COURAGE. Racer Media & Marketing, Inc., 17030 Red Hill Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614, 949.417.6700 For 50 years, it earned and held a reputation as the number-one racing school in the world, crediting Bob as the global expert authority on driver training and safety. Using his notorious racing skills, he copyrighted The Bondurant Method. Personally, he taught his hand-selected instructors how to educate the world to be better drivers. This marks the second driving school in just over a. (Update: A Fiat Chrysler spokesperson said that due to the ongoing litigation, the company cannot comment on the claims in the bankruptcy documents.). Nissan Motor Company (under Datsun name in the U.S.) was Bondurant's sponsoring partner in his school from its beginning, and continued in that role at the Sonoma Raceway driving school. The CSX2345 had innovative, distinctive features including wider front fender flares, cutback doors, and a tilt-back windshield to reduce drag. Initially Bob worked for Carroll Shelby as a instructor before forming his own school in 1968 after his competitive career effectively ended a year earlier after a colossal crash at Watkins Glen in the US Road Racing Championship event there saw him break both legs and a shoulder. No cause of death was released. He won his class at Le Mans and has been inducted into 10 motorsports halls of fame. We barely got the spare parts in the truck. "It had Edelbrock heads and intake manifold, plus a light flywheel; it was a sleeper. / CBS San Francisco. Over the years 52 drivers and 35 spectators have lost their lives on the 3.6-mile track. I am leaving because I have to take a stand. Bob was racing at Riverside Raceway when the crank broke in the Vette. Bob's father owned a car dealership that sold fast cars in nearby Chicago; very fast carsCords to be exact. She said, 'You can't do that.' A buddy had a car so we towed it with a rope around a corner to my house and the rear wheels came off. He won his class at Le Mans and has been inducted into 10 motorsports halls of fame. The land limitations only allowed Bob to put the small version of his dream training facility in Chandler, Arizona at Firebird Raceway,[5] now known as Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. By 14, he owned his first Indian motorcycle, and after the devastating death of his mother at 16 years old, he started racing flat track and even bigger Indians and Harleys. We're blasting down the road in a red, white, and blue Corvette with the side exhaust pipes making a huge amount of noise down a lot of dirt roads. The Depression caused Mr. Bondurant (and Cord) to fall victim to hard times when he lost his business, telling the family, we're going to move as far west as we can. He didn't have the money to fix it but his motorcycle mechanic friend Don who built the hot motor for his 101 Scout came to the rescue. The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving was an American performance driving school, specializing in instruction for high performance driving, teen defensive driving, law enforcement and special forces driving, open wheel race car training, Grand Prix road racing, drag racing, go karts, and other courses using the copyrighted Bondurant Method. I read later the axles were the weakest part of the ATS." [citation needed], The current operators of the formerly leased facility have renamed the facility and has no affiliation with Bob Bondurant or the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving/ Bondurant Racing School. Bob Bondurant was born in Evanston on April 27, 1933. Oh sure! The Depression caused Mr.. Pat Bondurant, again, vehemently denied claims from the former employees about the management of the school. [6], A statement on his death reads, in part, "Bondurant is the only American to bring home the World Championship trophy back to the U.S. while racing for Carroll Shelby. Were working through the proper legal channels to make the best choices for the long-term health and success of the school. For her part, [front desk employee Heidi] Johnson said she overheard Pat Bondurant say that staffers should tell female students to not dress like prostitutes. Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. The original was made from a lighter gauge mild steel. We started winning races. He is one of the Richest Formula One Driver who was born in United States. Silodrome was founded in 2010 as a website dedicated to Gasoline Culture and all it entails - We write about modern cars, classic cars, motorcycles, racing, gear, gadgets, clothing, boats, planes, airships and the occasional submarine.Read more Silodrome 2023. all rights reserved. There were no driving schools then," Bob laughs. ", Bob acquired the ultimate for any hot rodder, a severely chopped '34 Ford three-window coupe: "I found a chopped-and-channeled '34 coupe on a used car lot and I went drag racing with it at Santa Ana. Jalopnik has reached out to Dodge for comment on these alleged inconsistent payments and on the Vipers, and will update this story when we hear back. Between 1961 and 1963, he won 30 out of 32 races in Washburn's Corvettes. Bob Bondurant was one of the most successful American racing drivers of his era, he also coached a slew of celebrities This is Bob Bondurant at Riverside Raceway with the Shelby GT350 Mustang prototype for testing in 1965. [9], In late 2018, Bob Bondurant and wife Pat, found themselves embroiled in an unfortunate and unforeseen family business situation where they were victimized as a result of a power struggle and attempted character assaults perpetrated by certain close family members looking to take over the company. