Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Bob Bondurant Marries On Circuit During 2010 Monaco Grand Prix

It is with great excitment that I post the following news release about a very special, long time friend of mine and his wife. Having known Bob since the early 70's the one thing I can tell you about him besides his amazing driving history is that he never ceases to amaze me or his friends with what he's up to next.

Bob Bondurant and Gary Faules having a good time at Bob's track after Bob invited us to spend the day testing on our way race in the world famous La Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.



MONACO – Bob Bondurant, of "Grand Prix " movie fame and founder of the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, Ariz., got married on the Monaco Formula 1 circuit on May 14, 2010. Among a very excited crowd of onlookers, Bondurant and his new wife, Patricia, said their "I do’s."

Bod saying their I do's on the track.


The couple, who had already officially married in the U.S., had a handful of friends and family as witnesses and approached the joyous occasion with aplomb. The Monaco Formula 1 enthusiasts could not believe their eyes as they certainly were not expecting to see anyone get married right on the race track that day!

As for Bondurant, he could think of no better place to exchange vows than on the very same circuit that earned him 4th place back in 1966 and where he worked as a consultant on the now famous movie "Grand Prix" with James Garner. Nowadays he is better known as the leading authority on advanced driver training and has been at the forefront of professional driving instruction since the late ’60s. Utilizing the Bondurant Method, over 250,000 students ranging from housewives, racers and celebrities to teenagers, professionals and police officers, have learned from Bondurant’s expertise. In 1967, he joined the Dana Chevrolet Team in the growing Can-Am and USRC (United States Road Championship). That year while racing at Watkins Glen, a broken steering arm caused a crash at 150 mph, rolling his car eight times and ending his promising professional racing career.

Faced with the possibility of never walking or racing again, Bondurant went back to what he knew better than anyone in the world: maximum car control. On Feb. 14, 1968, the doors opened at Orange County International Raceway, near Los Angeles, with three students. The next week there were two students, Paul Newman and Robert Wagner, training for the film "Winning". Bondurant was technical advisor, camera car driver and actor-instructor for the film. Ever since then, both Bondurant and his school have enjoyed success after success.

Frank Damgaard of Monte-Carlo Weddings, who coordinated all the logistics, admitted that it was certainly the first wedding of its kind in the Principality.

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