He taught Robert Duvall, Vin Diesel, Terry Crews and other Hollywood legends how to drive cars like they meant business.
Bob Bondurant, who was a racing enthusiast for more than six decades and taught athletes such as former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway and former Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Randy Johnson, died Thursday at age 88.
His death was confirmed by The Dallas Morning News, where Bondurant was an employee and racing driver instructor.
According to the Morning News, Bondurant died from cancer and heart disease at his home near Dallas. He founded an outdoor recreation equipment retailer called Tentative Editions and a floor wax and refinishing company called Dryo Editions, but his automotive racing career was his love.
He taught Mike Ditka, LaDainian Tomlinson, Dwight Howard, John Elway, Ken Griffey Jr., Terry Crews, Ben Roethlisberger, David Ortiz, Larry Bird, JJ Watt, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, Elton Brand, John Daly, Lance Armstrong, Deion Sanders, Jimmy Johnson, Rex Ryan, Xavier Cunningham, Brad Haynes, Cole Beasley, Adam Thielen, Kenny Stills, DeMarco Murray, Chris Kemoeatu, Greg Jennings, Chris Lane, Eric Weddle, Kyle Cook, Patrick Stewart, Duvall, Dan Marino, Ronnie Lott, Andre Simmons, Calvin Johnson, Bo Jackson, Jason Taylor, Snoop Dogg, Floyd Mayweather, Shannon Sharpe, Wes Welker, Eric Decker, Shawne Merriman, Magic Johnson, Jerry Rice, Jay Cutler, Kenny Britt, Marcellus Wiley, A.J. Green, Ryan Kalil, Greg Hardy, Amari Cooper, Ryan Switzer, Austin Ekeler, Tavon Austin, Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy, Nick Mangold, and Super Bowl winners Tony Dungy, Pat Tillman, Michael Strahan, Eli Manning, and Jim Schwartz.
“Bob Bondurant was a legend, a humanitarian, a role model, a friend, a sports agent, and a wonderful man,” Burt Blackstone, Bondurant’s nephew, told the Dallas Morning News. “He was my first boss at Spot Editions. I learned more about racing than I ever did in college.
“Even though he couldn’t drive himself, he taught me about attention to detail, and patience. He was such a good manager of people, as a coach. He was a great mentor to the drivers. He set up the racetrack for us at our site in Allen and laid the groundwork for where we came from with fans and vendors and local politicians, which is significant given our business success.”
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