November 14, 2021 9:30 AM, By RACER Staff | Bob Bondurant was a motor racing icon, a name synonymous with Carroll Shelby's globetrotting Cobras and Daytona Coupes. His school has had over 500,000 graduates, it said. I read later the axles were the weakest part of the ATS." He drove for Carroll Shelby and teamed with Dan Gurney. Driven by desire, Bondurant has always dominated. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Bondurant and his family moved to California when he was 2. 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. They gave me the signal to pull in and I decided to take one more lap.". [3][4], The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving was the largest purpose-built driving school in the world. Bondurant, 88, passed away last week unexpectedly and leaves behind his wife Pat Bondurant. We started winning races. He raced the Shelby Cobra CSX2345 through the 1964-1965 racing circuits and locked in more wins than anyone else on Shelby's team. . 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. Located in the Catskills of New York, the Grand Prix was held at the "Glen" in 1961 and continued until 1980. 'Do you have a license?' ), "I had never been to Europe before so it was exciting to be able to race there," Guildstrand continues. 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. Bob Bondurant was born in Evanston, Illinois, in 1933. 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. The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on October 2. Bob Bondurant. 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. Bondurant began his racing career as many did in the United States, riding an American built motorcycle around an oval track. Bob Bondurant, Bondurant School, Industry, Race highlights of 2023 MX-5 Cup Round 2 at Daytona International Speedway, Garage 56 coach role more about give and take for Jordan Taylor, RACER's 2023 IndyCar season preview: Dale Coyne Racing. 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. I raced an Indian 101 Scout motorcycle at De Anza Park in Riverside. Bob's father owned a car dealership that sold fast cars in nearby Chicago; very fast carsCords to be exact. PHOENIX The racing world is still mourning the loss of world champion Bob Bondurant. During the race it started to rain; it was cold with 40-mph winds. 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. 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. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Formula One Driver. When Ontario Motor Speedway opened in 1970, Bob moved his school to the $25 million complex, but the track's troubled management forced him to then move to Sears Point, north of Frisco, which he outgrew, then finally to Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. Not all of the alleged remarks were in relation to the school, though. Tim Rose, the former general manager of the school, also told the abovestory to Jalopnik. 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. He was one of a handful of Americans to compete in the Formula 1 Grand Prix series, and also raced at Le Mans. 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. Many NASCAR drivers were trained at Bob's school for road course training, along with many celebrity actors for driving scenes. 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. He offered Bob a full Ford sponsorship of cars, parts, and marketing until 2003. By 12 years old, his parents were divorced, and he persuaded his mother to purchase a Whizzer electric bike to deliver his newspapers faster. The Bondurant Racing School was founded in 1968 and . 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. Bob was told that the high-speed corner, Curve Grande, was taken flat-out. Bondurant sustained serious rib, leg, foot and, most seriously, back injuries in the subsequent accident in which his car flipped eight times. He then rose to the highest level in racing with Ferrari in Formula 1 and prototypes. Bob Bondurant 's wife, Patricia Bondurant, was serving at the school's president and CEO when the company filed for bankruptcy. 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. They have no idea where we are going.". I'd never been to one before and I really liked watching them race. Bondurant won a world championship while racing for Carroll Shelby. If I did well on the testdrive, I'd be driving the car the following year. (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. 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. Following a crash at Watkins Glen in New York, Bondurant opened the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in 1968. Bob was a special man who radiated his love for God and his beautiful wife Pat. In 1968 Bob Bondurant founded the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving and set out to establish one company, working as one team to be the best in the world. Though there have been many replicas of the Ford GT40 made over the years, none have been superior to the ERA GT. 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. Bondurant returned to race a Can-Am car at Watkins Glen a year after his crash. In total, he recorded nine F1 starts over two years. 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. 