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Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Corvair

« on: October 27, 2021, 11:07:52 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.