Bondurant High Performance Driving School to debut F4 racing instruction program next year, featuring Ligier single-seat race cars

Aspiring competitive drivers or enthusiasts ready for what the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) describes as “the first step out of karting” in ascending the ranks of single-seat auto racing will soon have a new option for their development, when the Bondurant High Performance Driving School debuts their instructional program in F4 racing next year.

Intended primarily for junior drivers, the F4 (Formula 4) category is one of the pathways available for drivers to progress to Formula One, the top class of single-seat auto racing that the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) sanctions.

The school, located in Phoenix, Arizona, just this week announced the F4 training program, which offers “multiple course options” that include the use of new Ligier JS F4 single-seat, open-wheel race cars.

Set to begin in March 2020, the classers will be “open to anyone with the desire to further their skills as a competitive driver, for those seeking a SCCA Pro License or enthusiasts who have dreamed of driving a true open wheel race car,” according to a statement from the driving school.

Propelled by a Honda 2-liter engine that makes 160 brake horsepower (bhp)—the maximum power allowed under F4 rules—the JS F4 is built by Ligier Automotive, a French company dedicated to building race cars. According to the Ligier Automotive website, the F4 has been the exclusive model of the F4 U.S. championship since 2016.

The JS F4 can also be equipped with other powertrains for different racing applications.

“We are very excited to begin our partnership with Bondurant High Performance Driving School,” said Ligier Automotive Chief Executive Officer Max Crawford. “Since we initiated the U.S. F4 Championships in 2016, it has always been a goal of ours to have a program with a driving school.”

Through a partnership with FCA, the Bondurant High Performance Driving School is also the Official High Performance Driving School of Dodge SRT, equipped with a fleet of nearly 100 Dodge SRT vehicles, including the Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat models and the 840-horsepower Challenger SRT Demon.

Founded in 1968 by famed Formula One driver Bob Bondurant, the Bondurant High Performance Driving School was, according to the motorsports news website Racer, purchased out of bankruptcy earlier this year by Stig Investments, Inc., a company led by Bruce Belser, Jeff Hunter, and Pat Velasco—all graduates of the school.

In addition to motorsports training, the school also offers programs for teen drivers, as well as military, executive, and law enforcement driver training.