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Generation: C3 Year: 1968 VIN: Race Numbers: 2, 12, 22 Ownership: Bob Matkovitch (1970 to present) Sponsors: El Camino Auto Parts Drivers: Bob Matkovitch Status: Bob is restoring the original 1968 white roadster to its 1978 A-Production configuration. Plans call for a return to the track in mid-2009 Original Color: white Tires/Wheels: 15 X 9.5 Firestone Gold Stripe Engine: 427 tri-power Driveline: Muncie M21 4-speed, 4:11 rear gear Top: Interior: Condition: URL: Unique Characteristics: white pearl paint with gold lettering Modifications: Notes/Race History: Bob purchased his first Corvette, a white 1968 big block tri-power roadster with a 4:11 rear gear, shortly after graduating. The car was street-driven for several years until, in 1972, Bob got into the first stages of autocrossing. About a year later, around 1973, Bob, his wife and son, returned to California. Bob took-on the management of his brother’s new parts store…El Camino Auto Parts. This was also the point in time when he got involved with the SCCA and its regional racing series. Bob took first place in his first A Production(regional) race. However, when he joined the Northern Pacific Region in 1974, competition was tougher. He began the slow growth curve and with his development, the car evolved too. After his first crash (somewhere in 1974) the door glass came out…the hard way. Then the carpeting and so on. Bigger changes began when he actually realized that he had to commit to turning the car into a race car if he wanted to progress. The stock wiring harness and the rest of the interior came out. The wheels were upgraded to the 9 ˝ inches allowed by the SCCA. Firestone race tires (Goldstripes) were added and the first generation L88 flares provided the requisite body coverage. The car was still running its full windshield and a single hoop rollbar with rear diagonals, which was normal for the day. By late 1974 Bob had his national licence and the appropriate notations in his logbook to indicate that he was now a full-fledged racer. It was also around this time that John Bishop had broken away from the SCCA and formed the new IMSA series. With help from his friends, Bob signed up for one of the first races at Ontario in 1976. Bob had also upgraded the rollbar to a more cage-like arrangement, as required by IMSA. But he didn’t have the hardtop that was supposed to be in place. Bishop let him run anyway…maybe for the worse, because this race ended up being his first big accident. The car was due for a big change. The first change was to the windshield and cage. The frame was straightened but would have to be replaced later when funds permitted. Wider belts were added and a new seat design was found. The seat was actually provided by Joe Senn, who had made a copy from a similar seat created by Mark Donohue for the AMC Javelins which he raced in 1970. Joe Senn had access to the seat from the days when he had worked with Jim Barber and the AMC Javelin. Looking back, Bob says that this crash was actually the point in time that he considers to be the actual start of his racing on a professional level in IMSA. Around this time, Bob and Joe Senn also began to look at the SCCA Trans-AM series as a possibility. It had classes for A, B and C Production, as well as an A-Sedan class. The rules were pretty close, provided you didn’t overly modify your car for the IMSA series. IMSA didn’t require a full windshield and there were a few other differences in engine set-back and the like. But mostly you could run one car in both series, with minimal changes between races. By 1980, Bob figured that this was about the end of his good years with the 1968 roadster. He was running an essentially “street” car against the likes of Greg Pickett in the tubeframe cars and (in 1980) the new Kevlar-bodied narrow-body car. Trans-Am introduced its new five-year rule for body styles and it banned the big blocks Registry ID Number: 584 View Original Size  Vic Oliver photos courtesy of Mike Sepe |