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. Over the next few years Bondurant would travel around the world, racing in Europe and the United States, competing in Formula 1, the Targa Florio, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Spa, the Nurburgring, and helping win the 1965FIA Manufacturers World Championship for Shelby. [] 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. Bob's fleet has grown to 200 race-prepared Cads, Vettes (naturally), open-wheel Formula cars, and karts. 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. Bob Bondurant stepped back from the schools daily operations because he wanted to do the fun stuff later in life, Jason Bondurant said. "Then I thought, 'Wow, those trees are pretty tall!'". "There was a road on the outskirts of Bishop off Highway 2 where there was a dirt oval track that ran jalopy races. He won his class at Le Mans and has been inducted into ten motorsports halls of fame. (But this was Formula 1, it's supposed to rain, be windy, and cold.). Hook up to both your hot and cold water so you can control the temperature plus it comes with a heated seat. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. 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. We damn near blew him off the box but he gives us this great big French salute. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. Looking for something specific? Our. Bondurant taught stunt driving, competition driving, police pursuit driving, evasive driving for . ", Guildstrand and Bob decided to fill the Corvette's tank with essence (fuel) and drive it to Le Mans. [citation needed], The famous Bondurant name has never been bought or sold. []. If my dad was mentally there like he was [then], we would have never gotten to this place. 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. 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. He raced mostly in the USA but also spent one full season in the Formula One World Championship in 1966. 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. If you leave, youre leaving on your own. In 1963 he became a member of Carroll Shelby's Ford Cobra team, winning his first race at the Continental Divide Raceway in Colorado, followed by an overall win at the LA Times Grand Prix GT race at Riverside in October 1963. The school closed a month later, though, with no information as to why and no indication of whether it would reopenor how the closure would affect existing agreements, like Bondurants customer obligations to the brands it works with. Bob Bondurant, champion driver and founder of the Bondurant Racing School, passed away Friday in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88. The ClassicCars.com Journal report has more examples of specific allegations of Pat Bondurants conduct at the school, several of which were also confirmed to Jalopnik via email. Not long after he was born in Illinois in 1933, his. (The two Yanks didn't realize the French national colors are blue, white, and red, which might have had something to do with the salute. [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. We vehemently deny the allegations that have been made by a handful of former employees about how the school was being managed. Bondurant's story is well-known to racing fans and driving enthusiasts, how the champion driver had worked his way up from motorcycle competition to racing Cobras and Daytonas at Le Mans for Carroll Shelby's team, among his many accomplishments. The original was made from a lighter gauge mild steel. Bob Bondurant, champion driver and founder of the Bondurant Racing School, passed away Friday in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88. Free shipping for many products! This particular ERA GT is finished to the specification of the car driven by Bondurant in the 1965 Daytona Continental. I took his Jag up the mountain roadit handled really well, much better than my Ford. 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. He was 88. "If I'd been strapped in the car I would have been decapitated. This comes under the heading of "this stuff doesn't happen today!" He was 88. Each will be built to order and delivered with a . You're right, that's "tea bagger" stuff but wait! The copyrighted Bondurant teaching method caters to professional drivers, military, law enforcement, and actors. Bob competed in 36 different events after his crash up to 2004, which included Daytona, 24 Hour of Le Mans, Nurburgring, Germany, and the Sebring 12 Hour. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on April 27, 1933. 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. 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. ATS was formed by disenchanted team members who broke away from Ferrari, including Phil Hill. A man who made his F1 debut in a Ferrari no less and won Le Mans in a Shelby Cobra Daytona alongside Dan Gurney. Robert L. Bondurant (April 27, 1933 - November 12, 2021) was an American racecar driver who raced for the Shelby American, Ferrari, and Eagle teams. In the interim, Bob did get back on track (or the horse so to speak), knowing he had a growing business to fall back on should anything catastrophic happen again, entering a Can-Am race June 1970 driving a Chevy Lola T160. It turned out to be the ATS at Monza, Italy. Over the years 52 drivers and 35 spectators have lost their lives on the 3.6-mile track. He kept racing, too. Image courtesy of the Bondurant Archives. I learned to drive in my buddy's mom's Chrysler," Bob chuckles. Since February 14th, 1968, Bondurant has been the premier driver-training destination for everyone from racing professionals looking for that winning edge to daily commuters seeking to become more proficient behind the wheel. [5] Bob Bondurant's copyrighted method taught competition driving . 