| Max Balchowsky
-- 1: Old Yellers I and II
Nobody is more deserving
of a page on this site than Max & Ina Balchowsky. Together, this
husband and wife team built the Old Yeller cars that defined this era of
California racing.
The Old Yeller legend
began when Max and partner Eric Hauser acquired a Special built by Dick
Morgensen of Phoenix, Arizona. Max applied his skills, modifying
and upgrading almost every part of the car, and created a potent threat
for overall wins.
| Max in fast company at
Palm Springs in #70 Old Yeller Mk.1.
Carroll Shelby drives
the huge Maserati 450S #98, and Dick Morgenson #46 is in his next project,
a Devin-bodied Special.
(Photo contributed by
Mike Larkin) |
 |
 |
Here's Max at Santa Barbara
in Old Yeller I. He shared the driving with his then-partner,
Eric
Hauser.
With this car and other
Old Yellers to follow, Max showed that guile, intelligence, sound engineering
and "Cubic inches" could often defeat "Cubic money" on the racetrack.
(Photo by Bob Tronolone,
contributed by Mike Larkin) |
| In l959. Max and Hauser
parted company. Max put the Buick engine into his new car, Old Yeller
II. He claims to have spent only $1456.72 to build this
beast.
While still crude-looking,
Old Yeller II was a well-designed, well-developed threat for overall wins
against all comers. Bob Drake,
shown below at Santa Barbara in 1960, had many memorable drives in the
car. |
| Drake finished 2nd to
Bill
Krause's Birdcage and ahead of Augie Pabst's ultra-potent "Meister
Brauser" Scarab at the 1960 "L.A.
Times Grand Prix" at Riverside.
Dan
Gurney and Carroll Shelby also drove Old Yeller II. Gurney declared
it "The best handling car I've ever driven". (This must have been
before the Arciero Bros. Lotus Mk.19 appeared.)
(Photo contributed by
Mike Larkin) |
 |
John
Brophy and Jerry Entin raced
the car in 1963-64
Dr.
Ernie Nagamatsu is the proud owner of Old Yeller II today!
Mike
Larkin restored Old Yeller I and recently sold the car -- see it as
it looks today!
Next: Alan
Connell -- Maserati Type 61-Ferrari
Back to: Ronnie
Bucknum -- Austin-Healey 3000 / Old Yeller III
Back to: Main
Homepage
All photographs
and text are the property of Mike Larkin and are protected under United
States and international copyright laws. All rights are reserved
and the images and/or text may not be digitized, reproduced, stored, manipulated,
and/or incorporated into other works without the written permission of
the photographer, Mike Larkin. |