AIR Daytona 1968 Racecar History |
American International Racing (AIR) was an effort started by Bob Bondurant, Don Rabbitt and Sandy Sandin in mid 1967. James Garner and Dick Guldstrand joined as equal partners shortly after. Headquarters were in Culver City, CA. Garner played a significant role in obtaining sponsorship money from Goodyear and later American Motors (when campaigning Lolas, but that’s a different story). Bondurant and Guldstrand had raced the 1967 DX L88 at LeMans and showed the tremendous potential of the L88 racing package.
Cars
Three COPO (Central Office Production Order) L88 hardtop roadsters in LeMans Blue were ordered through Gledhill Chevrolet and delivered to AIR in November of 1967. The cars were then race prepped, with the engines being worked by Traco. One of the cars, VIN #194678S405186, was destined to be used as a promotional car and was also transported to Daytona to be used as a parts car (the car was never touched during the race). This car was titled in California. The other two cars raced at Daytona as #44, VIN 194678S405175 driven by Guldstrand/Leslie and #45 VIN 194678S405120 driven by Patrick/Jordan. Bondurant was to be a driver, but due to injuries that had not yet healed he was replaced by Dave Jordan.
The #44 car was classified 29th, though it was retired with differential problems on lap 373, and the #45 car DNF'd with a blown head gasket on lap 262. The three Sunray DX cars placed better than both AIR cars.
After the Daytona race, the three cars were returned to the AIR garage in Culver City and were prepped to run at Sebring. The L88s were entered to run at the ’68 Sebring race, but this was never to be as AIR made arrangements to purchase Lola T70 MkII coupes, and they were run instead.
Cars
Three COPO (Central Office Production Order) L88 hardtop roadsters in LeMans Blue were ordered through Gledhill Chevrolet and delivered to AIR in November of 1967. The cars were then race prepped, with the engines being worked by Traco. One of the cars, VIN #194678S405186, was destined to be used as a promotional car and was also transported to Daytona to be used as a parts car (the car was never touched during the race). This car was titled in California. The other two cars raced at Daytona as #44, VIN 194678S405175 driven by Guldstrand/Leslie and #45 VIN 194678S405120 driven by Patrick/Jordan. Bondurant was to be a driver, but due to injuries that had not yet healed he was replaced by Dave Jordan.
The #44 car was classified 29th, though it was retired with differential problems on lap 373, and the #45 car DNF'd with a blown head gasket on lap 262. The three Sunray DX cars placed better than both AIR cars.
After the Daytona race, the three cars were returned to the AIR garage in Culver City and were prepped to run at Sebring. The L88s were entered to run at the ’68 Sebring race, but this was never to be as AIR made arrangements to purchase Lola T70 MkII coupes, and they were run instead.