club races until it’s last race at Cotati in 1973. Dave Gibb bought the car in a wrecked state (crashed after the race and near the paddock area) in Fresno and re-built the car in 1979. The Old Yeller II was bought in 1990 by Ernie Nagamatsu and the Old Yeller II Buick Special actively races in Vintage Races in England and North America. The story of the Old Yeller II Buick Special is included in the new book for the 100th Anniversary of Buick - The BUICK- A Complete History.

The story of Max and Ina was that of a respected racing partnership… filled with excitement having reached the absolutely highest levels of Sports Car Racing competition in America… and on a limited budget with a “Home Built” Junkyard Road Racing Special. Max and Ina Balchowsky left an indelible imprint of one of the great periods of Sports Car Racing with a simple and effective formula of carefully evaluating each working component of a race-car…as Max said…”Make it as simple as possible and do one thing at a time”. As they say at times in England… “it was worth a long piece of chalk”… the original chalk lines on the floor of Hollywood Motors in 1959 for the design of the Old Yeller II and the other following Balchowsky built Old Yeller race-cars were truly worth “a long piece of chalk”.

Author
Ernie Nagamatsu