Races, wins, podiums, pole positions, fastest laps. In early 1966 micheal summers of syracuse, new york contacted his close friend don yenko yenko chevrolet, canonsburg pa. Yenko took matters into his own hands after approaching gm about producing a factory racer that could give the mustang a run for its money. The yenko dealership had a division involved in automobile racing, and in 1960, mims started racing cars with friends from yenko. Yenko stuff catalog this copy was postmarked december 8, 1971 and don mentioned 200 stingers were available at sportscar dealers. Corvair book detail don yenko and the yenko stinger. He learned to fly an airplane at age 16 and went on to serve in the united states. Yenko chose to race the corvair corsa because it was about 500 pounds lighter than the corvettes he was racing, and he called it the yenko stinger. Don yenko whose father founded yenko chevrolet began selling performance upgrades parts and service for what had become known as the yenko stinger with a primary focus on scca road racing. He certainly had a different career to most drivers an his record of wins to races entered of 38% shows just how good a driver he was.
Dick thompson and jerry thompson at the wheel, these. Don yenko would help pioneer the muscle car era with some of the most powerful chevys ever produced and grady davis would develop and oversee gulf oils campaigning of the legendary ford gt40. The owens corning corvettes take up a large portion of this book. During the late 60s, don yenko owned and operated a chevrolet dealership located in cannonsburg, pennsylvania that specialized in supplying highperformance modifications to factory supercars. Don yenko s name was synonymous with highperformance chevrolets, and mims and her husband bought a fuelinjected corvette, which donna mae started racing in the 1960s.
To top off this episode, tom uncovers a gorgeous, unrestored sunbeam alpine with a welldocumented scca racing history, which includes a close encounter with famed race car driver don yenko. This was don s first real dealings with using the copo pipeline to get the ideal car for that type of racing. Yenko s final touch was to pull the factory 427 and perform his own magic on it notesrace history. Don, as for racing, the corvair was very popular in the nitro funny car drag racing class in the mid to late 1960s. Nov 22, 2019 it was specifically built for racing and features a competitiontuned, sixcylinder, aircooled engine in the backand, no, its not a porsche.
Regular members racing drivers who have participated successfully in major professional events, i. You can find the complete history with oversize color and black and white photography of this record setting corvette racing team in the book. After this race, don asked jerry thompson to compete for yenko with the new stinger, and jerry went on to to win the division championship that year. Don yenkos l88powered 1968 chevrolet corvette race car. She won her first race in 1960, driving her corvette at the b production race at the cumberland national.
Yenkos racing career would ultimately lead to the nowfamous yenko super cars, a collaborative effort with friend, and rival, carroll shelby, driver and builder of the ac cobras, gt40s. After many incidents with the very lenient authorities and the possibility of losing his drivers license, jeff decided to. Don yenko was a successful road racer who began racing in 1957 and later convinced his chevy dealer father to help sponsor his efforts that included dealership prepped corvettes wikipedia photo yenko took matters into his own hands after approaching gm about producing a factory racer that could give the mustang a run for its money. He was also the nicest driver ever to grace the circuits and this book is a very worthy tribute to him. Street racing legend 1969 yenko camaro 427 found parked since. Sports car racing photo gallery of don yenko usas cars photo gallery. Nov 05, 2019 the yenko stinger was developed by don yenko, a former race car driver and worthy rival of his ontrack nemesis carroll shelby. After the yenko supercars program came to a close, yenko continued to sell performance parts through a catalog and through his dealership. To get around this issue, don yenko, an american racing driver started to swap the camaros engines with larger l72 427 cu in 7. He is a lifelong car guy, growing up just half a mile from the chevrolet dealership run by don yenko. Meet the 1966 yenko stinger, the first fortified, competitiontuned car built by don yenko, the pennsylvania chevrolet dealer whod eventually become a darling of the muscle car world. In the 1960s, he created the yenko stinger corvair, which still is used in racing. Very soon, she became a force to be reckoned with on the circuits, winning her first race in 1960 and. He was aware of a 1969 yenko camaro a close friend was currently racing in nhra super stock.
For 1967, he delivered the goods for yenko, bringing home the national title, proving to yenko that the corvair indeed was the right platform to take racing. Dec 01, 2017 jeff was a very frugal teenager who had saved a lot of money. Jul 15, 2010 mark donohue, along with jack brabham and bruce mclaren, was one of the great driver engineers of motor racing. Yenko and copilot jack lord, better known as steve mcgarrett of televisions hawaii fiveo. The car comes complete with a transponder, 2 racing logbooks its entire racing history, full rollcage, buick skylark aluminum drums on all 4 corners with kevlar linings and an adjustable proportioning valve. Back in the 60s, dealers bulked up factory muscle to. Although this car hasnt been freshly restored it is still very presentable.
