Old Yeller II on the loose again.
By Ernie Nagamatsu
Photos by John Taylor unless otherwise noted.
Last month we received an email from Ernie Nagamatsu, telling us he was on his way to Goodwood for the exclusive invite only Members Meeting. He was honored “… we are overwhelmed and humbled to our knees again, as I am a simple truck farmer that packed tomatoes and drove red International TD 9s and tractors in summers.”
Ernie failed to add that before he retired, he was one of the top dentists in L.A. and his achievements are legend. But even though he has raced Old Yeller II at events at Goodwood since 2000, it was still special when he and his wife Elaine received a private invitation for a special dinner with the Duke of Richmond.
After the event, Ernie sent along some photos taken by John Taylor and we are happy to publish his story of Old Yeller II at the Members Meeting 2024. And as you will read, for Ernie and Elaine, Goodwood is much more than another race. Ed.
Goodwood Members Meeting Races April 13-14, 2024. After the Old Yeller II was invited to the September 2023 Goodwood Revival Meeting Tribute to Carroll Shelby, an invitation followed to the leave the Old Yeller II in England and participate in the April 2024 Goodwood Members Meeting. We arrived into Heathrow and for us, it was a “Rassemblement” of our U.K. support crew and team, as Mike Lillywhite, who picked us up, had assisted us in our first Goodwood twenty four years ago! Sean McClurg, who has been our prior U.K. crew/Race Shop, joined us in the classic “esprit de corps” feeling, and also Erik van der Schaaf of the Netherlands, a ‘Pro’ Photographer who assisted us at the 2000 Goodwood Festival of Speed event.