Bob Bondurant – Can-Am and SC | The “forgotten” drivers of F1

1963 Dodger Stadium /too with famous Ken Miles/. Photo/source Duke Manor image via FB

1965 Ford GT40 Driven by Bob Bondurant and Richie Ginther at the Daytona Continental 2000 km Race, February 1965. Photo and info from the Collections of The Henry Ford

1966 Nürburgring 1000 Kilometres. Photo Porsche Muzeum

1967 USRRC McLaren Elva Mark III /possible Laguna Seca/. Photo Dean Lester

1967 30rd April Bob Bondurant accelerates out of turn 6 in the Dana Chevrolet McLaren Elva Mark III/Chevrolet during the Riverside United States Road Race of Champions event. Bondurant started fifth and finished in second place. Photo and info John Lacko

1970 Can-Am Road Atlanta. Source photo: https://glorydaysofracing.com/road-atlanta-can-am-1970/ via Harry E. Hurst on FB

1970 Riverside – Lola T160. Photo Larry Fulhorst

1970 -Bob Bondurant in his Lola T160 at the 1970 Road Atlanta Can-Am. Bob was entering his third decade of competition and still could run with the best of them. He qualified his Lola in 7th spot on the grid but would not finish due to overheating. I first remember hearing about him in the early 1960s when he was driving Corvettes in Southern California. He went on to drive for Shelby and then defected to Ferrari at the height of the Ford v Ferrari battle. He had movie-star good looks and helped another movie star get ready for his leading role in the movie “Winning.” PLN repaid his gratitude with sponsorship of his Lola here. Like many of the drivers of the era, Bondurant took full advantage of his ability to attract the opposite sex at races. As Bill Warner told me when I was writing my book on this race, “Bondurant, of course, was famous as one of the best of the Cobra drivers. They called him ‘Matinee Bob’ at Shelby and it wasn’t because of his good looks. He’d come to morning practice and find some pretty girl and disappear. He’d show up again in the afternoon to go out and qualify!” RIP Bob. Photo and info Larry E. Hurst