He was going to a motorcycle shop in Glendale where Don Bachtold workedhe was a top motorcycle mechanic. In 1956 he switched to sports car racing with a Morgan and started to attract attention when he won the West Coast "B" production Championship, in a Chevrolet Corvette winning 18 out of 20 races. "[4], (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap). 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 & . The Bondurant Racing School was founded in 1968 and . He initially approached Porsche for backing, but was temporarily declined due to the uncertainty of this being a new school. There was a Harley motorcycle shop near where I lived and they wanted to ride my James motorcycle and do wheelies with it. When Bob wasnt using the car on track it was stabled in the Bondurant Museum, where it was seen by countless thousands of visitors over the years. 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. They met at a Russo and Steele auction. Bondurant, 88, passed away last week unexpectedly and leaves behind his wife Pat Bondurant. 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. His legacy will remain with us forever. Im telling you, I know this wouldve never happened.. 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. They moved to Westwood Village, near Beverly Hills, when Bob was 3 years old. He won his class at Le Mans and has been inducted into ten motorsports halls of fame. Bob Bondurant, 88, has had some health concerns over the last few years and has stepped back a bit from the business. The first was becoming a world champion driver. Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. The other dealers weren't racing like we were. There were no driving schools then," Bob laughs. 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. Bondurant taught stunt driving, competition driving, police pursuit driving, evasive driving for . [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. 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. 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. 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 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. According to his family and the Bondurant Racing School website, Bondurant died Friday in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley. Now thats doing your business in luxury. Bondurant Racing School was founded in 1968 and has graduated celebrities for car movies like James Garner, Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, and Christian Bale, along with over 500,000 graduates from around the world. 1. I said, I know you signed the petition, please do not leave because of me, he recalled telling employees. Each will be built to order and delivered with a . Bob Bondurant was born in Evanston, Illinois, in 1933. [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. Funeral plans were not immediately available Sunday. 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. 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. Bob Bondurant, champion driver and founder of the Bondurant Racing School, passed away Friday in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88. The 88-year-old is among a handful of Americans who have competed in Formula 1, in NASCAR, in CanAm and at Le Mans, where he won driving for Carroll Shelby while sharing the ride with Dan Gurney in. At age 8, his father introduced him to racing by taking him to Thursday night midget races. After the fabled school was purchased in $1.7 million May 2019 out of bankruptcy from the legendary Bob Bondurant and his family by Stig Investments. Robert Lewis Bondurant was born on April 27, 1933, to John Roper Bondurant and Ruth Williams Bondurant of Evanston, Ill. His father owned two luxury car dealerships named Bondurant Motors. When Bob turned two years old, the family moved to Westwood Village, Calif. Bob began his fascination with speed as a three-year-old on his first tricycle with playing cards clothes pinned on his spokes for the sound of the rush. November 14, 2021 9:30 AM, By RACER Staff | He participated four times at 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing best in 1964 in the fourth place overall, and . All Rights Reserved. Located in the Catskills of New York, the Grand Prix was held at the "Glen" in 1961 and continued until 1980. Among the celebrities Bondurant instructed in road course driving for their movie roles were Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood, James Garner, Nicolas Cage, Robert Wagner, Tim Allen and Christian Bale, according to the website. He is survived by his wife, Pat. Between 1961 and 1963, he won 30 out of 32 races in Washburn's Corvettes. In late 2018, Pat and Bob Bondurant 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. Bob's massive 60-acre complex in Arizona is designed to show students the fastest and safest way around the 1.6-mile road course. 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. 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. Ask any race car driver and they will tell you, on the edge, exceeding the limits, is where harmony is found. Image courtesy of the Bondurant Archives. The ERA GT uses a bespoke chassis closely based on the design of the original except its made from thicker gauge stainless steel to protect it against rusting. Bob Bondurant left a legacy behind, which may be counted in lives saved, trophies won, and trained racing drivers. The Bondurants intend to reopen their school under an all-new ownership and management structure, at an exciting new location, and are currently entertaining investor inquiries on opportunities to purchase the Bondurant Trademark License Rights. 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. 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. He then rose to the highest level in racing with Ferrari in Formula 1 and prototypes. We used to go to my aunt's house for Christmas dinner and my cousin had a big four-door Jag Mark VII. This story has been updated with allegations from the Bondurant schools former general manager, Tim Rose, and comment from FCA. I am leaving because I have to take a stand. 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. [citation needed], The famous Bondurant name has never been bought or sold. 