The Bondurant Racing School was founded in 1968 by Bod Bondurant and is a purpose-built driver training facility and one of the largest training centers in the United States. The school is also the official driving school of both Dodge and SRT. The driving school changed ownership in May 2019 and it involved car TV celebrity Ant Anstead, 2009 F1 Champion Jenson Button, and automotive designer Mark Stubbs. The change of ownership has now seen the school renamed to the Radford Driving School, as reported by Vintage Motorsport.
Renaming Is Down To Association With Radford
This renaming has come due to its new association with the Radford brand, which is known for its coachbuilding. The Radford brand is perhaps most famous for its hand in developing the Ford GT40, as well as its creation of shooting brake versions of the legendary Aston Martin DB5. The trio named above, along with business partner Roger Behle, are all looking to revive the Radford brand. They aim to turn it into a lifestyle brand while also celebrating the auto design legacy that it became famous for.
Fans Of Bondurant Reacted With Sadness
While the driving school itself will live on with just a new name, many people reacting to the news did so in a sad way. The Racer Magazine’s comments section on its Facebook post of the news saw a lot of disappointed notes about the rebrand. One commenter said, “Guess name recognition isn't in their business plan.” This sentiment behind the name was repeated by other users, with another saying that he was, “Sorry to see the name go.”
Ethos Behind The School Has Not Changed
While the name has changed, the ethos behind the school hasn’t, and the renamed outfit will still retain the accolades collected by the Bondurant Driving School. The school includes vehicles such as the 840-hp Dodge Challenger SRT Demon plus other SRT machines like the soon-to-be discontinued SRT Hellcat. The aspirations of the new owners are to turn the brand into something much more global, rather than just being a household name in the United States. That ultimate aim will hopefully see it be an experience destination for auto enthusiasts all over the world.
Sources: Vintage Motorsport, Radford Driving School