Don Yenko race history

[JoeC]

Tom, this is the 1968 Camaro I thought was the Citrus 250 winner. It looks like it is on a high bank track like Daytona. Do your pictures show both the 68 and 69 Yenko Camaro race cars with the same white with blue stripe paint and wearing the same number "11"? I believe Yenko raced a 1967 L88 Corvette in the 1968 24hr Daytona with co driver Dave Morgan so this picture cannot be the 68 24hr Daytona. Was there a Citrus 250 in 1968 and in 1969?

[Dr. Pete]

As far as Don's racing goes, here are some actual facts: The 1967 L-88 Corvette was a factory L-88 and was raced at Sebring in 1967 and finished 1st in GT. That same car raced at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1968 and placed 1st in GT. Without digging up my info, I believe that in 1967 Don Yenko and Dave Morgan drove the car at Sebring. However, at Daytona, that same 67 L-88 was driven by teamates Jerry Grant and Dave Morgan. Don drove the new 68 Corvette with Peter Revson. The 67 was car #31 and the 68 was car #29. Car number 29 was converted to SCCA racing specs after Daytona and Don won some regional championships with that car in 68 and 69.

As far as the Camaros go, I believe the 68 may have been one of Smokey Yunick's "cheater" Camaros that were outlawed by some organizations. The 69 Camaro was not a factory ZL-1 but if my sources are correct, it was a Z/28 that was a host to both small block and big block powerplants. It also raced up in Watkins Glen and down in Sebring and finished quite well. I'll have to do more research on the Camaros, but the Corvette info is accurate. Don did drive many other Corvettes in competition but there is not enough room here to list.

[JoeC]

Seems like they changed the cars and their numbers for every race. I have an article on the 1968 12 hrs of Sebring were Yenko drove a red white and blue 1968 L88 Corvette wearing the number "2" co-driver was Pedro Rodriquez. Smokey Yunick had a Trans Am Camaro there that had a lot of trouble getting through tech. After finally passing tech it set the 13th fasted overall qualifying time with a 3:01 lap. Mark Donahue had second fastest Camaro time with a 3:02 and Don Yenko was fastest Corvette with a 3:04. The Camaros were quicker because they could fit bigger tires then the Corvettes. This is from Corvette News Vol 11 No.5. The same issue had the article where Don was testing a 68 L88 for LeMans. Pictures from this testing day.

[DarrylD]

Well, since I started this and everybody has contributed so much, I figured I better dig out my books and try to do some of the dirty work. The little information I have just concours with what has already been said though, so I'll just post a pic. The photo says " Don Yenko at Sebring in '65". Check out the truck running lights on the roof!
<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1471938&a=11075850&p=39594715>

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I don't have much info regarding Don Yenko's racing career. I have researched his Sunray DX days, and have always referred to one article with several pic's in it. The article agrees with several other posts, the pic's are posted below with some explanation. (Credit given to Richard Prince for a fine article and excellent photos, VINTAGE Motorsport, April/May 1997.)
M

These two pics are of the '67 DX Vette that was raced by Don Yenko, Dave Morgan and Peter Revson. The car is the first '67 L88 available to the public, and was driven from the St. Louis plant to Yenko Chev. where it was prepared for the race at Sebring. The second pic is of Morgan, Yenko and Revson respectively.



These two pics are of the Dave Morgan/Hap Sharp DX Vette at Sebring in '68. This car finished 6th overall, and 1st in class some 29 laps down from the overall winners. Yenko did not race with Morgan in '68.



Here is the #2 DX Vette of Pedro Rodriquez at Sebring in '68, mentioned by JoeC. You can barely see the Thompson/Delorenzo #4 Vette behind the Ferrari #39.


Finally, the #29 DX Vette of Thompson/Delorenzo at Daytona in '68, Yenko was racing with Revson and came in 4th.