Alumni Spotlight Harry Yeaggy (Class of 1964) Earns Best of Show at 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Deer Park High School Class of 1964 alumnus Harry Yeaggy has once again reached the pinnacle of the collector car world.

Yeaggy captured Best of Show at the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with his stunning 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster, one of only two ever built. The prestigious honor is widely considered one of the highest achievements in the collector car world.

The winning Duesenberg comes with a story worthy of Hollywood. The car was originally associated with legendary actor Clark Gable and was one of two short-wheelbase, supercharged SSJ Special Speedsters produced by Duesenberg. The other was associated with another Hollywood icon, Gary Cooper.

Yeaggy's win at Pebble Beach was featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, and Monterey Herald, among numerous other publications.

For Yeaggy, bringing the car to Pebble Beach was the culmination of a pursuit spanning decades. According to Car and Driver, Yeaggy spent approximately 40 years trying to acquire the Duesenberg before finally purchasing it about three years ago. The car was then meticulously restored before making its appearance at Pebble Beach.

The victory also placed Yeaggy in rare company as a two-time Pebble Beach Best of Show winner.

His first victory came in 2007 with another legendary 1935 Duesenberg, the SJ Speedster known as the “Mormon Meteor.” That car made automotive history in the 1930s when driver Ab Jenkins used it to establish speed and endurance records at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Nineteen years later, Yeaggy returned to Pebble Beach's winner's circle.

“I won once before, 19 years ago, but I appreciate it a lot better now,” Yeaggy said following this year's victory. “I appreciate the hard work it took and the time it took to get here.”

While Yeaggy's collection and accomplishments have earned recognition around the automotive world, his connection to Deer Park remains strong right here at home. Deer Park's athletic stadium proudly bears the name Harry Yeaggy Family Stadium, a lasting reflection of the Yeaggy family's support of Deer Park students and the Wildcat community. Yeaggy was the lead donor of the 2015 turf field project, which raised more than $800,000 in private donations.

From the Deer Park High School Class of 1964 to the winner's stand at one of the world's most prestigious automotive events in the world, congratulations to Harry Yeaggy on another remarkable achievement.

Once a Wildcat, Always a Wildcat!

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