Bob Bondurant

Acting

Bob Bondurant

Born 1933-04-27 · Evanston, Illinois, USA

Bob Bondurant (April 27, 1933 – November 12, 2021) was an American racing driver and one of the world’s most respected driving instructors, known for his contributions to sports car racing and driver training. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Bondurant made his mark in the 1960s, racing in sports cars, Formula 1, and endurance events. He achieved success driving for teams like Shelby American and Ferrari, notably winning the GT class at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans with co-driver Dan Gurney in a Shelby Daytona Coupe. Bondurant’s career was cut short in 1967 due to a serious accident, but he channeled his expertise into founding the Bob Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving. Established in 1968, the school trained professional drivers, law enforcement, and countless enthusiasts, becoming a cornerstone of driver education worldwide. Bondurant’s impact on motorsport extended beyond racing, as his school set the standard for high-performance driver training, helping drivers master skills needed for both safety and competitive racing. His legacy lives on in the generations of drivers he mentored and the contributions he made to motorsport and driver education.

Acting credits

Grand Prix poster
7.3

The most daring drivers in the world have gathered to compete for the 1966 Formula One championship. After a spectacular wreck in the first of a series of races, American wheelman Pete Aron is dropped by his sponsor. Refusing to quit, he joins a Japanese racing team. While juggling his career with a torrid love affair involving an ex-teammate's wife, Pete must also contend with Jean-Pierre Sarti, a French contestant who has previously won two world titles.

Grand Prix

1966

Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman poster
7.6

The world knows Paul Newman as an Academy Award winning actor with a fifty-plus year career as one of the most prolific and revered actors in American Cinema. He was also well known for his philanthropy; Newman's Own has given more than four hundred and thirty million dollars to charities around the world. Yet few know the gasoline-fueled passion that became so important in this complex, multifaceted man's makeup. Newman’s deep-seated passion for racing was so intense it nearly sidelined his acting career. His racing career spanned thirty-five years; Newman won four national championships as a driver and eight championships as an owner. Not bad for a guy who didn't even start racing until he was forty-seven years old.

Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman

2015

The 24 Hour War poster
6.9

In the early 1960s, Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari went to war on the battlefield of Le Mans. This epic battle saw drivers lose their lives, family dynasties nearly collapse, and the development of a new car that changed racing.

The 24 Hour War

2016

Pushing the Limit: The Making of Grand Prix poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Pushing the Limit: The Making of Grand Prix

2006

The Racing Scene poster
7.3

The story of James Garner's year with his racing team, from the time he bought the car, and assembled his team through Mexico, England, Florida and Canada.

The Racing Scene

1969

No artwork available
NR

This film from director/producer Rodney Jacobs and Freewheelin' Films, "At the Wheel / A History of Driving and Driving Safety Film" (1980) explores the evolution of driving and the importance of skill behind the wheel. It begins with the invention of the automobile in the late 19th century. As roads improved and cars became faster, driving evolved into a challenging and exciting activity that demanded skill. The film also traces the rise of safety awareness, particularly in response to increasing road fatalities in the 1960s, leading to innovations like seat belts and the growth of professional driving schools. The film concludes by affirming that while most people won’t race professionally, every driver can benefit from improving their skills for greater safety, confidence, and enjoyment on the road.

At The Wheel: A History of Driving and Driving Safety Film

1980

Dorf Goes Auto Racing poster
9.0

World-famous European race car driver, Duessel Dorf, comes to America to take on his greatest challenge-stock car racing in the Indy 500. However, Dorf, with his usual skill, soon turns the race into a shambles and sets the world of stock car racing on its ear.

Dorf Goes Auto Racing

1990

The Snake and the Stallion poster
7.5

The Snake and the Stallion tells the story of motor-sports legend, Carroll Shelby, a bankrupt chicken farmer who, alongside a team of Southern Californian hot-rodders, created the AC Cobra and took on the might of Enzo Ferrari and his iconic Ferrari GTO.

The Snake and the Stallion

2002