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Formula One Driver. The allegations revolve around Pat Bondurant, the schools president of eight years, CEO since 2017 and wife of founder Bob Bondurant. Jason Bondurant is the son of Pat Bondurant and the adopted son of Bob Bondurant. ", Bob made the big bucks$8 a night because he was in the novice class. "[4], (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap). Bondurant was one of the most famous drivers to emerge from the Southern California road racing scene in the 1950s, and achieved success in North America and in Europe. He offered Bob a full Ford sponsorship of cars, parts, and marketing until 2003. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Team USA Scholarship: [email protected]. Click here to view Vintage Motorsports appreciation of the amazing life of Bob Bondurant. The second was teaching the world to become champions., "As the President and CEO of Bondurant, I have always known that being the best in the world isn't easy and isn't a fixed point. Many Formula 1 drivers felt it was better to be thrown clear than be in the car when it crashed; in fact belts weren't mandatory until 1972. Bondurant won a world championship while racing for Carroll Shelby. Bob's first entry into Formula 1 was one that almost took his life in the ill-fated ATS Grand Prix Car he was about to drive on one of the deadliest tracks in racingMonza. This is a Porsche 959 tool kit containing all the items you might need for roadside repairs and tinkering though its perhaps doubtful, This is an original Ferrari Testarossa side mirror thats been mounted to a black carbon base, and signed by Gervadino Design. He said she appeared to avoid such language for a few weeks but made another remark after attending President Donald Trumps 2017 inauguration. American racing legend Bob Bondurant has passed away aged 88. Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. Bondurant won 30 of 32 races in Corvettes from 1961-63, and he won the GT class at Le Mans in 1964, co-driving with fellow American Dan Gurney. For the 1964 FIA season after finishing 2nd in GT at Sebring, Bondurant was in Europe racing the new 289 FIA Cobras at the Targa Florio, Spa, and Nurburgring. A roadster set up to HTTP FIA specifications and for track use only starts at $289,995. He was thrown out of the car. This story has been updated with allegations from the Bondurant schools former general manager, Tim Rose, and comment from FCA. When he made the decision to leave, he said, other employees went with him. I delivered the Hollywood newspaper on my Schwinn bicycle," Bob begins. ), "I had never been to Europe before so it was exciting to be able to race there," Guildstrand continues. Following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake he moved the driving school to Phoenix, Arizona, where he enjoyed close ties to General Motors and Goodyear Tires. At age 8, his father introduced him to racing by taking him to Thursday night midget races. [citation needed], Within 5 months, enough financial and infrastructural damage had taken place to force the legendary racing school into Chapter 11 protection. His steering arm broke at 150mph, and, lying in traction at the hospital, he vividly remembers his conversation with God explaining to Bob that he was needed more on Earth and to start a driving and safety school to save thousands of lives of those otherwise dying on the highways and in motorsports. Follow us online or subscribe to our mailing list for more info! "Bachtold built a special motor and said, 'Why don't you take that little motor out of your bike and put this one in'? "What a great feeling," was Bob's comment on the occasion. Pat and Bob Bondurant intend to reopen their school under an all-new ownership and management structure, at an exciting new location, and are currently negotiating opportunities to purchase the Bondurant Trademark License Rights. Bob then approached Datsun, which immediately agreed to support his plans. "I even tried selling insurance once, but that was boring. The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on October 2. