By Bob Bondurant (5/5/2001)
Each month I enjoy taking the time to relate my driving tips and advice to you. Correct and safe driving techniques are taught, and must be practiced, to insure driving safety and consistency. Since many of you may be relatively new readers of the Web site and unfamiliar with my background, and me, I would like to take this opportunity to reintroduce myself and provide information about my driving school.
I grew up in the Westwood area of Los Angeles, with a passion for anything on wheels. By the time I was 18, I was racing an Indian Scout motorcycle on local dirt ovals; soon I moved to sports cars. My racing career took off in 1959 while driving a Corvette in the Southern California region, capturing the West Coast "B" Production Championship and the Corvette "Driver of the Year" award.
Joining Shelby Cobra team
In 1963, I 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, we 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.
I continued to drive in Europe through 1965, winning seven out of 10 races and earning the World Manufacturers' Championship for the United States in a Shelby American Ford Cobra. In 1965, I also had the opportunity to race Formula One for the factory Ferrari team in the 1965 U. S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, N.Y.
In 1966, I drove a privately owned BRM in Formula One and for Gurney's All American Racers team. I also drove for Ferrari in the 1966 World Manufacturers' Championship. In addition, I served as a technical consultant for John Frankenheimer's epic movie Grand Prix. Among the highlights of working on the film, I was responsible for training actors James Garner, Yves Montand and Brian Bedford for their driving roles.
Crash ends one career, starts another
The Can-Am series and the USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship) were growing in popularity in 1967, so I joined with Peter Revson for the Dana Chevrolet team. It was later in the year, at Watkins Glen, that my professional racing career was forced into a three-year hiatus. Aboard a McLaren Mk II, the steering arm broke at more than 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, I contemplated my future. I had enjoyed my 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. I decided that if I had the physical ability, I would take my experience and expert knowledge of driving and start a school to teach others.
On Feb. 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, we 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, I taught the actors and drove the camera car.
Phoenix home to race facility
In 1970 the School moved to nearby Ontario Motor Speedway, then in 1973 moved north to Sears Point International Raceway, near Sonoma, Calif. Ford Motor Co. became involved with the school in 1983, providing vehicles and offering technical support. On May 2, 1990, my dream of owning my own purpose-built driver training center became a reality, with the opening of my Phoenix facility.
Today, the school maintains a fleet of more than 150 specially prepared Ford vehicles, including 30 Formula Ford race cars. Acting as president, I continue my hands-on management style and enjoy teaching whenever time permits.
My schedule, however, is often busy away from the school. As an official spokesperson for Ford Motor Co., I travel across the country, promoting safe and advanced driving skills. I talk with dealer personnel about selling high-performance vehicles and to consumer groups about safe driving. I also advise Ford engineers on handling and performance characteristics of future automobiles.
I continue to race in selected vintage and historic automobile events. I would like to wish each of you a safe fall and winter driving season, now that weather in some parts of the country will begin to make driving a bit more challenging. But if you'd really like a challenge, we'd love to have you attend our school and become involved in racing as well, whether it is SCCA, SRVA, or some other series. And if you already are involved in the sport, good luck in your next race!
Bob Bondurant, racer and entrepreneur, owns and runs the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, Ariz. For more information on classes and schedules, click over to www.bondurant.com or call (800) 842-RACE (7223).