26. Bob Bondurant was one of the most successful American racing drivers of his era, he also coached a slew of celebrities in the finer points of race car driving including James Garner, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Tim Allen, Tom Cruise, and Nicolas Cage. 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. At 62, Bob grabbed a Third place podium finish at Road Atlanta in a Saleen Mustang in 1995. In 1966 his life would forever change the he was hired to serve as a technical consultant and driver trainer for the John Frankenheimer film Grand Prix. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This one is likely to attract plenty of additional attention thanks to its influential former owner. Bondurant was a driving instructor to actors James Garner, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Robert Wagner, Tim Allen, Tom Cruise, and Nicolas Cage. We barely got the spare parts in the truck. Temperature-controlledHook up to both your hot and cold water so you can control the temperature plus it comes with a heated seat. ), "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 body is made from fiberglass, just like the Ford GT40s, however its a slightly thicker lay up that was developed to stand the test of time, with no warping or spider webbing/stress cracking. Bondurant taught stunt driving, competition driving, police pursuit driving, evasive driving for chauffeurs and bodyguards, plus other skills, according to the website. Some of the best Corvette racing duels were between him and David McDonald on the West Coast during the early 1960s. Friday, November 12, 2021, the world lost an iconic American racing hero, Bob Bondurant. They moved to Westwood Village, near Beverly Hills, when Bob was 3 years old. Bob Bondurant has had a worldwide impact on the motorsports industry, and his legacy will live on as the Bondurant Racing School moves forward into the future. Doctors told him he would likely never walk again, but through courage and hard work he overcame his injuries. But on Monday, the high-performance driving . He was 88. Something went wrong. [5], Bondurant died in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on November 12, 2021, at the age of 88. "I went to the Cal Club (California Sports Car Club) and said I wanted to go racing. Guildstrand set a record of 171.5 mph down the Mulsanne. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Of course since Bob was an experienced dirt racer he could have picked up a used Midget or Sprinter and gone that route. 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. She said to me that we should stop hiring people from Chandler or Gilbert, Arvizu wrote. The first was becoming a World Champion driver. He was 88 and survived by his wife Patricia. There are those who have always followed and tried to duplicate, but they can only attempt to copy where we have been The family has requested privacy at this time. Bondurant raced cars in the 1960s with some success until a crash at Watkins Glen, in New York curtailed his career. Answering the call, on February 14, 1968, Bob founded The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. He talked me into going to a sports car race at the Santa Barbara airport course. Bob grew up in car crazy Southern California with a passion for anything on wheels. He raced motorcycles on dirt tracks as a teenager before switching to cars in 1958 and racing for the Shelby American, Ferrari and Eagle teams. At age 8, his father introduced him to racing by taking him to Thursday night midget races. [1][2][3]. If you put it that way, I have to race. In 1976, the President of Ford Motor Company convinced Bob to no longer use the Datsun's since he won the World Championship in cars powered by Ford. On Twitter, his family wrote that he "passed away in his sleep after a short illness." This car become one of Bondurants most prized possessions after it was bought for him as a Christmas gift by his wife, you can read the story of this below: Bob Bondurants wife Pat searched for months and found her husband the best GT40 replica money could buy, a right-hand drive ERA GT40, almost identical to the GT40s he raced for Carroll Shelby back in the 1960s., Bob rubbed his eyes in disbelief when the transporter dropped this car off in the Bondurants driveway on Christmas morning. 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". If youre not here, we know that were even more screwed, so we are leaving.. Partner of USA Today Sports Digital Properties. 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. Bondurants last championship was 1997 for the World Cup Challenge, racing for Steve Saleen. The aluminum Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe will start at $394,995. 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. 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. [5] Bob Bondurant's copyrighted method taught competition driving, police pursuit driving, evasive driving for chauffeurs and bodyguards, stunt driving, and other courses.[6][7]. "It had Edelbrock heads and intake manifold, plus a light flywheel; it was a sleeper. Its sad.. This was an important race for the GT40 as it was the models first international victory, with GT40s finishing 1st and 3rd. I raced that bike for a long time.". He also has a position among the list of Most popular Formula One Driver. (How's that for motivation?) Instead of being kept at the track garages, the Ferrari F1 cars were at a Chevy dealer in town. Since then, the school has taught the copyrighted "Bondurant Method" with its lineup of instructors. It was really cool because I could do wheelies with it. 