The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, Arizona has been making headlines this past year—but not for the right reasons. Having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2018 it temporarily closed its doors a month later. The future wasn’t looking very bright, but things are about to get a whole lot brighter as Stig Investments Inc. has just announced its successful purchase of the company. Comprised of a small group of business leaders with significant experience in turning around ailing organizations, they are also graduates of the Bondurant school as well as racing enthusiasts and automobile collectors.
Group member Bruce Belser (below, center) will serve as CEO of Bondurant and is looking forward to stabilizing the financial foundation of the company while expanding on what legendary race driver Bob Bondurant and his team have built over the last five decades. “As graduates of the School, we truly honor the lasting impact Bob Bondurant has made on the racing community,” said Belser. “We have a profound respect for Bob and what he has built—an immersive experience for drivers of all skill levels. We sincerely appreciate the immense dedication of the school’s employees, students and sponsors over the last few months. Their support and hard work have been integral to keeping the company on track and will be critical as we move forward.”
It’s not all change though as head instructor Mike McGovern (above, right), who has been with the company for 36 years, and assistant instructor Danny Bullock (above, left), a 22-year employee, will continue to lead guest experience and teaching with all current instructors. That is good news for the company, which was founded in 1968 and has been training everyone from racing professionals to daily commuters to become more capable behind the wheel. “We’ve worked diligently over the last six months to find new owners who are not only smart business leaders, but can continue Bob Bondurant’s rich legacy,” said Tim Shaffer, chief restructuring officer at the school. It looks as though that task has been successfully achieved and the Bob Bondurant Driving School can continue to offer some of the best driver training services in the industry.
Images courtesy of The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
