{"id":394890,"date":"2021-11-18T20:46:58","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T01:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/?p=394890"},"modified":"2024-01-10T06:58:27","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T06:58:27","slug":"remembering-bob-bondurant-1933-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/remembering-bob-bondurant-1933-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Bob Bondurant (1933-2021)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bob Bondurant (1933\u20132021)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I met Mr. Bondurant in the autograph line at Carroll Shelby\u2019s Roast in Palm Springs, 1990. I remember him as an affable man who treated everyone with respect. You could have no idea of the exciting life he had lived or his accomplishments from a casual conversation with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Known as one of the great Cobra drivers, Mr. Bondurant earned the respect of <\/span>Enzo Ferrari<\/span><\/a> by beating his cars and his drivers. Mr. Ferrari referred to him as \u201cBondi\u201d and later hired Bondurant to drive for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the photograph below of the 1966-LeMans-winning <\/span>Ford GT40<\/span><\/a>, I find it easy to imagine Mr. Bondurant, seen standing behind the car, driving the winning entry. I understand he chose instead to drive Formula 1 for Ferrari. Given the rivalry between the two car constructors, it\u2019s easy to see he couldn\u2019t drive for Ford and Ferrari, not in the same year (even though Ford didn\u2019t compete directly in Formula 1).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Bob Bondurant Standing Behind GT40 #2, the Chris Amon\/Bruce McLaren 1966-LeMans-race-winning Ford GT40.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Not to take anything away from the entrants; Miles\/Bondurant or Gurney\/Bondurant. That would have been a team. It doesn\u2019t seem right to have fielded eight GT40s at LeMans in 1966 without a seat for Bondurant. It\u2019s easy to imagine Mr. Bondurant in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t help thinking that a win, a podium finish, in 1966 at LeMans in a GT40 would have been a fitting follow up to the 1965 racing season where Mr. Bondurant won most of the GT Class races for Shelby American in <\/span>Cobra roadsters<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Daytona Coupes<\/span><\/a> to secure the World Championship. As in the case of Ken Miles in 1966, things don\u2019t always seem to work out the way they should.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was fortunate to witness a panel discussion at Spanish Bay in Monterey California, 2018, where Mr. Bondurant spoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Left to right: Jacky Ickx, David Hobbs, Ken Gross (moderator), John Horsman, Bob Bondurant, and Dan Gurney.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I remember Mr. Bondurant poking fun at himself for selling the Daytona Coupe for $20,000 that he purchased from Shelby for $6,000 after Shelby retired the car from racing, and thinking he did great! The same car may someday sell for $20 million.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll always remember Mr. Bondurant, as much for his Hollywood looks, great smile, and friendly nature as for his racing accomplishments. He seemed like a man who genuinely liked people. It no doubt helped him become a successful businessman and driving instructor.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the last of his generation of great Cobra drivers, a special breed from a golden age in sports car racing history that will never be repeated\u2014Bob Bondurant did it as well as any of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

RIP, Mr. Bondurant.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Bob Bondurant (1933\u20132021) I met Mr. Bondurant in the autograph line at Carroll Shelby\u2019s Roast in Palm Springs, 1990. I remember him as an affable man who treated everyone with respect. You could have no idea of the exciting life he had lived or his accomplishments from a casual conversation with him. Known as one of the great Cobra drivers, Mr. Bondurant earned the respect of Enzo Ferrari by beating his cars and his drivers. Mr. Ferrari referred to him […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":622196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[263,18114,18330],"tags":[17152,18435,11346,18107,16791],"class_list":["post-394890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-culture","category-people","category-profiles-car-culture","tag-car-culture","tag-people","tag-driver-profiles","tag-people-profiles","tag-profiles"],"yoast_head":"\nRemembering Bob Bondurant (1933-2021)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Known as one of the great Cobra drivers, Bob Bondurant was a kind man who treated everyone with respect. 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