One Of The Greatest Driving Instructors Ever, Bob Bondurant, Has Died

Today we remember motorsport legend Bob Bondurant who passed away at age 88 today. From winning races on the international stage to coaching some of the greatest drivers in history, Bob Bondurant’s impact on motorsport and the world of cars is unmeasurable. It was Bondurant who helped bring Carol Shelby’s Dayton a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Bondurant was at the helm of the Ford GT40 MkI at Le Mans as well as an accomplished F1 driver. Today we remember Bondurant’s positive impact on the world of motorsports and his prolific instruction that opened the world of high-performance driving for so many.

Bondurant started his racing career in the 1960s in California where he raced against other legends like Carol Shelby and Dan Gurney. He started out racing Corvettes and eventually transitioned to Shelby Cobras in the mid-1960s. Behind the wheel of the Shelby Dayton Coupe, Bondurant solidified his name if motorsport legend where he took a class with at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

From there Bondurant raced in F1 at legendary teams like Ferrari, BRM, and AAR. His best career finish was fourth place at Monaco for BRM. Unfortunately, a crash at Watkins Glenn saw the end of Bondurant’s racing career. This prompted him to start coaching drivers and lead to the start of the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving which opened its doors in 1968. Early students included actors like Paul Newman and Robert Wagner who had a lifelong love of motorsport.

Today we remember Bob Bondurant as a man who was both successful on the race track and in the classroom. His school has taught hundreds of thousands of students and helped make high-performance driving and motorsport more accessible.

Source: Autoweek

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