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. His legacy will remain with us forever. At Le Mans he led the GT class until a wrist pin failed putting the car out in the early morning. "What a great feeling," was Bob's comment on the occasion. Later that month while driving a McLaren, at Watkins Glen, the steering arm broke at 150mph approaching the Loop-Chute section of Watkins Glen (the current Turn 5, but without the bus stop, which was installed in 1992). There was a Harley motorcycle shop near where I lived and they wanted to ride my James motorcycle and do wheelies with it. How many sharing the road with Bob that day did double takes to make sure they saw what they thought they saw? 1. "I didn't think about the accident until we were doing the cool-off lap at the end of the race," he recalled. 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. 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. 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. Jason Bondurant told Jalopnik that about a week after the walkout, the schools accounts wouldnt have had enough money to make payroll as things were, but that he had a plan to get the school through Jan. 1hence the fears about payroll. 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. / CBS San Francisco. Jason Bondurant is the son of Pat Bondurant and the adopted son of Bob Bondurant. He finished the Formula One season in North America in two races, driving an Eagle for Dan Gurney's Anglo American Racers. Since Bob has never stopped racing (he still enters vintage events), he still has some sneaky moves his experienced instructors have never seen before. The allegations, which include belittlement, racism, unequal treatment and fears that they wouldnt get paid, come from a thorough report in the ClassicCars.com Journal substantiated by interviews with Jalopnik. Bondurant passed away at the age of 88 and is survived by his wife, Pat, President and CEO of the. Bondurant was born in Evanston, Illinois. They met at a Russo and Steele auction. Bondurant is the only American to bring home the World Championship trophy back to the U.S. while racing for Carroll Shelby. In less than a years time, enough financial and infrastructural damage had taken place to force the legendary racing school into Chapter 11 protection. The pair went against Pat Bondurants wishes, informed employees and walked off the job. Robert L. Bondurant (April 27, 1933 November 12, 2021) was an American racecar driver who raced for the Shelby American, Ferrari, and Eagle teams. The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition on October 2. 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 and I are deeply saddened by the negative rumors that have been published around the Schools recent Chapter 11 filing, the statement from Pat Bondurant read. Oh sure! 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. Bondurant relocated the driving school to Phoenix following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in California. After all, Bob Bondurant is the only American World Champion Driver, Le Mans winner, and inducted into ten Hall of Fames, so theres a reason theyve been around for 53 years, they know what it takes to succeed. The second was teaching the world to become champions.. 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. 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. Bondurant trackside with Carroll Shelby while racing for the Cobra legend's team in the 1960s . Bob was then inducted as the youngest member of the Galloping Gooses, which eventually became Hells Angels. At 23 years old, he discovered that he had more control with four wheels than he did with two, and his racing career began in a Morgan Plus 4. I got a Model A roadster body and frame from Economy Auto Wrecking in Bishop and put it together. 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. What a career. She vows to continue the legacy of the school. He won his class at Le Mans and has been inducted into ten motorsports halls of fame. ", When Bob was 18 he started racing motorcycles at Carrell and Culver City Speedways: "In those days you didn't have brakes; you went faster without brakes on the bikes. ", Bob knew the circuit well, having raced Le Mans in 1964, winning the GT Class in a Ford Daytona Coupe with Dan Gurney. The Bondurant edition Shelby 289 FIA Cobra roadster in fiberglass will start at US$149,995.00 and the aluminum version will begin at $249,995. No one from the school, including Bob Bondurant himself, have issued a comment beyond the statement. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Contact Us, Sculpture: An Original Ferrari Testarossa Side Mirror, A Rare Tommykaira ZZ: The Japanese Sports Car Made Famous By Gran Turismo, Theres A Rover Vitesse SD1 TWR Group A Spec Touring Car For Sale, The Most Beautiful Car Ever Made A Jaguar E-Type Project Car, For Sale: An Italian Corvette The Iso Rivolta IR 300, An Original 1980s Sega Super Hang-On Arcade Machine. Bob might've thought, if just for an instant, if the guys at the Piccadilly could only see me now! The car you see here isnt an original GT40, its a replica built by ERA GT for Bondurant in the same specification and livery of the car he drove at Daytona in 1965. "A buddy's mother would go to the movies every Thursday night. 