Learn to Drive the Finest from Dodge at Bondurant This Summer

Dodge Challenger and Charger are the featured street machines as the famous racing school reopens.

If you are a hardcore Dodge fan, the odds are good that you know about Bondurant High Performance Driving School in Arizona. The school has used Ford and Chevy products in the past, but starting in 2015, the school switched their entire closed-wheel fleet to the Dodge Challenger and Charger. They also had the Viper until that model was discontinued, but the Hellcat, Scat Pack and Demon are all still the featured schooling cars.

Bondurant went through some financial issues last year, but they reemerged under new ownership, only to shut down once again for the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the school opened back up on June 14 and to help get students on the track, they have huge discounts on every program offered. This means that if you book now, you can learn to go road racing in Hellcats or drag racing in the legendary Demon for less than $2,000.

Road Racing in a Dodge Hellcat

This famous driving school was founded by championship road racer Bob Bondurant, so it should come as no surprise that road racing classes are the key focus. Their introductory courses fall under the World-Class High Performance Driving program and in those classes, students learn to handle the 717-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The 1-day program costs $1,899 and provides an introduction to the key principals of high performance, high speed driving. This includes things like throttle steering, slalom control, accident avoidance, skid control and understanding the basics of high performance car control. Of course, there is also plenty of track time, including autocross lessons and lap time on the 1.6-mile Bondurant road course.

If you are looking to spend a little more money, there is also a 2- and 3-day version of this course, each of which includes loads more track time and a deeper dive into the various disciplines. The 2-day program costs $3,299 and the 3-day Hellcat road racing program costs $4,699. These programs are generally intended for folks with little-to-no experience with road racing a Hellcat Challenger, but if you are an experienced road racer, Bondurant has some special pricing for the advanced programs right now.

The Advanced Road Racing programs are only open to experienced drivers and like the High Performance Driving program, the Advanced program has 1-, 2- and 3-day options. Each offers more detailed schooling and more track time and right now, these programs are 33% off. This means that the 1-day program starts at just $1,866, the 2-day starts at $3,332 and the 3-day program starts at $4,332.

If you are into road racing, whether you are a novice or a seasoned veteran, it has never been more affordable to go racing at Bondurant in the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.

Drag Racing in the Demon

If you love modern Mopars but road racing isn’t your thing, there is also the Bondurant Drag Racing program, featuring the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon.

This program costs just $1,332 right now, down from $1,999, and it teaches you how to make the most of the 840-horsepower beast. You learn how to use the line lock and transbrake, you learn the basics of drag racing and you take to the track to experience the quickest street legal car in the world on the drag strip. There is no prerequisite for this class, so if you have some money saved up and you would like to get some seat time in the mighty Demon, click here for a closer look at the class information.

Photos: FCA 

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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