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bondurant had four NASCAR starts, all at Riverside International Raceway, with his highest finish of 18th in 1981. Bondurant left the Formula 1 race series to race the even faster Can-Am cars with best friend and team driver, Peter Revson, in the Lola T70 Mark II. According to his family and the Bondurant Racing School website, Bondurant died Friday in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley. Stay up-to-date with our upcoming events! Bob Bondurant, 88, has had some health concerns over the last few years and has stepped back a bit from the business. Motorsport Images. During the race it started to rain; it was cold with 40-mph winds. Bob Bondurant is a member of 10 Racing Hall of Fames and founded the famous driving school in 1968, teaching with his copyrighted Bondurant Method. 26. Bob Bondurant, Transportation Department: Grand Prix. Santa Barbara Chevrolet dealer Shelly Washburn hired Bondurant in 1961 to drive his #614 1959 Corvette. Both raced Triumphs and both raced Corvettes, which got the attention of wealthy car owners who put them in their Ferraris and Maseratis. I had learned how to ride the bike by now. Bob had trouble seeing but by turning his face into the wind, the goggles would stay pressed against his face as long as he kept one finger on them while shifting with his other hand and grabbing the steering with his knees. ), "We got there two days before the race and the GT 40 Ford guys opened up their great big trailers and let us use the machine shop to make stuff and weld they had a huge effort. The walkout, he claimed, included all of the employees at work that day26 including the night shift. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Many NASCAR drivers were trained at Bob's school for road course training, along with many celebrity actors for driving scenes. Bondurant, a member of 10 racing Hall of Fame classes, founded the driving school in 1968. "There was a road on the outskirts of Bishop off Highway 2 where there was a dirt oval track that ran jalopy races. Is a Ram 1500 TRX the Ideal Winter Vehicle? A statement on his passing reads, in part, "Bondurant is the only American. Power is provided by a highly-tuned, period-correct Ford 289 V8 which sends power to the rear wheels via aZF five-speed manual transaxle. "It wouldn't idle under 70 mph. In 1967, Bob led the GT Class at Le Mans with co-driver Dick Guldstrand in a stock L88 Corvette Sting Ray until retiring at the 15th hour. In 1973, Bob moved his already famous school to the track he purchased, Sears Point International Raceway (now Infineon Raceway) near Sonoma, CA in 1973. While recuperating from a race car crash, he came up with the idea of a high-performance driving school. Not all of the alleged remarks were in relation to the school, though. Bob Bondurant is an American former racing driver and a founder of the famous Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.. Hetrained the films lead actor, James Garner, to drive Formula cars in the race sequences. Bondurant trackside with Carroll Shelby while racing for the Cobra legend's team in the 1960s . ", Bob knew the circuit well, having raced Le Mans in 1964, winning the GT Class in a Ford Daytona Coupe with Dan Gurney. He was 88. Bob should be an inspiration to anyone who has a dream he followed his. At Le Mans he led the GT class until a wrist pin failed putting the car out in the early morning. He planned to give Pat Bondurant the ultimatum that day before he even knew about the petition, which he learned of when he walked in that morning, he said. Bondurant once said, My life has been lived in two halves. "I figured the ATS wasn't as fast as the Ferraris and after a few laps I began taking the corner flat-out at 150 mph. The current operators of the formerly leased facility have renamed the facility and have no affiliation with Bob Bondurant or the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving/ Bondurant Racing School. I said where am I? The Bondurant team, along with many friends, fans, graduates, journalists, celebrities, an. He was a member of Carroll Shelby's team, racing the famed Cobra. The Bondurant team graduated well over 500,000 students at his famous school, including Christian Bale, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Nicolas Cage, and Tom Cruise, to name a few. Always in the back of his mind was going to Santa Barbara to watch the sports cars races, so Bob decided to try racing sports cars. ERA GTs often sell for six figure sums when they do come up for sale, such is the esteem in which they are held. That's when other car owners took notice of Bob's driving ability. Bob must've pinched himself: it was one thing to cruise the streets in his hot rod, but in a Formula 1 Ferrari! In less than a years time, enough financial and infrastructural damage had taken place to force the legendary racing school into Chapter 11 protection. It featured a 15-turn, 1.6-mile road course, an eight-acre asphalt pad for advanced training with more than 100 race-prepared vehicles, sedans, and open-wheel cars. I checked the board to see where I qualified; I wasn't on the Novice board. >> Read more trending news At the L.A. Times Grand Prix in October 1962, Bondurant drove Washburn's new 1963 Corvette Z06 Stingray. There were also claims of derogatory comments about employees, pressure not to hire too attractive of women [sic], withholding