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Generation: C3 Year: 1968 VIN: 194678S405175 Race Numbers: # 44, 3 Ownership: James Garner (AIR Team); Gerry Gregory; Gene Cormany; Jim Herlinger; Gregg Peterson; David Magaw; Mike Alles; Jim Herlinger. Sponsors: Drivers: Dick Guldstrand; Ed Leslie; Dave Jordan; Scooter Patrick; Gerry regory; Ed Cormery; Jim Herlinger; Gregg peterson; David Magaw; Mike Alles. Status: For sale at Bonhams and Butterfield Auction at Monterey, Aug 15, 2008 Original Color: Blue (AIR livery) Tires/Wheels: Engine: RPO L88 Early prototype "open-chamber" heads Driveline: M22 Top: Interior: Condition: URL: Refer to Bob Radke's web site at: www.airl88.com Unique Characteristics: These three L-88's (# 45 VIN 194678S405120, # 44 VIN 194678S405175, and promotional car VIN #194678S405186) were ordered with Bob Wingate's help through Gledhill Chevrolet in Harbor City (CA) in Herb Caplan’s name. Caplan, a well-known west coast SCCA National Champion, had been approached to provide interim financing until the sponsorship deal with Goodyear was formalized. The original members of the AIR team invited James Garner, the movie star, to join the team and thereby obtained the prestige required to close a sponsorship deal with Goodyear. The cars were all prepared at GULDSTRAND ENGINEERING for Daytona; five engines were prepped by TRACO. One of the three cars was intended to be used as a promotional car and was eventually taken to Daytona as a parts car (but never cannibalized). In fact, this car was titled in the state of California. The other two cars were race-prepped for endurance racing. The # 45 car was first road tested by Bondurant at Riverside (Corvette News, Vol 11, No 4). The two L-88 powered Corvettes (#44 and #45) raced only a single race under AIR, the 24 Hours of Daytona in February of 1968. The two cars were driven by Dick Guldstrand, Ed Leslie and Herb Caplan (#44) and Scooter Patrick and Dave Jordan (#45). Jordan had been picked at the eleventh hour as a result of Bondurant’s injury at Watkin’s Glen where he was sevearly injured. The two cars out-qualified all other FIA competition in their class, and as a result both team cars occupied the front row positions at the start of the race. Car # 45 did not finish the race (blown head gasket) but #44 did finish in 29th position, after considerable trouble with the rear differential. The cars returned to Culver City, and were rebuilt in anticipation of Sebring. However, the cars were never to see another race under AIR. Sebring was run with the Lola T70 Mk II coupes. Modifications: Notes/Race History: The #44 AIR car had been sold in 1968 to Gerry Gregory, an ex-fighter pilot recently turned racer. The year was already well under way. Still, Gregory got a wild card entry to the ARRC runoffs at Riverside Raceway at the end of the 1968 season. He qualified on pole! Unfortunately, because there were no defaults in the regular entry field, he did not get to take up his wild card entry. The following year, 1969, Gregory made it to the run-offs on his own merits but DNF’d after running as high as second. The car still featured the AIR emblem on the hood. At the end of the 1969 season, the car went to Gene Cormany, still in its LeMans Blue. Gene Cormany was the head of Zollner Corporation, which was the world’s largest producer of pistons and, himself, a long time SCCA racer in the Indiana Region. In 1973 the car was purchased by Northern Californian Jim Herlinger. When Jim acquired the #44 AIR car he painted it red over the Le Mans Blue and added the “Enjoy Coca Cola” logo in white letters. As purchased the car still had the original L-88 motor. Jim entered the season running SCCA A/P in West Coast SCCA National events at Portland, Seattle, Sears Point, Willow Springs and Laguna Seca. Jim took three wins and also ran the Bob Bondurant Corvettes-only Challenge Race at Laguna Seca. In 1974, Jim ran one race in the newly-formed IMSA series, together with the cars new owner Gregg Peterson. Peterson had added a windshield to comply with one of the few differences in IMSA rules. Initially, Peterson drove solo at Willow Springs, placing second in A/P. Then at the first joint race of the season, at Laguna Seca, Jim blew up the original Traco motor. The car spun and this ended up being Jim’s last formal race. Peterson went to run two more SCCA races at Sears point and Ontario (minus the Coca Cola sponsorship) and finished the IMSA series in second place in the West Coast division. From here the car went to David Magaw of Tucson who ran mostly regional SCCA events in 1975, even though he had intended to go TRANS-AM. Then in 1976 Magaw ran several National SCCA A/P events. Part way through the year, the car was sold to Mike Alles of Grand Haven,Michigan. He also ran the 1977 SCCA season but this was the final year of active racing. The car re-surfaced when Jim again tracked it down and bought it back in 1990. The car was restored to its original Blue AIR livery and vintage raced since 1992. Dick Guldstrand drove the car at at the 1999 and 2002 Monterey Historic events. In August of 2008, the car will be auctionned by Bonhams and Butterfield, at Monterey (CA). Registry ID Number: 152 View Original Size  Photo by Don Heath, courtesy of David Herlinger |