MBStevens1@aol.com wrote:
> All,
>
> Another interesting item is a 1966 Yenko Stinger, #100 of 100, currently at
> $30,100 (it was at only $6100 earlier this afternoon!) --
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=62181808
>
> Is anyone familiar with this car? It is described as an accomplished
> autocross, hillclimb, and SCCA racer from '66-'73 (1969 Tri-State Champ).
>
> I just thought I'd throw this out here in case anyone is interested. I have
> nothing to do with the sale of these items. I found them and other things by
> doing a search on "SCCA" and clicking the box for "Search Title AND
> Description" at --
>
> http://pages.ebay.com/aw/search.html
>
> Mike Stevens
> ES Altima SE
I just scanned this from a nice article in the Sept/Oct '97 issue of Grass Roots
motorsports
the stimger story
In 1965 when Chevrolet dealer Don Yenko's B Production Corvette
had been rendered no longer competitive by Shelby's best, he
set out
to find ~omething new to race GM brass told Yenko he was on his
own, so he decided to build his own better mousetrap. He chose
the Corvair
as the basis for this project and set his plan in motion.
First he had to run his idea by the SCCA Since the Corvair had a
back seat, the Club said he couldn't race it against sports
cars in their
Production classes Solution9 Remove the hack seat. Now the Corvair
was a sports car. Now show us 100 Yenko Stingers by year's
end, and
we II consider you a bona fide manufacturer, said the SCCA.
Problem
was, the new year was about a month away.
A $350,000 investment of GMAC funds provided the capital for the
initial batch of cars, and 100 white Corvair Corsas rolled
into Yenko's
dealership between December 8 and 18, 1965. His staff worked two
shifts every day, taking only Christmas of{ and by the time
Baby New Year
came trotting into town, Yenko had met the SCCA's request and
transformed the required number of Corvair Corsas into Stingers.
Yenko, at
least in the eyes of the SCCA, was now a car company.
Five more Stinger build-ups followed later on in 1966, and then
in
1967, Yenko placed another fleet order for 25 more
Corvairs~Monzas
this time around as the Corsa had been dropped from the line.
These
25 cars also were destined for Stinger-tude. Unlike the
first batch, these
were not all-white cars some red and blue Corvairs were also
shipped to the dealership. Conversions on both new and customer
cars continued
up until the mid 70s with about 185 total operations performed.
(The exact number is still not known.) Yenko sold his
Stingers directly from
his dealership plus through a network of St) or so participating
Chevy dealerships.
In converting a standard Corvair into Stinger trim, the Yenko
people reworked the brakes, engine and suspension. Modified
rear body pillars
and a fiberglass engine deck lid featuring cooling scoops and a
functional spoiler were also included. The idea behind the
revamped body pillars
was to make the car ~ppear more like a two-seater, and the siory
goes that Yenko and designer John Sal athe used cut-up pizza
boxes for the initial
mock-up. Other pizza boxes were used in designing the rear
spoiler.
To further differentiate the St ngers from garden-variety
Corvairs, a two-tone paint job was part of the plan. A wide, blue
stripe flanked
by two smaller stripes ian over the top of the car. More blue
paint
covered the headlight and taillight panels, plus the
panels running under
the doors and bumpers. The competition cars received the same
stripes on the roof and rear deck lid, but Yenko painted the
hood blue,
leaving a white meatball for a number.
The cars came in five states oftune. Stage 1(160 hp) and Stage 11
cars (175 hp) were for street use, while the 210-horsepower
Stage Ill car
was designed for road racing. The Stage III cars came with all
sorts of bits required for D Production competition,
including modified cylinder
heads, upgraded engine internals and basically whatever else was
needed to keep pace with the dominating Triumphs.
A Stage IV car featuring a 176-cubic-inch engine was also
produced, but the SCCA never classified it. Likewise, the
fuel-injected Stage V
cars were also banned from Club Racing.
To Yenko's initial shock, the SCCA placed the car in D
Production,
where the factory-supported Triumph TR4A had a
stranglehold on the
class in claiming the last four national championships. Yenko had
expected the car to be placed in a slower class, like maybe
F or F Production.
Apparently the SCCA thought Yenko was receiving help from GM, and
as longtime SCCA watchers can tell you, the Club usually
doesn't
take kindly to a new kid rendering everyone else's ride
uncompetitive~especially when that new kid is also considered a rich
kid. "In fact, when
certain Chevrolet people were asked what they thought of the
'project,' "Yenko once explained, "they replied, 'We sold you 100
Corsas~and
that's good business for us. What you do with them is your
business.'
Tough odds didn't deter the Pennsylvania car dealer, and Yenko
Stingers recorded six National wins in 1966 and then went on
to win the
national championship in 1967 with Dr. Jerry Thompson behind the
wheel. With the Stinger now a proven performer, Yenko's
dealership
eventually expanded its magic to Camaro, Chevelle and Nova models.
Even though the Yenko Stinger story is a short chapter in the
history of U.S. motorsports, Stinger owner and fan Charlie
Dorge has spent the
last 10 years working on a book detailing their story. If you own
one of the remaining cars, or have something to contribute
to his book, he can
be reached at ~732) 928-2864 or cdoerge@bellatlantic.net. His
mailing address is 46 Castle Avenue, Jackson, N.J. 08527-2513.
We'd also like
to thank Mr. Dorge for his help with this article. David S.
Wallens
5,
31
L~'red Bybee, C Prepared autocros~ Corvair.
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