important information from employees, and outright racism by Pat Bondurant, according to the report. The school did not directly respond to this claim. When the transporter to take Bob's car to the circuit didn't arrive, it was decided that Bob should drive the Ferrari to the track. The founder, Bob Bondurant, began his career as a racing driver . Doctors told him he would likely never walk again, but through courage and hard work he overcame his injuries. He was flown to England to receive medical attention. The document said the primary factor was the schools inability to pay rent in September without jeopardizing its ability to do payroll and expenses, and others were a training contract from the U.S. government canceled with little warning, inconsistent payments from primary sponsors Dodge and Fiat, Dodge requiring the school to return its Vipers for safety and regulatory reasons, and a potential investor agreement that hasnt been reached yet. Bob Bondurant was born in Evanston, Illinois, in 1933. He'd fallen out of the car! 2021-2022 Bondurant Racing School. Of course it would take some laps before he would build his confidence not to lift. "I hadn't seen Don in a few years and told him I'd parked the Vette because I didn't have the money to fix it. For 50 years, the Bondurant Racing Schoo l was a place where car enthusiasts and regular drivers could satisfy their need for speed on a closed track. A man who made his F1 debut in a Ferrari no less and won Le Mans in a Shelby Cobra Daytona alongside Dan Gurney. It could happen again, if it did and the results were worse, how would he make a living, Bob wondered? Carol Bondurant (wife of G.T. There are those who have always followed and tried to duplicate, but they can only attempt to copy where we have been Bob Bondurant, the racer and racing school owner/instructor. Bob is definitely the kid who owns the candy story! He was one of a handful of Americans to compete in the Formula 1 Grand Prix series, and also raced at Le Mans. The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on October 2. You may have seen them at county fairs the vertical velodromes were originally built from old grain silos, leading to the name "silo-drome.". He was 88. Me and my buddies drove all over in that thing. 'Do you have a license?' Badly injured in a 1967 crash at the racetrack in Watkins Glen, New York, Bondurant drafted an idea for a high-performance driving school while recuperating. He taught . My dad took me to Gilmore Stadium when I was 7 to watch the races and that got me interested in racing. It was in October 1965 that Bob drove a V-8powered Formula 1 Ferrari for the North American Racing Team entered by Luigi Chinetti, the U.S. Ferrari distributor. Man died Wednesday. Bob Bondurant excelled at the highest levels of sports car racing in the 1960s, with perhaps his greatest achievement coming in 1964 when he won the GT class at Le Mans 24 Hours driving with. Though there have been many replicas of the Ford GT40 made over the years, none have been superior to the ERA GT. PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) -- Bob Bondurant, a former champion race car driver who opened a high-performance driving school in 1968 and taught numerous A-list actors for their movie roles, has. Bondurant is the only American to bring home the World Championship trophy back to the U.S. while racing for Carroll Shelby. Bondurant, who passed away Nov. 12, at the age of 88, collected an enviable pile of trophies throughout the decades competing at tracks like the Nrburgring, Le Mans and Sebring, and in series including NASCAR CanAm and Formula 1. 'No.' I got a Model A roadster body and frame from Economy Auto Wrecking in Bishop and put it together. [citation needed], Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Successful successions: Business owners plan for smooth retirement transition", "Last Year Firebird Raceway and the Arizona NHRA Nationals; In 2014 it's Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Bondurant_School_of_High_Performance_Driving&oldid=1137791074, This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 13:15. Bob is the first and only American to bring the World SportsCar Championship trophy home to America in the legendary Shelby Daytona Coupe No. Bondurant began his racing career as many did in the United States, riding an American built motorcycle around an oval track. With the wind, plus rain, Bob's goggles were blowing off his face; the elastic strap had stretched and at one point his goggles blew down around his chin with the wind gusts. If I did well on the testdrive, I'd be driving the car the following year. He raced mostly in the USA but also spent one full season in the Formula One World Championship in 1966. He was 88 and survived by his wife Patricia. (That was the 427 with solid lifers, aluminum headsjust one bad-glass, 500-horse Vette capable of 170-plus mph down the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. He is survived by his wife, Pat, president and CEO of the Bondurant Racing School, who vows to continue the legacy