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ATA eNewsletter February 2009
BOB BONDURANT
Internationally recognized as the leading authority on advanced driver training, Bob Bondurant has been at the forefront of professional driving instruction since 1968. Over 250,000 students, ranging from housewives, racers and celebrities, to teenagers, professionals and police officers, have learned from Bondurant’s expertise. Bondurant grew up in the Westwood area of Los Angeles with a passion for anything on wheels. By the time he was 18; he was racing an Indian Scout motorcycle on the local dirt ovals, and soon moved to sports cars in 1956 at the wheel of a Morgan. His racing career began to soar in 1959, when driving a Corvette in the Southern California region, Bondurant captured the West Coast "B" Production Championship and the Corvette Driver of the Year Award. In 1963, Bondurant joined Carroll Shelby’s Ford Cobra team. Subsequent wins in the Cobra led to a stint in Europe with the Cobra team to compete for the 1964 GT Championship. Paired with Dan Gurney that year, Bondurant won the GT category and took fourth overall at the wheel of a Ford Cobra Daytona Coupe in Europe’s most prestigious race — Le Mans. Bondurant continued to drive in Europe through 1965, winning seven out of ten races, and earning the World Manufacturers’ Championship for the United States in a Shelby American Ford Cobra. The year also afforded him the opportunity to race Formula One for the factory Ferrari team in the 1965 U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. In 1966, Bondurant continued in Formula One driving a privately-owned BRM and for Gurney’s All American Racers team. He also drove for Ferrari in the 1966 World Manufacturers’ Championship. In addition, Bob served as a technical consultant for John Frankenheimer’s epic movie Grand Prix. Among the highlights of working on the film, Bondurant was responsible for training actors James Garner, Yves Montand and Brian Bedford for their driving roles. The Can-Am series and the USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship) were growing in popularity in 1967, so he joined with Peter Revson for the Dana Chevrolet team. It was later in the year at Watkins Glen, Bondurant’s professional racing career was forced into a three-year hiatus. Aboard a McLaren Mk II, the steering arm broke at over 150 miles per hour, launching the car into a dirt embankment and rolling end over end eight times. Faced with the possibility of never being able to walk again, Bondurant contemplated his future. He had enjoyed his experiences coaching the actors for Grand Prix, substituting for Pete Brock at Carroll Shelby’s driving school at Riverside, and teaching at a number of SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) racing schools. Bondurant decided if he had the physical ability, he would take his experience and expert knowledge of driving and start a school to teach others. On February 14, 1968, with three Datsuns, a Lola T70 and a Formula Vee, The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving officially opened its doors at Orange County International Raceway, near Los Angeles. The first week he had three students. The second week there were two students, Paul Newman and Robert Wagner, training for the movie Winning. As technical advisor for the film, Bondurant taught the actors and drove the camera car. In 1970, The School moved to nearby Ontario Motor Speedway, then in 1973 moved north to Sears Point International Raceway, near Sonoma, California. On March 2, 1990, Bondurant’s dream of his own purpose-built driver training center became a reality with the opening of his Phoenix, Arizona facility. Today, The School maintains a fleet of Cadillac CTS's, Chevrolet Corvettes, and open wheel Formula cars. Bondurant, as Chief Executive Officer, continues his hands-on management style and enjoys teaching whenever time permits. His schedule, however, is often busy away from The School. As a consumer advisor and spokesperson, Bondurant travels across the country promoting safe and advanced driving skills. He talks with dealer personnel about selling high performance vehicles and to consumer groups about safe driving. Bondurant also advises automotive engineers on handling and performance characteristics for future automobiles. Bondurant continues to race in selected vintage and historic automobile events, typically behind the wheel of a Shelby Cobra or a Formula One car. He can also be spotted flying his Schweizer helicopter above the skyline of his residence in Phoenix. Bob continues to receive recognition for his accomplishments in the world of racing. He was inducted into the world renowned Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2003 and the prestigious San Diego Automotive Racing Museum Hall of Fame that same year. More recently he was honored to be the recipient of the "Phil Hill Award" by the Road Racing Driver's Club for his outstanding service to road racing.
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