"MEET THE MEAN ONES" IN
CHICAGO, IN HONOR OF DON YENKO
With the continued success of the
Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, the most common question is “how
are you going to top this next year?” Well...with the continued support of
some of the greatest and most enthusiastic car people in the hobby, we are
gearing up to do exactly that! We have already announced our “Class of
‘62” and “Class of 1972” Anniversary displays, our
Aero Warriors, Shelby Snakepit IV, Trans Am Terrors, Bee Hive, “Going
Topless” and of course our Corvette Central Triple
Diamond display and competition, so the stage has been set. The
response to every one of these displays, along with the rest of our show, is
unprecedented.
Today we want to tell you about
our latest development. This is one that will certainly set a new standard and
again, could set the stage to be the largest gathering ever under one
roof, much like our ZL1 gathering and our ‘71 Hemi Cuda convertible display
last year, and our incredible gathering of Hurst cars two years
ago. Drumroll please.....
ANNOUNCING
"MEET THE MEAN ONES" IN CHICAGO
THE DON YENKO 25th MEMORIAL COLLECTION,
HONORING THE LIFE OF AUTOMOTIVE LEGEND, DON
YENKO
Sometimes a great idea starts as
simple “car talk” between a few guys. A few weeks ago, Joe Swezey and Brian
Henderson of Supercar Workshop in Latrobe, PA. were talking cars, (most likely
over the hood of a Yenko Camaro!) when Joe mentioned that it has been 25 years
since the passing of Don Yenko. (May 27, 1927-
March 5, 1987). Wow....has it really been that long? He went on to say,
“wouldn’t it be great to put together a group of cars and the people who
played a key role in his life, his racing, his successes and to really
acknowledge all of his contributions?” Well...that is exactly how it all
started. Soon after, Brian called me and asked if there was any way we could do
this, and really do it right, at the upcoming MCACN show. Needless to
say, the answer was a resounding YES!
Calls were made and e-mails were
sent to key collectors to see who may be onboard. One of the first calls went
out to Dr. Lynn Yenko Zoioppulos, Don’s daughter, to see if she would
agree to join us to share some stories and memories from “back in the day.” We
are honored to say, Lynn will indeed be joining us at MCACN November 17-18! Next
up is Yenko memorabilia collector extraordinaire Joe Barr. For those
who don’t know, Joe has an absolutely mind-blowing collection of Yenko related
memorabilia and incredible knowledge of Yenko history. Joe is on board and has
agreed to share many pieces from his extensive collection. Of course, a tribute
to Don Yenko wouldn’t be complete without a variety of real-deal
documented Yenko Super Cars, now would it? Yenko Stinger? check.
67 Yenko 427 Super Camaro? check. ‘68 and ‘69 Yenko Super Camaro’s? Check-check!
And what about the ultra rare ‘69 Yenko 427 Chevelle, of which a mere 99 were
built? Not only a check, but check-check, with a white one AND an orange one!
Yenko Deuce; another checkeroo! Suffice it to say, the response has been
overwhelming, and this is just the tip of the
iceberg.
The Yenko
Supercars website, www.yenko.net,
launched by Tom Clary and the Clary family, has served
as the ultimate gathering place for so many of us into Yenko Supercars and all
Dealer-built Supercars, and more recently, all things Muscle Car related, and
has brought together countless collectors and enthusiasts. Many of us have
formed real friendships on this site, with our shared passion for these great
cars and the people who put them on the map. The MCACN team would like to say
Thanks to the Clary Family for launching and keeping this site alive for so many
years, allowing us all to partake in our passion. We would also like to thank
MCACN Member Charley Lillard, who recently took over the reigns of the site. I
am pleased to say that this gathering will be presented by the Yenko.net website and the
Supercar Registry along with members of the Yenko Family, Super
Car Workshop, MCACN Sponsor Muscle Car Restoration and Design, Arone
Restoration, Author Dr. Pete Giminez, the Joe Barr Memorabilia Collection and
the many owners of these Legendary Automobiles who will be joining
us.
If you are the owner or know of a
Yenko Super Car, Race Car, Yenko sold Muscle Car, restored or unrestored, or any
related memorabilia, we would like to extend a personal invitation to you to
join us. If you are a past Yenko employee or a Yenko enthusiast, be sure to make
it a point to join us when the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals returns to the
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, (greater Chicago), Illinois.
We would also love to meet some original owners and hear your
stories.
We have already received
commitments for more than 30 authentic Yenko Super Cars. We are
committed to making this not only the largest, but more importantly, the
absolute best tribute to a Legendary man and his Legendary automobiles. Just for
a moment, imagine the lineup that will be gathered under one roof in the Chicago
area, in honor of the man who certainly is one of the primary forces behind the
instant recognition of the cars we all know today as “Super
Cars.”
If you would like to be a
part of this historical display, with a car or cars, or related memorabilia,
please e-mail Bob Ashton at bashton426@gmail.com or call 586-549-5291, or call
Brian Henderson at 724-875-3546
or e-mail bkhpah@msn.com
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