Don Yenko and Yenko Stinger
By Charlie “Bud” Doerge
In 1957, Chevrolet racer Don Yenko set up his own tuning shop in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Starting in 1965, Yenko’s shop began turning its attention to Chevrolet’s new, rear-engined car, the Corvair. Yenko saw both performance and racing potential in the Corvair and after improving on nearly every system in the car—including engine tweaks that could raise its output to 240-hp—Yenko had transformed the pedestrian Corvair, into the “Yenko Stinger.” Over the next two years, Yenko would build 185 Stingers, many of which saw action on tracks across the U.S.
Don Yenko and the Yenko Stinger is one of those labors of love by a died-in-the-wool enthusiast. Yenko owner and author Charlie Doerge has taken his 25 years of research and obsession with the Stinger and compiled all his knowledge and stories into one 270-page, black-and-white book that will surely stand as the definitive work on these unusual racecars.
Doerge not only traces the history of Yenko and the development of the Stinger, he also tracks the racing history of the Stinger and provides a comprehensive registry of the known survivors and their whereabouts.
While the topic may not be of interest to everyone, if you’ve ever had an interest in either Yenko or the Corvair/Stinger, this limited edition, self-published book will be a must have.
Available for US$39.95 (+s&h) at www.yenkostinger.com or be email at [email protected]
