Author Topic: Corvair (Read 26684 times)

Jon Mello · « **on:** June 23, 2012, 06:07:37 AM »

There were only two Corvairs that I can think of that ran in the Trans-Am series and that was during the first season, 1966.
They were run by Spurgeon May and Don Eichstaedt. Hopefully I can dig up some material on those cars. The Corvair was
at a disadvantage in Trans-Am because its engine was too large for the under 2-liter class and way too small for the over
2-liter class. In D/Production with the Yenko Stinger package, they did quite well and were the National Champion in 1967.
In other forms of racing such as slaloms and hill climbs, where rules were not quite so restrictive, you can see in the article
below that the Corvair did quite well for itself.

Jon Mello Collection

yenkomark · « **Reply #1 on:** June 23, 2012, 05:05:33 PM »

Doug ended up with the Bill Thomas 1960 Corvair which Bill had developed for sedan racing ( another back door Chevy project ). Bill developed the 4 carb , big valve heads which became the 140 hp Corvair engine in 1965. That car now belongs to a friend here in Indiana who restored it to the configuration that Doug last raced it.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2012, 11:31:50 PM »

Thanks, Mark. I didn't know where that car ended up. Here's a small story on the
BTRC Corvair from the November, 1963 issue of Car and Driver magazine.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2012, 11:32:55 PM »

Bill Thomas ad from November, 1963.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #4 on:** June 24, 2012, 06:57:31 PM »

1966 Yenko Stingers did very well in competition and did win the National Championship in 1967.
They did not ever reach the production numbers Don Yenko was hoping for in spite of being a
very competitive car.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2012, 06:58:37 PM »

Another Stinger ad.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2012, 09:30:30 PM »

A couple of for sale ads from 1971 below

Jon Mello · « **Reply #7 on:** December 23, 2012, 06:17:48 AM »

An ad in the Jan. 6, 1968 issue of Competition Press & Autoweek touting the accomplishment
of Jerry Thompson's Yenko Stinger winning the 1967 National Championship for D/Production.

An ad in the Jan. 27, 1968 issue of Competition Press & Autoweek showing Jerry Thompson's Corvair is for sale.

T/AracingFTW · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2013, 05:33:10 AM »

I'm still learning and need to learn a lot more about the way the SCCA classes were run but Jon, you mentioned that there was most likely only 2 corvairs ran in the Trans Am series and they were right in the beginning but I couldn't help but notice that you or someone else (wish I could remember the thread I was looking at) mentioned a later model Corvair that Tony Delorenzo owned and/or raced in Trans Am. I'm not trying to start an argument here. I just am wondering how many were actually raced in Trans Am classes and if there were any of the later model ones. Also like I mentioned not being super confident in my knowledge of SCCA classes, did I hear you correctly that the Corvairs ran against the pony cars and not the imports? Could you point me to some good info on how SCCA classes were run? Thanks :-)

SMKZ28 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2013, 02:41:41 PM »

While searching through the almost 1,000 pictures Dave Friedman took during the weekend of the 1966 12-hours of Sebring I found several pictures of the Four Hour Governor's Cup for Sedans which was the first Trans Am race ever held. It took place on March 25, 1966 at Sebring Circuit, Sebring Florida. Amongst these images I found a few pictures of two Corvairs that participated in the Trans Am race. One of the Corvairs was the #21 of Don Eichsteadt who did not finish the race. The other was the #22 of Spurgeon May who finished 19th, 15 laps behind the winning Alfa Romeo of Jochen Rindt.

These three pictures show the start of the race and are part of The Dave Friedman Collection at the Henry Ford.

See a larger version of the first picture here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=152111&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

See a larger version of the second picture here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=152110&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

See a larger version of the third picture here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=152109&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

SMKZ28 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2013, 02:46:41 PM »

These two pictures show the #21 car of Don Eichsteadt furing the Sebring 4-hour Trans Am race. These are also part of The Dave Friedman Collection at The Henry Ford.

See a larger version of the first picture here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=152075&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

See a larger version of the second picture here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=151233&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

SMKZ28 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2013, 02:51:55 PM »

These first two pictures show the #22 of Spurgeon May, while the third picture shows the front of one of the Corvairs. They are also part of The Dave Friedman Collection at The Henry Ford. Anybody know what the strange mechanical device on the engine cover is? Is it some type of data collection device?? It doesn't appear on the #21.

