Yenko Stinger YS095


This is a wonderful and rare vintage racing car. We just competed this June at the SVRA Indianapolis Invitational, where the car place second in class, what a great event! Although this car hasn't been freshly restored it is still very presentable. It does have it's share of race track rash and bruises.

History:
Purchased new from Don Yenko at Yenko Sports Cars in Cannonsburg, PA. by Grady Davis, Vice President of Gulf Oil Company. Grady had been introduced to Don Yenko a few years earlier by the "Pink Lady" Donna Mae Mims who, by chance, left her business card on the windshield of Grady's Corvette while parked on a Pittsburgh street. Don and Donna Mae were founding members of the Corvette Club of Western Pennsylvania and so Donna Mae invited Grady to attend there next meeting. Don and Grady became fast friends and a Corvette racing career ensued. After some successful years racing Corvettes himself, Gulf Oil brass thought that Grady should not be a racing driver himself, but rather manage the racing. Grady invited John Wyer to stop by the Gulf offices in October 1966, with a one page contract in hand, John returned to England and the Gulf Oil Racing Team became a reality. When you see the familiar blue and orange Gulf racing colors on a Ford GT40, Porsche 917 (Steve McQueen's "LeMans"), all the way to todays Aston Martin Vantage GT2, McLaren MP4-12C GT2, and Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 racing cars, you'll know where it came from!

Grady bought this car for his daughter Sara Davis Eller. During this same time period Grady was sponsoring Dr. Dick Thompson's SCCA racing efforts in another Yenko Stinger owned by Yenko Sports Cars. I have been told that from time to time parts were borrowed from this car for the race car! This Stinger (YS095) was the only Stinger ever owned by Mr. Irion Grady Davis.

This Yenko started out as a Stage II street Stinger and until it was modified for vintage racing by Keith Young of Young Chevrolet Racing in Dallas, Texas. Keith raced the car in vintage events for several years until further updates were made to race the car in SCCA GT3 class. Since 2001 we have raced the Stinger in vintage/historic events and SCCA E-Production.

Although race prepared, this Stinger has not been "cut up" to lighten the chassis. It would not be difficult to restore it back to original Stage II street trim.

Seriously interested buyers are welcome to contact Jeff Moore at 417-343-four-seven-four-seven, 9-9 central time or email through eBay. I also welcome you to come inspect the car in person. Interesting partial trades considered.

For more Yenko Stinger information I suggest visiting yenkostinger.org and yenkostinger.com



Here are pictures of the FOUR number plates/stamping that are used to document that a Yenko Stinger is indeed one of the 100 original COPO cars.

The Factory VIN Plate, the cars are titled with the Chevrolet VIN, not the Yenko number.


The Fisher body tag with proper dates and codes.


The Yenko identification plate.


The "proof" that a body is original, the "hidden" VIN stamping in the frame rail.


This is a copy of the document when Grady Davis traded the car back into Don Yenko for a new 1969 Corvette.


These next two documents are from when Yenko sold the car used in 1969.
I would say that this Stinger is probably one of the few that Yenko Sports Cars sold twice!


This is a page from Charlie "Bud" Doerge's research before writing his book on the Yenko Stinger showing the ownership chain dated 1992.


This is the cover of the Corvair Society of America's monthly publication "CORSA Communique".


The Stinger has been a podium finisher at every vintage event it has been entered in since 2007.


The Stinger is at the very end of this SVRA video


The Stinger made the "best of" 2014 Indy video it appears at 5:40 mins.


This is a video we put together from the SVRA Indy event


In car video from "The Mitty" 2012


In car video from "The Mitty" 2011


In car video from the 2007 HSR Daytona Continental Race


Grady Davis Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee.


Jay Leno and his Yenko Stinger.