He was 88. ", Bob knew the circuit well, having raced Le Mans in 1964, winning the GT Class in a Ford Daytona Coupe with Dan Gurney. 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. Everyone who walked through the Bondurant doors was taught the copyrighted Bondurant Method, developed by the most respected Racing School in the world. She said, 'You can't do that.' Temperature-controlledHook up to both your hot and cold water so you can control the temperature plus it comes with a heated seat. Be a part of the unmatched history and credibility of the legendary Bondurant Brands and copyrighted teaching methodology. I had it running in two days. He didn't answer. Bondurant, 88, passed away last week unexpectedly and leaves behind his wife Pat Bondurant. 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. . If my dad was mentally there like he was [then], we would have never gotten to this place. ", After graduating from high school, Bob dug ditches and unloaded furniture trucks at Bekins Van Lines, then later on, sold Corvettes to finance his racing. ATS was formed by disenchanted team members who broke away from Ferrari, including Phil Hill. Bondurant trackside with Carroll Shelby while racing for the Cobra legend's team in the 1960s . Formula 1 came to the United States on a course steeped with racing history dating back to 1956: Watkins Glen. Funeral plans were not immediately available Sunday. Bondurants last championship was 1997 for the World Cup Challenge, racing for Steve Saleen. I was going with a girl who I liked a lot, but she said, 'If we're going to get married you're going to have to stop racing motorcycles. 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 died. He initially approached Porsche for backing, but was temporarily declined due to the uncertainty of this being a new school. Lying in the hospital bed with broken bones didn't break his desire to get back on track, in more ways than one. 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. Bob's father owned a car dealership that sold fast cars in nearby Chicago; very fast carsCords to be exact. 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. Located in the Catskills of New York, the Grand Prix was held at the "Glen" in 1961 and continued until 1980. 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. [citation needed], The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving has graduated over 500,000 drivers since its opening in 1968. [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. American racing legend Bob Bondurant has passed away aged 88. She had a Chrysler. 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 . Bob was told that the high-speed corner, Curve Grande, was taken flat-out. Following a crash at Watkins Glen in New York, Bondurant opened the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in 1968. After he regained consciousness, Bob crawled out of the ravine, saw the hole in the hedge where the car went throughit was sitting with the windscreen and rollbar sheared off. By the time he was 18; he was racing an Indian Scout motorcycle, and moved to sports cars in 1956 at the wheel of a Morgan. All Rights Reserved. From the professional race track to the big screen, Bob Bondurant, for more than 50 years, has trained anyone with a drivers license and a set of keys to handle any vehicle at extremely high speeds by combining the oft-chased union of precision, safety and self-confidence. Bob Bondurant was born in Evanston, Illinois, in 1933. In response to the claims that employees feared they wouldnt get paid without Jason Bondurant or Arvizu, Shaffer told ClassicCars.com Journal Bondurant never missed or were late on a payroll, citing school records. Some of the best Corvette racing duels were between him and David McDonald on the West Coast during the early 1960s. As Bob went through the corner the rear axle broke sending him off the course backward and down a ravine. 2021-2022 Bondurant Racing School. COURAGE. They met at a Russo and Steele auction. In 1967, a fateful race at Watkins Glen changed his entire career, and the Bondurant School was born. He then rose to the highest level in racing with Ferrari in Formula 1 and prototypes. There was a lot of fiberglass flying.". 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. 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. Jason Bondurant also told Jalopnik that he didnt lead the employee walkout, but rather gave Pat Bondurant a pre-planned ultimatum that Monday that either he was staying at the school or she was. You can call it character, you can call it determination, or you can just call it guts. 2021 is a year that called on Pat and Bob Bondurant to focus their new direction; to move boldly and do the right things to fuel their continued legacy. Bob Bondurant, who taught acting techniques for decades at his small-town Southern California race track, died Thursday after his suffering a stroke earlier this month. The Whizzer got me into two wheels and from there I got a 125cc James two-stroke motorcycle. I said where am I? That's when other car owners took notice of Bob's driving ability. In less than a years time, enough financial and infrastructural damage had taken place to force the legendary racing school into Chapter 11 protection. Bob Bondurant, who went from winning races on the international stage to teaching others to win races at his famous driving school, has passed away at age 88. 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. The school did not directly respond to this claim. In the June 1969 run of the grueling offroad Baja 500 race, Bondurant with co-driver Tony Murphy took first place in the passenger car class driving an SC/Rambler for James Garner's "American International Racers" team that was sponsored by American Motors Corporation (AMC). Free shipping for many products! 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. If you put it that way, I have to race. Bondurant retired from racing at 79 after winning his last race at Pomona Raceway in his No. Bob had never driven a Grand Prix Ferrari at all, and now he was about to go cruising not only through town, but out through the countryside to the track in a full-blown F1 car. "If I'd been strapped in the car I would have been decapitated. Still, more significantly, he won his last race in this very car at Pomona Raceway at the age of 79 and frequently tracked the car at his world-famous Bob Bondurant School of High Performance driving track. Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. The next thing you know, he's driving a Cobra down a dark straightaway at 190-plus mph in France, not once, but for hours. Stay up-to-date with our upcoming events! Mini Bio (1) Bondurant raced cars in the 1960s with some success until a crash at Watkins Glen, in New York curtailed his career. I checked the board to see where I qualified; I wasn't on the Novice board. 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. There were no driving schools then," Bob laughs. She changed the subject. []. After 50 years, the Bondurant brand has risen to prominence on the international racing stage, our best measurement for victory has become our own stunning success. 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. He also said Bob Bondurant, 85, isnt in the physical and mental shape at his age to comprehend whats allegedly going on at the school or stand up to Pat Bondurant, who Jason Bondurant said is 63 years old. He won his class at Le Mans and has been inducted into ten motorsports halls of fame. "I did a jump on my bike and the springer fork came off and I went end-over-end, put the fork back together, and rode home. Answering the call, on February 14, 1968, Bob founded The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. I got a Model A roadster body and frame from Economy Auto Wrecking in Bishop and put it together. Bondurant began his racing career as many did in the United States, riding an American built motorcycle around an oval track. "We moved near Pasadena to La Caada by the Angeles Crest Highway. Guildstrand set a record of 171.5 mph down the Mulsanne. This week's reunion will be calmer, just a few minutes quietly recalling the life-changing event as . It turned out to be the ATS at Monza, Italy. Jason Bondurant also said employees are looking at their options for legal action in regards to the alleged hostile workplace environment, but that some fear retaliation from Pat Bondurant. Everybody said, Were leaving under our own accord. He offered Bob a full Ford sponsorship of cars, parts, and marketing until 2003. Doctors told him he would likely never walk again, but through courage and hard work he overcame his injuries. PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. Bob Bondurant, a champion race car driver who later opened a driving school in 1968 and taught several top actors, died Friday. They have no idea where we are going.". 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. Bondurant's closing, the details and terms of which are still unclear, comes after serving the industry for 50 years, following a filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October of 2018. This one is likely to attract plenty of additional attention thanks to its influential former owner. He said she appeared to avoid such language for a few weeks but made another remark after attending President Donald Trumps 2017 inauguration. 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. By RACER Staff 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. Bob Bondurant stepped back from the school's daily operations because he wanted to do "the fun stuff" later in life, Jason Bondurant said. Bondurant had four NASCAR starts, all at Riverside International Raceway, with his highest finish of 18th in 1981. Friday, November 12, 2021, the world lost an iconic American racing hero, Bob Bondurant. Bob should be an inspiration to anyone who has a dream he followed his. He won his class at Le Mans and has been inducted into 10 motorsports halls of fame. I am leaving because I have to take a stand. 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. Paul Newman and Robert Wagner were the third and fourth students to enroll in the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving for the movie "Winning". 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. The Depression caused Mr.. If youd like to read more about it or cast a bid you can visit the listing here. He was 88. Each will be built to order and delivered with a . In this Grand Rounds, S. Andrew Josephson, chair of the UCSF Department of Neurology and illustrious neurology educator, will bring us up-to-date on . "It had Edelbrock heads and intake manifold, plus a light flywheel; it was a sleeper. The only thing wrong with it was the head and manifold were off. [1][2][3]. 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 died. The allegations revolve around Pat Bondurant, the schools president of eight years, CEO since 2017 and wife of founder Bob Bondurant. 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. Follow us online or subscribe to our mailing list for more info! 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. 26. "We get off the plane at the Paris-Orly Airport and there was just a small diesel truck but no trailer and an Opel waiting for us. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Bondurant and his family moved to California when he was 2. 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. Jason Bondurant said the alleged petition, to the left, was signed by 22 of the schools 33 employees, and that eight more would have signed but had not been into work for their shift yet. 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. During the race it started to rain; it was cold with 40-mph winds. The Bondurant Racing School was founded in 1968 and . This marks the second driving school in just over. Over the years 52 drivers and 35 spectators have lost their lives on the 3.6-mile track. He was finally reunited with his elusive GT40, and wow, did he have fun tracking this car for the next eight years!, Bob tracked this car at a Shelby reunion on the Fontana Raceway. 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. This is Bob Bondurant at Riverside Raceway with the Shelby GT350 Mustang prototype for testing in 1965. There was still no real comment about the closure itself until last week, when multiple employees of the Arizona driving school told the Arizona-based ClassicCars.com Journal about the claimed walkout a month after it happened. The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving was initially opened by World Champion and ten time hall of fame inductee Bob Bondurant at the Orange County International Raceway near Los Angeles, CA under the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving name. By 12 years old, his parents were divorced, and he persuaded his mother to purchase a Whizzer electric bike to deliver his newspapers faster. Click here to view Vintage Motorsports appreciation of the amazing life of Bob Bondurant. As a resulting worse-case scenario, the schools assets were sold off in 2019. []. 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