A larger version of the first picture can be seen here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=152186&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

A larger version of the second picture can be seen here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=151235&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

A larger version of the third picture can be seen here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=151227&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

SMKZ28 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 25, 2013, 03:06:18 PM »

Here is a picture of the #36 Yenko Stinger Corvair that participated but did not finish the 12 hours of Sebring sports car race the day after the first Trans Am race. The last names of the three drivers who drove it were MacGrotty, Riley, and Myers. Another Yenko Stinger Corvair also participated but their are no pictures of it in this collection. It was the #37 car of Donna Mae Mimms her co-driver with the last name of Luke. The picture is also part of The Dave Friedman Collection at The Henry Ford.

See a larger version of the picture here: http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=151586&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

SMKZ28 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 25, 2013, 04:48:04 PM »

Here is a picture of the #12 Trans Am Corvair driven by Spurgeon May and Jack Clay taken by Jerry Melton. It was posted in the thread entitled "1966 Green Valley Trans-Am photos" from this website: http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=8789.15 This race was the 6th race of the 1966 season and it took place at Green Valley Raceway, Smithfield, Texas on September 10th.

An ad from the Green Valley Polar Prix sports car race which took place in February of 1966 also appears in the thread. The ad was for Johnson Chevrolet Co. from Dallas, Texas and it features a picture of the Yenko Corvair Stinger.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2013, 04:35:54 AM »

Tony DeLorenzo did run a Corvair in the '65-'66 timeframe but did not run in Trans-Am with it. His car was the '65 and up bodystyle. The Corvairs were over the 2-liter limit with their engine size and had to compete against the V8 cars in Trans-Am and also in the A-Sedan class in SCCA National and Regional events. The Yenko Stingers removed the back seat and qualified themselves as a 2-seat sports car in SCCA, which classified them in D-Production where they got to run against Triumphs and the like. They did very well in D-Production, winning the National Championship in '67.

oldtransamdriver · « **Reply #15 on:** April 26, 2013, 05:51:55 AM »

According to ultimateracinghistory.com Tony d was listed as a co-driver with Don Eichstaedt in the 66 Marlboro T/A race - 23rd o/a.

Robert Barg

Jon Mello · « **Reply #16 on:** April 26, 2013, 02:26:12 PM »

Then I stand corrected. Thanks, Robert. I was confident that Tony hadn't raced his own Corvair in T/A but hadn't thought about him being a co-driver in someone else's car.

yenkomark · « **Reply #17 on:** April 26, 2013, 09:33:29 PM »

Just a few additions to this discussion....Donna Mae Mims entered a Corvair in a TransAm once ....I think in Missouri ...DNF ...I recall Brock Yates in that race in a Dodge Dart. Tony D's Corvair was a 1965 , ran as an A/ Sedan..he told me it gave him his first of many race wins..I think at Nelson Ledges.. As a favor , Don Yenko gave him a Yenko Stinger ID tag later and Tony traded the car to his dentist for dental work ! That car now belongs to a friend in Maryland...who also has a red/red ( rare combo )1969 COPO Camaro. The Sebring Stinger referred to was raced by Russ McGrotty, a Chevy dealer in N Y ..co-driven by Art Riley, ( better known as a superb Volvo racer ) and a close friend of Don Y.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #18 on:** April 28, 2013, 06:50:16 AM »

Mark, Donna raced at Marlboro in '66 as a co-driver in Spurgeon May's Corvair. Some results show William "Bill" Clay as his co-driver but I think that was an error for that particular race. Donna does not show up in results for the Missouri race, at least the ones that I found anyway.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #19 on:** November 04, 2013, 05:30:48 AM »

An interesting single overhead cam experimental Corvair engine seen in the May, 6, 1967
issue of Competition Press & Autoweek. Cool looking piece. (Jon Mello Collection)

SMKZ28 · « **Reply #20 on:** November 13, 2013, 01:30:07 PM »

While not an official SCCA Trans Am race, a Yenko Corvair Stinger did run in Les 4 Heures du Circuit Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. This was a four hour race for Trans Am type cars held on May 21, 1967 at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant, Québec, Canada. According to the race results clipping, originally posted by Jon Mello in the 1967 season review thread, Donna Mae Mimms was the driver. The car did not finish the race, stopping on lap 18 due to ignition and clutch failure.