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. Answering the call, on February 14, 1968, Bob founded The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. I stayed for two hours telling everyone Lets leave these cars locked up, make sure the buildings and gates are secure. It turned out to be the ATS at Monza, Italy. Following a crash at Watkins Glen in New York, Bondurant opened the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in 1968. This is Bob Bondurant at Riverside Raceway with the Shelby GT350 Mustang prototype for testing in 1965. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorization. Pat Bondurant secured a 51-percent stake in the school in 2010, about two months after she married Bob Bondurant, their son told Jalopnik. Bob later had a '40 Ford he drag raced at Santa Ana, but Bob, ever the hot rodder, was ready to slow down the pace a bit with one cool street cruiser, a tail-draggin' '41 Ford custom. From the professional race track to the big screen, Bob Bondurant, for more than 50 years, has trained anyone with a driver's 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. A man who made his F1 debut in a Ferrari no less and won Le Mans in a Shelby Cobra Daytona alongside Dan Gurney. We vehemently deny the allegations that have been made by a handful of former employees about how the school was being managed. Not all of the alleged remarks were in relation to the school, though. (But this was Formula 1, it's supposed to rain, be windy, and cold.). ), "I had never been to Europe before so it was exciting to be able to race there," Guildstrand continues. 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. "They had a used car lot there, Don worked on the cars and I sold used Corvettes. He also said Bob Bondurant, 85, isn't in the. Oh sure! Bondurant began his racing career as many did in the United States, riding an American built motorcycle around an oval track. For 1967 he drove in the CanAm series and in a Corvette L88 Coupe at Le Mans. She had a Chrysler. This team, driven to exceed all expectations, set out to bring the most exhilarating, inspiring, school of high-performance driving to motor sports fans around the world. If were going to leave, lets leave the right way and not be spiteful, he said. He called me asking, 'Do you know how to drive?' 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. 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). When Bob stepped up to the Big Bore crowd and purchased a '57 Vette with a fuel-injected, 190hp, 283 ci that had been successfully raced by Arcadia resident Jerry Austin, that's when his racing career took off. 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 raced mostly in the USA but also spent one full season in the Formula One World Championship in 1966. This comes under the heading of "this stuff doesn't happen today!" The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving was the largest purpose-built driving school in the world. During the race it started to rain; it was cold with 40-mph winds. If youd like to read more about it or cast a bid you can visit the listing here. We damn near blew him off the box but he gives us this great big French salute. Bondurant won a world championship while racing for Carroll Shelby. (Update: A Fiat Chrysler spokesperson said that due to the ongoing litigation, the company cannot comment on the claims in the bankruptcy documents.). In a bankruptcy document signed by Pat Bondurant, the school mentioned Dodge and SRT as one of four factors that led to the bankruptcy-protection filing. In 1965, Bob Bondurant takes the wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1 race car during the US Grand Prix. Bob Bondurant, champion driver and founder of the Bondurant Racing School, passed away Friday in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88. Bob might've thought, if just for an instant, if the guys at the Piccadilly could only see me now! He also said employees stayed around for so long despite the alleged environment because he treated them like family., When the school filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 2, a statement said it planned to stay open and emerge from this [bankruptcy] process as a stronger company.. Bob Bondurant, a former champion race car driver who opened a high-performance driving school in Orange County in 1968 and taught numerous A-list actors how to drive fast for their movie roles,. Here are allegations of more general derogatory comments, via the ClassicCars.com Journal report: Two years ago, on the advice of an external human relations company, Jason Bondurant said he sent his mother home for two weeks after a worker overheard her making racist comments. 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. Though there have been many replicas of the Ford GT40 made over the years, none have been superior to the ERA GT. Right now, Bondurant's class sizes are about 60 percent full,. In less than a years time, enough financial and infrastructural damage had taken place to force the legendary racing school into Chapter 11 protection. 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. 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. [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. He was flown to England to receive medical attention. 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. Bob is the first and only American to bring the World SportsCar Championship trophy home to America in the legendary Shelby Daytona Coupe No. The first was becoming a World Champion driver. The Bondurant Racing School was founded in 1968 and has graduated celebrities for car movies like James Garner, Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, and Christian Bale, along with over 500,000 graduates from around the world. This racing school is still going strong today and you can enroll for training here. Jason Bondurant said one of the more hampering parts of working at the school was how badly things were going when he felt like there was a solution to the math problem the whole time. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Man died Wednesday. "Bob is under care in an assisted facility," Pat Bondurant said, "but. Bob must've pinched himself: it was one thing to cruise the streets in his hot rod, but in a Formula 1 Ferrari! He is survived by his wife Pat. 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