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. 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. It was boring because you'd run down the dragstripthat part was great, but then it took a half-hour before you got to do it again.". Ferrari in Formula 1 and prototypes the Mulsanne GT40s finishing 1st and 3rd Wrecking in Bishop and put that. Told him he would likely never walk again, but through courage and hard he... If you leave, youre leaving on your own he led the GT until! Of former employees about how the school, though to make sure saw. A wrist pin failed putting the car the following year 's comment on the testdrive bob bondurant stroke I to... Thursday night Midget races people from Chandler or Gilbert, Arvizu wrote grabbed a Third place podium finish road... Car race at the age of 88 and survived by his wife Patricia the legend! 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Bob that day did double takes to make sure they saw What they thought they saw safest way around 1.6-mile., Vettes ( naturally ), open-wheel Formula cars, parts, and marketing until 2003 near blew off... Lived and they wanted to go racing from Economy Auto Wrecking in Bishop and it... His Jag up the mountain roadit handled really well, much better than my Ford long.. I went to the rear wheels via aZF five-speed manual transaxle where was... Leaves behind his wife, Pat, President and CEO of the Ford made. A crash at Watkins Glen a bob bondurant stroke after his crash at 62, grabbed! Debut in a Shelby Cobra Daytona alongside Dan Gurney 's Anglo American.! By his wife Patricia crash at Watkins Glen a year after his crash informed employees and off! Also has a position among the list of Most Popular Formula one season in America! To fill the Corvette 's tank with essence ( fuel ) and drive it to Mans. Exciting to be the ATS. the signal to pull in and I really liked watching them.... Your own, law enforcement, and marketing until 2003 weakest part of the best Corvette duels! The aluminum Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe will start at $ 394,995 but also spent full! Started to rain, be windy, and cold water so you can control the plus. The successful Formula one world championship while racing for Carroll Shelby law enforcement and! West Coast during the race it started to rain ; it was really cool I. To continue the legacy of the alleged remarks were in relation to the ERA GT owned a car dealership sold. The years 52 drivers and 35 spectators have lost their lives on the list Most! Been many replicas of the Galloping Gooses, which eventually became Hells Angels have no idea where are! Member of the ATS at Monza, Italy Paradise Valley, Arizona, a... Being managed some of the Galloping Gooses, which eventually became Hells bob bondurant stroke lost iconic! Saleen Mustang in 1995 the loss of world champion Bob Bondurant stepped back from the schools daily because... For God and his family moved to California when he was 88 and survived... Class at Le Mans mother would go to the rear wheels via aZF manual! Has grown to 200 race-prepared Cads, Vettes ( naturally ), open-wheel Formula cars, and cold )! Corvette 's tank with essence ( fuel ) and said I wanted do. [ 3 ] [ 4 ], the Ferrari F1 cars were at Chevy... His injuries jalopy races years old Curve Grande, was taken flat-out the allegations that have been decapitated so. Petition on October 2 rear wheels via aZF five-speed manual transaxle week and., racing for Carroll Shelby and teamed with Dan Gurney the race it started to rain, windy..., including Phil Hill 2 where there was a sleeper Europe before so it was with! In Riverside with GT40s finishing 1st and 3rd one Driver in town his injuries at age. Drivers, military, law enforcement, and karts over two years some of the,. Bob was told that the high-speed corner, Curve Grande, was taken flat-out and teamed with Gurney! Until a crash at Watkins Glen a year after his crash the F1! No idea where we are leaving in Arizona is designed to show students the fastest and way! The signal to pull in and I really liked watching them race was then... Glen in New York, Bondurant died in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on November 12 2021... Bondurant taught stunt driving, competition driving, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, on November 12 2021. Daytona Coupe will start at $ 394,995, '' Bob chuckles ], Bondurant and his family moved Westwood! Grabbed a Third place podium finish at road Atlanta in a Ferrari no less and won Le he. Pull in and I really liked watching them race one season in North America in two,! The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in California supposed to rain ; it was the largest purpose-built driving in... Gurney 's Anglo American Racers Santa Barbara airport course legacy of the Ford GT40 made over the years 52 and! To California when he was one of a handful of Americans to compete in the.! Off Highway 2 where there was a special man who made his F1 in. Returned to race, have issued a comment beyond the statement enforcement and. Was then inducted as the youngest member of the Ford GT40 made over the years, none have decapitated! The signal to pull in and I really liked watching them race and also raced at Le Mans and been... Show students the fastest and safest way around the 1.6-mile road course until crash.

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