You can see the rear end and the striped roof of the white Stinger parked behind the Camaro in the first picture.

The front end of the Stinger can be seen at the top of the second picture above the roof of the Mustang.

The front end of the Stinger can also be seen to the upper right in the third picture above the hood of the Falcon.

The pictures can be seen here: http://www.autocourse.ca/photos/saison1967/transam/transam/transam.html

Jon Mello · « **Reply #21 on:** November 13, 2013, 02:33:26 PM »

Scott, Donna's car was pink and the one you can barely make out in the top picture is her car but the white car in the other two photos is not.

SMKZ28 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 13, 2013, 03:54:13 PM »

Quote from: Jon Mello on November 13, 2013, 02:33:26 PM

Scott, Donna's car was pink and the one you can barely make out in the top picture is her car but the white car in the other two photos is not.

Sorry 'bout that. I should have known her car was pink. In addition the white car does not even have the traditional Stinger stripe. It's probably just a regular street driven Corvair. Thanks for the correction Jon.

Here is a picture of her car from a race at Mid Ohio. I found it here: http://classicmotorsports.net/forum/classic-cars/donna-mae-mims-vintage-photos/24781/page1/

Jon Mello · « **Reply #23 on:** February 13, 2015, 03:09:10 AM »

Nice article from SCCA's Sports Car magazine on the introduction of the Corvair Stinger and written by no less than Don Yenko himself.

Jon Mello Collection

yenkomark · « **Reply #24 on:** March 04, 2015, 08:53:11 PM »

All Corvairs, including Stingers were classified as sedans under FIA rules when raced in Canada... Touring group II.

jwmoore · « **Reply #25 on:** October 27, 2021, 11:07:52 PM »

Quote from: Jon Mello on April 26, 2013, 02:26:12 PM

Then I stand corrected. Thanks, Robert. I was confident that Tony hadn't raced his own Corvair in T/A but hadn't thought about him being a co-driver in someone else's car.

Hello Jon,

Actually Tony DeLorenzo DID race his 1965 Corvair 500 Coupe in the 1966 Marlboro 12hr Trans Am in 1966. Don Eichstaedt was his co-driver and they did finish the race in 23rd position after having a flat tire that had to be changed on course and then damaged wheel studs had to be replaced at a later pit stop. They lost about 45 minutes with these two problems but still took the checkered flag. After Tony sold the car in 1967 to his friend John Dirnbauer, Don Yenko supplied John with Yenko tag YS121 so he could race the car as a Stinger in D-Production.

I recently acquired the car from Dave Edsinger who initially purchased the car in 1974. The car had been apart for about 25 years languishing in Dave's shop. I have the bare body shell mounted on my rotisserie with restoration work underway. The original body tag, VIN tag, and Yenko tag are with it and the two matching Federal VIN numbers stamped into the right front frame rail. My plans are to restore it back to it's August 1966 Marlboro 12hr Trans Am livery. I have been emailing back and forth with both Tony and Don in order to gather as much history as possible. It will be a joy to put it back on the track in historic racing events.

One other thing about the car is that Tony purchased it directly from the Chevrolet Central Office. It's nice when your dad is a GM V-P. As per the body tag, the car was completed the last week of June 1965, Tony was on the track at Nelson Ledges winning his first race one month later.

group/7 · « **Reply #26 on:** October 28, 2021, 02:47:23 AM »

Interesting thread, the Delorenzo Corvair is a significant car, it will be great to see it on track again !

Here's a photo I have in my files of the Delorenzo & Mim's Corvairs in the pits at Marlboro in 1966.

Mike

(photo: unknown)

MO · « **Reply #27 on:** October 30, 2021, 01:36:14 AM »

Great find and story. Hope to hear more.

Jon Mello · « **Reply #28 on:** October 30, 2021, 01:40:18 AM »

Congrats on getting Tony's old car. That's awesome that it's still around. I love the black on red color scheme. Best of luck restoring and racing it.

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Author Topic: Corvair (Read 26684 times)