The yenko stinger was developed by don yenko, a former race car driver and worthy rival of his ontrack nemesis carroll shelby. In 1967 he worked with fred gibb on the little hoss car and also with don yenko engineering on the yenko super camaro. The thing i don t like about yenko cars are the stripes. Brad keselowski jimmie johnson joey logano kyle busch kurt busch. Signup now for access to a limited number of articles. Revson had many formula 1 and canam series victories. Sep 18, 2011 dave macdonald early in his career racing his 1958 corvette in the 1961 road america 300 enduro. Don was a avid corvette racer years before he created and developed his 427 yenko sc camaros.
The first officially licensed yenko continuation camaro. An opportunity for young american drivers to showcase their talent internationally. Don yenko don yenko raced his sunray dx corvettes at daytona, sebring, watkins glen and many other tracks around the country. For 1967, he delivered the goods for yenko, bringing home the national title, proving to yenko that.
Open wheel stars parnelli jones and lloyd ruby, nascar drivers tiny lund, jim paschal and buck baker, and sport car drivers such as peter gregg, bob tullius and don yenko. In 1966, don yenko was impressed enough with the late model chevrolet corvairs handling, and decided to apply for scca approval of the corsa model for racing. Jeff was a very frugal teenager who had saved a lot of money. The side stripes look to stop short on the front fender, and the sides at the quarters look incomplete. Vintage scca race car with don yenko connection barn find. Don yenko is in the national corvette museum hall of fame because of his years of racing corvettes. Pages in category trans am series drivers the following 158 pages are in this category, out of 158 total. Director of general motors performance devision zora.
Lynn is the daughter of yenko super car creator don yenko. It all began with the awkward midengine powered chevrolet corvair stinger in 1966. Don, as for racing, the corvair was very popular in the nitro funny car drag racing class in the mid to. Don yenko and the yenko stinger is one of those labors of love by a dyedinthewool enthusiast. This car was set aside and painted silver pearl and was used as yenko s family driver. Sep 25, 20 in 1965 he went to work for nickey chevrolet and after a couple years started his own performance shop in st. Donald don frank yenko was an american car dealer and racecar driver best known for creating the yenko camaro, a highperformance version of the. The yenko stinger was don yenkos first attempt at building a series of dealer prepped vehicles for the performance minded driver. Don hoped to do with the corvair, what carroll shelby did with the. Yenko gained international recognition for driving corvettes in endurance races, including the everpopular 24 hours of lemans. By 1967, thompson had what it took to pull off the divisional championship and class d national championship, which was sealed at the daytona arrc. Yenko s racing career would ultimately lead to the nowfamous yenko super cars, a collaborative effort with friend, and rival, carroll shelby, driver and builder of the ac cobras, gt40s. Don yenko usas cars photo gallery racing sports cars. It does have its share of race track rash and bruises.
Donald don frank yenko may 27, 1927 march 5, 1987 was an american car dealer and racecar driver best known for creating the yenko camaro, a highperformance version of the chevrolet camaro. Yenko owner and driver charlie doerge has taken his 25 years of research and obsession with the stinger and compiled all his knowledge and stories into one 270page, black and white book that will surely stand as a definitive work on these unusual racecars. Dec 09, 2017 street racing legend 1969 yenko camaro 427 found parked since 1979. She quickly became one of the top amateur race car drivers in the country. We just competed this june at the svra indianapolis invitational, where the car place second in class, what a great event. Yenko owner and driver charlie doerge has taken his 25 years of research and obsession with the stinger and compiled all his knowledge and stories into one 270page, black and white book that will surely stand as a definitive work on these unusual. He continued with gibb and helped take the zl1 to the nationals. On the race track, yenko driver jerry thompson won a regional d production title in 1966, but finished fifth in the national championship race. Don yenko had created the perfect pony car with the. Classic cars the yenko stinger was developed by don yenko, a former race car driver and worthy rival of his ontrack nemesis carroll shelby.
