Gold Yenko at Mecum sets record

[Stefano]

You guys are making this way too complicated. It did not run L88 times it ran L72 times! The crew at hand was a drag racing dream team, no amateurs allowed.

[turbojet427]

Personally I love this discussion. The history and mystic of this car just keeps getting better. I can't wait for Ryan to get Warren's paper to see what it says. The BOTTOM line is, this car is going to a great collection/collector for us all to enjoy and not becoming an auction whore. Cheers and keep it coming!

[JoeC]

An L-88 cam has a lumpy rough idle shaking, vibrating, inconsistent RPMs

The caption says the car was docile and quiet

looks like stock appearing 7mm plug wires, iron heads, and tower radiator hose clamps

photo from Super Stock magazine drag test

[lycan]

Originally Posted by Stefano

You guys are making this way too complicated. It did not run L88 times it ran L72 times! The crew at hand was a drag racing dream team, no amateurs allowed.

I hear you! But ...

- The track was wet, or drying ("a light, cold rain had just finished falling") and was facing a headwind
- The car didn't have traction bars (or anything other than spring clips for traction control)
- Hedrick was instructed to go very easy on the clutch/flywheel, with no power shifting

Not trying to be argumentative, just looking for a story that makes sense!

[turbo69bird]

Originally Posted by JoeC

In 1967, Don Yenko was well aware of the potential of the 427 Camaro for drag racing.

Don teamed up with Dick Harrell and the AHRA to make a minimum of 50 427 Camaros to make the cars legal for AHRA Super Stock drag racing.
Not legal in NHRA but legal in AHRA.

Some of the 1967 Yenko 427 Super Camaros were built with a drag racing package including headers, scatter shield, traction bars , hood pins, tach and gauges, and high temp plug wires.
This is well documented on the original Yenko work orders.

Yenko and Harrell sponsored a 4 car drag racing team for 1967 only.

In 1969 the COPO 427 Camaro was legal for NHRA Super Stock and Yenko sponsored two Daytona Yellow Yenko 427 Camaros.

Don and Dick Williams knew they had to make a good showing in that Super Stock magazine drag test.
They took the Gold demo car to York set up with headers, scatter shield, 4:56 gears and Atlas mag wheels.

I don't think it was a coincidence that Ed Hedrick Bill Jenkins , Dave Strickler, and Jere Stahl were at York for the testing that day.
Jere installed a set of his spring clamps and a set of header collector extensions.
Ed bolted on a set of his slicks.

This PA. crew was "loaded for bear" and they pulled off an amazing 11.94 ET at 115mph

"Mission Accomplished"

Could you ask for a better dream team a coupe tricks they used at the time in stock classes was to create a vac leak and jet up for it effectively adding CFM , some would even rock the carb up at full throttle to add air this is why stock class cars were notorious for revving the crap out of the engine before pulling to the line to clear the loaded up engines / plugs


They would also on camaro and firebird loosen the top nut 1 inch on the front shocks to give it 1 inch of travel before having any resistance even with drag shocks .

Another was to file / grind the serrations off the bushings in the front end to give it an easier weight tranfer.

[1969L89]

Best way to prove the ET's for sure is run the gold car again. Get Ron Welsh and Ed Hedrick together and have a best of 3 each run off. All 3 (car, Ron, & Ed) are still alive and well. That would surely open some eyes and make some headlines.
Ron's interview of buying, racing, and selling the car was the best of all https://www.facebook.com/reel/1796507421047935
"I ran 11.68 at 122 mph and drove it to the drive-in that night"-Ron Welsh (original owner). Just a classic line"!

[napa68]

I doubt an L88 spec engine could run like that through exhaust. As others have touched on, an L88 cam (one version or the other) would have certainly tipped someone off

[Pro Stock John]

Ed Hedrick would know.

Regardless, great stories and car.

And Tarheel said he is reuniting the green car with its original engine, would love to hear the story.

[JoeC]

Get Dick Williams ,Ron Welsh, Ed Hedrick, Ro McGonegal , and the Yenko 427 Drag Special together and have them hash it out

that would be a good video

[PeteLeathersac]

‘

As posted here a few years back, below are a few ‘04 paragraphs by Ro McGonegal who penned the original July '69 SS&DI article, w/ some of what he knew about the car also remembered of that 04/19/69 test day at the track, old thread here…
https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=154142

~ Pete

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