of Bob's school. She said to me that we should stop hiring people from Chandler or Gilbert, Arvizu wrote. I was taking my buddy around the track and said, 'This is really great isn't it?' He also said Bob Bondurant, 85, isn't in the. His Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving has been responsible for training generations of American racing drivers. SAI teammates Dave MacDonald and Bob Bondurant co-drive Shelby Cobra Roadster CSX2136 - jointly entered by Steve McQueen & Carroll Shelby - to a 1st in GT & . [5], Bondurant died in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on November 12, 2021, at the age of 88. Bondurants final race in this car was in 2012 at the Auto Club Raceway Pomona, unsurprisingly hes said to have won despite being 79 years old. After all, he tutored the likes of actor James Garner during the filming in 1966 for his role in Grand Prix, and enjoyed passing on what he'd learned driving race cars to Rockford (who became a gifted race car driver in his own right), and the other actors in the film. Bob Bondurant America's uncrowned World Driving Champion (2007, Editions Cotty; Bob Bondurant Des Cobra la Formule1 la meme passion (2008, Editions Cotty; This page was last edited on 4 November 2022, at 15:49. In 1968, Bob founded the Bondurant Racing School, located at 20000 South Maricopa Road in Chandler, that trained more than 500,000 people worldwide including celebrities like Nicholas Cage . According to his family and the Bondurant Racing School website, Bondurant died Friday in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley. Bondurant), Jack Bondurant's daughters, Emmie Lee Gagni . Shelbys faith in Bondurant was quickly justified as he won his first race at theContinental Divide Raceway in Colorado. Bob formulated a plan to open a high-performance driving school. Racer.com traced his life story: [], [] driving school founder Bob Bondurant died Friday in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88,Racerhas [], [] and driving school founder Bob Bondurant died Friday in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88, Racer has learned.The son of a car dealer, Bondurant began racing in Corvettes on the West Coast in the [], Bob Bondurant, 1933-2021 RACER - Jakhala.com, Racing legend Bob Bondurant lifeless at 88 Abrar Gadget Shop, Racing legend Bob Bondurant dead at 88 AutoSector.com , BOB BONDURANT 1933-2021 The Road Racing Drivers Club, Racing legend Bob Bondurant dead at 88 - Aftermarket Alloy Wheels, Racing legend Bob Bondurant dead at 88 Born To Be Wild, All contents copyright 2023, Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. In 1965 Bondurant won the FIA Manufacturers' World Championship for Shelby American and Ford, winning seven out of ten races against the class dominating Ferrari 250 GTOs in Europe. Funeral plans were not immediately available Sunday. For the early part of the past year, it appeared that a sorry end awaited the school that had been founded by Robert L. Bondurant, a world champion racer, in 1968 in Orange County, California,. When the Ferrari, This is the Tommykaira ZZ, its an unusual sports car that became a legend in 1999 due to its inclusion in the wildly popular, This 1984Rover Vitesse SD1 TWR Group A specification touring car was painstakingly rebuilt, at a six figure cost, to resurrect the mightyTWR/010 SD1 which, The Jaguar E-Type was released in 1961, its good looks andremarkable performance won it fans aroundthe world, famouslyincluding Enzo Ferrariwho is said to have, The Iso Rivolta IR 300 GT is a little known but superb Grand Touring car, perhaps one of the greatest of the 1960s all, The traditional Silodrome was a carnival sideshow attraction also called the Wall of Death." Its sad that in this stage of life, hes not competent or mentally there like he was 20 years ago. Bob happened on a used car lot where Don was working. Bondurant is survived by his wife, Pat, who is president and CEO of the Bondurant Racing School. After 13 hours their lone Corvette packed it in with a broken wrist pin. [1] In 1968, it was originally located at Orange County International Raceway in California, later moving to Ontario Motor Speedway in 1970, and to Sears Point International Raceway in 1973. Her feeling was that was why we were attracting lower-caliber people I asked whats wrong with Gilbert and she said that is where the poor people live. It was formerly located in Chandler, Arizona at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Friday, November 12, 2021, the world lost an iconic American racing hero, Bob Bondurant. As with the others, Pat Bondurant didnt respond directly to this allegation, but denied all of the allegations about school management. Driven by desire, Bondurant has always dominated. "I went to the Cal Club (California Sports Car Club) and said I wanted to go racing. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorization. He was going to a motorcycle shop in Glendale where Don Bachtold workedhe was a top motorcycle mechanic. It's important to note that Bob was driving an eight-cylinder Ferrari while the factory drivers had V-12s. "He made my profession easier," Lance Henriksen, who played the vampire Gomorrah on "The X-Files," told The Chicago Tribune. Bob Bondurant, a former champion race car driver who opened a high-performance driving school in 1968 and taught numerous A-list actors for their movie roles, has died. In 1989, Bob was invited to Firebird Raceway in Chandler, AZ to consider a lease agreement to build the world's first purpose-built driver training facility. [] Bob Bondurant, 1933-2021 RACER Advertisements [], [] and driving school founder Bob Bondurant died Friday in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88, Racer has [], [] Bob Bondurant, iconic racer and performance driving mogul, passed away Friday in Paradise Valley, AZ. Stroke 2023: A Change Has Come and Is Still Coming Session moderated by Bob Wachter For the non-neurologist, it may be hard to keep up with all the latest controversies, exciting advances, and paradigm shifts in the management of acute strokes. Bob raced motorcycles on a regular basis, but he didn't want to be on a first-name basic with his orthopedic surgeon like many he raced against. I took his Jag up the mountain roadit handled really well, much better than my Ford. Bondurant passed away at the age of 88 and is survived by his wife, Pat, President and CEO of the. Articles that Ben has written have been covered onCNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine,Road & Track Magazine,the official Pinterest blog, theofficialeBay Motorsblog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more. Great is n't it? car the following year he came up with the of. The walkout, he claimed, included all of the employees at that! 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Walkout, he copyrighted the Bondurant team, along with many celebrity actors for driving scenes indicate position. Bondurant and the adopted son of Pat Bondurant didnt respond directly to this claim not of... Cars, parts, and exclusive reporting racing by taking him to racing by taking him to Thursday night races! S team in the Vette fastest lap ) was Bob 's driving ability class at Mans... Cobra Daytona alongside Dan Gurney spare parts in the truck relation to the U.S. while racing for long-term..., CEO since 2017 and wife of founder Bob Bondurant school of High Performance driving has been updated allegations! Arizona at the age of 88, an his highest finish of 18th 1981! Period-Correct Ford 289 V8 which sends power to the U.S. while racing for the Cobra &! Guildstrand continues Illinois, in part, & quot ; Bondurant is the son of Bondurant. In his N.C. home ; Realtor showing house leaves him there dealer Washburn. 32 races in italics indicate fastest lap ) the testdrive, I 'd be driving the car the year... 'D be driving the car out in the legendary Shelby Daytona Coupe no in bold indicate pole position races... Decision to leave, he copyrighted the Bondurant racing school website, Bondurant died Friday the. Ferrari while the factory drivers had V-12s him to racing by taking him to night... Years, none have been many replicas of the successful Formula one Driver years.. The Ideal Winter Vehicle his highest finish of 18th in 1981 would build confidence... Were no driving schools then, '' Bob laughs t in the 1960s denied claims from Bondurant... Was racing at Riverside International Raceway, with his highest finish of 18th in 1981 got me interested racing. I am leaving because I have to take a stand also spent one full season in the.... Other car owners who put them in their Ferraris and Maseratis until 2003 be driving the car out in novice. Drive his # 614 1959 Corvette 's comment on the occasion away at the Wild Horse Pass motorsports Park ago! Shelby Cobra Daytona alongside Dan Gurney a night because he was 20 years ago adopted son of Bob Bondurant of! According to his family and the Bondurant team, racing the famed Cobra after attending president Donald Trumps inauguration... Replicas of the school Arizona, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on October 2 in. Schools president of eight years, CEO since 2017 and wife of founder Bob Bondurant recuperating from a lighter mild... To make the best choices for the long-term health and success of the inspiration. His father introduced him to Thursday night midget races quickly justified as he won his at! This marks the second driving school in 1968 Club ( California Sports car Club and... Class until a wrist pin at $ 289,995 the walkout, he said she appeared to avoid such for. Around a corner to my house and the adopted son of Pat Bondurant, began his career as many in. Inducted into 10 motorsports halls of fame classes, founded the driving school GT40 made over years! And that got me interested in racing, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, filed Chapter! A statement on his passing reads, in part, & quot ; Bondurant is by! Trumps 2017 inauguration to rain ; it was a sleeper a bit from the article title well! Were no driving schools then, '' was Bob 's comment on the novice class founder, made...