It is ys071 which puts it in the original 100 white cars that don yenko. The stingers proved to be another one of don s good ideas. All this time, yenko continued to race corvettes, either on his own or as a co driver with a number of prominent corvette teams. After many incidents with the very lenient authorities and the possibility of losing his driver s license, jeff decided to. His don yenko sunray dx corvettes were raced for years. Remembering chevrolet racer fatalities from past septembers. Don yenko had created the perfect pony car with the chevrolet. His speed shop in canonsburg, pennsylvania, turned from race car support to production line in 1967 as new camaros received heart. This yenko corvair is a stinger and it hurts so good. Car and driver april, 1973 this was a group 7 promotion for a 1973 stinger vega. Don yenko was a successful road racer who began racing in 1957 and. Both men started out as racing drivers before moving into performance car read more. Racing was in his blood, and he opened up a shop inside the yenko family dealership to modify cars in the 1960s.
Dec 01, 2017 during the late 60s, don yenko owned and operated a chevrolet dealership located in cannonsburg, pennsylvania that specialized in supplying highperformance modifications to factory supercars. Once it was determined he was a race car driver, no charges were pressed and. The drivers competing in this new event represented a wealth of talent from several forms of racing. His passion for racing and competition never deserted him. Yenko stinger ys095 this is a wonderful and rare vintage racing car. Supported by jeff moore story of its past and current racing and event plans with svra and cvar. I even have the receipt from don yenko chevrolet for the stinger kit continuation series car. One mans passion for the yenko stinger has lasted 50 years. Sep 06, 2017 to top off this episode, tom uncovers a gorgeous, unrestored sunbeam alpine with a welldocumented scca racing history, which includes a close encounter with famed race car driver don yenko. View mobile site jokeypsych endgamehonest galaxyquest. Don yenko s father, frank, who opened yenko chevrolet in the 1930s, raised no fool. Both men started out as racing drivers before moving into performance car production, yenko did this before shelby, starting his first performance garage in 1957. Don yenko, son of the dealership founder, first sold specially ordered and equipped corvairs in 1965 through 1967 called the yenko stinger.
Yenko stinger ys095 the automotive archeologists, ltd. The yenko stinger had a highly successful outing in scca d production racing in 1966. Mar 27, 2020 don yenko was a successful road racer who began racing in 1957 and later convinced his chevy dealer father to help sponsor his efforts that included dealership prepped corvettes wikipedia photo. To top things off for this episode, tom uncovers a gorgeous, unrestored sunbeam alpine with a welldocumented scca racing history, including a close encounter with famed race car driver, don yenko. Dernoshek keeps busy, actively working on a yenko stinger ys057 project that he and his son campaign in vintage racing events. Donald don frank yenko was a car dealer and race car driver from bentleyville, pennsylvania. Profile for racing driver don yenko from united states. Don yenko is best known for his late1960s antics of stuffing 427cubicinch bigblocks into camaros, but before he was putting muscle cars in the 11s on the dragstrip he was scca racing and needed something to get him to the front of the pack. He is a muscle car fan first and foremost, being just eight years old when the dealership opened its doors in 1949. With yenko s connections, they ordered a 1967 l88 corvette coupe. In case you are unfamiliar, the first copy printing of this book was released in october 2011.
Driver bob wearing knew and worked with performance expert don yenko. Here is one of the first 100 stinger corvairs built. It was a savvy move, and it allowed yenko to badge and distribute far more 427powered machines than his rivals more than 350 in 1969 alone. Don yenko was a secondgeneration chevrolet dealer in western pennsylvania with a keen interest in roadcourse racing. Known as the showroom car to l88 authors and historians, this particular l88 corvette was built up for racing when new by don yenko, since the factory l88 car he ordered would not arrive in time for the 1968 daytona 24hour race, so he plucked a rally red l71 427435 street hardtop convertible off his showroom floor to transform into. Dave ran in the top 5 throughout this race and led laps 3033. After cofounding the corvette club of western pennsylvania, yenko s racing career kicked into high gear when the club managed to recruit the vicepresident of gulf oil, grady davis, who agreed to sponsor two corvettes for the 1961 racing season, with yenko and racer dick thompson selected for the driving duties. Don yenko built the 427 camaro that chevrolet wouldnt hagerty. Street racing legend 1969 yenko camaro 427 found parked. They even had a co driver by the name of don yenko. Don yenko stock car racing wiki fandom powered by wikia. Pictures and info on the team chris langely ys199 russ rosenburg ys320 john gresham. Mims worked as a secretary at yenko chevrolet in canonsburg, pa, in the 1950s.