Yenko biography
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Don Yenko
American bil dealer & racecar driver (1927-1987)
Donald "Don" Frank Yenko | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1927-05-27)May 27, 1927 Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 1987(1987-03-05) (aged 59) Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Car dealer, racecar driver |
| Known for | Building high performance cars |
| Spouse | Hope |
| Children | 2 |
Donald "Don" Frank Yenko (May 27, 1927 – March 5, 1987[1])[2] was an American car dealer and racecar driver best known for creating the Yenko Camaro, a high-performance version of the Chevrolet Camaro.
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Yenko grew up in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania to parents of Ukrainian origin. He learned to fly an airplane at age 16 and went on to serve in the United States Air Force, before attending the Pennsylvania State University. While a lärjunge at Penn State, Yenko started the school's first flying club, was president of the debating club, and
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#MuscleMonday -The History of Yenko
While not nearly as well known, Don Yenko was essentially Chevrolet’s performance counterpart to Ford’s Carroll Shelby. The son of a Chevrolet dealer in Pennsylvania, after serving in the Air Force and then receiving his business administration degree from Penn State, Don Yenko returned to his home state and set up a performance shop for Chevrolets while simultaneously racing Corvettes in various SCCA events in the region.
After co-founding the Corvette Club of Western Pennsylvania, Yenko’s racing career kicked into high gear when the club managed to recruit the vice-president of Gulf Oil, Grady Davis, who agreed to sponsor two Corvettes for the 1961 racing season, with Yenko and racer Mr Thompson selected for the driving duties. For the next three seasons the Corvettes would dominate A and B Production class racing, with Yenko securing the B Production championship in 1962 and again in 1963.
However, Don wanted more to his legacy than just rac
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27/5/1927 - 5/3/1987
Record updated 24-May-06
Don Yenko was the only son of a Chevrolet dealer from small town Pennsylvania. In 1957 Yenko bluffed his way into his first competition race using his new V-8 Corvette. He was hooked. Yenko convinced his father to sponsor a racing effort and was soon entering his Corvette in various SCCA events.
Co-founding the Corvette Club of Western Pennsylvania provided a boost to his racing career when the club recruited vice-president of Gulf Oil Grady Davis. Gulf agreed to sponsor two Corvettes for the 1961 racing season and Yenko and Dick Thomspon were hired to drive.
For the next three years the Gulf Oil Corvettes dominated the A and B Production classes, and Yenko captured the B Production crown in '62 and '63. Although Gulf Oil eventually abandoned Corvette in favor of the Ford Cobra, Yenko remained loyal to Chevy and Corvette for the rest of his career, which included four more divisional championships and a GT victor