We have received sad news today that Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame member, NHRA funny car champion runner up, and great 1970s funny car racer Gordie Bonin has died. The news came in late last night and the reaction from the drag racing community has been one of shock and sadness. Bonin was a well known figured in the sport, having had a successful driving career and then joined on as an executive with the NHRA for several years in the 1980s. He began driving drag cars at an early age in western Canada and his “coming out party” was the 1972 US Nationals where he wheeled the Pacemaker Automotive Vega (shown below in a Bob Boudreau photo) to a runner up finish at the most important drag race in the world.
From 1972-1975 Bonin and crew ran lots of match races and toured hard like most funny car teams of the day. In 1975 the Bubble Up soda company came on to sponsor the team and this was just the shot in the arm that they needed. From 1975-1980 the team won the NHRA Division 6 funny car title every year. They were THE team to beat in that part of the world at that time. In 1977 Bonin won the NHRA Gator Nationals and perhaps more importantly, he got his well known nickname due to the car’s propensity of live in the 240mph zone while others were still trying to get there consistently.
It would be 1979 which treated Bonin and crew the best. The knocked down three NHRA National event wins including the US Nationals and on that same weekend the car ran a 5.97 to become the fourth member of the eight man NHRA Cragar 5-second club, which was not closed out until 1981 . Bonin and crew finished 3rd in funny car points that season, which was their most successful. The Bubble Up gum deal ended at the close of 1979 and after a couple year, Bonin decided to see the sport from a different side and joined the NHRA as their director of marketing and the marketing services manager. He drove again in the late 1980s, some in the 1990s (where he won two events driving the Candies and Hughes car) and in 1999 he went “across the pond” to race in the european FIA drag racing series. He also had a short and adventurous stint in Jeff Gaynor’s nostalgia funny car circa 2008. In the early 1980s Bonin actually drove a twin turbocharged nitro funny the the team was never able to really get a handle on. That was the last car that Bonin drove for Ron Hodgson before striking out with other teams and doing all the rest of the cool stuff we talked about above.
Bonin also served as the stunt driver in the 1979 movie “Fast Company” where he drove a funny car through a garage door, down the street, and actually launched it and made a pedaling pass on a public road as part of a scripted scene in the film. We have the clip below!
Bonin is remembered as a fun loving guy who was always quick with a story and a guy that truly loved drag racing with all of his heart. He will be missed by many.
An exciting racer from the halcyon days. RIP Gordie Bonin
Godspeed Gordie!!
Now he will truely be racing with the greats!
Gordie was a great racer , one hell of a great friend and fun to hang out with ! r.i.p. my friend God speed
Was one of My Favorite Canadian Drivers Many good Memories from the old Sanair Track in Montreal .
“240” Gordie will be sorely missed here in Western Canada. Always willing to chat and tell a story, he was a great ambassador for the sport, RIP Gordie.
RIP “240”
Glad I was in Indy in 1979 !!!
You were a true friend of the NYPD when we visited Joliet. You will be missed….Godspeed Gordie !
All of us in Joliet, IL will miss Gordie terribly. What a great friend and a guy with a heart of gold! God Bless Gordie!
The highest Gordie Bonin ever finished in the points was second, not third as stated above. He did it in 1977.
RIP “240”. Always had good looking cars and liked his “Bubble Up” funny car the best.
I feel blessed to have worked with and known and experienced Gordie’s love, compassion, and a GREAT sense of humor. I loved you Gordie, and I know you knew that because we always both told each other that upon and after every phone call and visit in person. I will miss you my friend. Godspeed to you and Nitro Tailwinds. I just know that you blasted through the pearly gates leaving all behind in smoke!. Sorry God…..but Gordie was FIRST!!!!
A true gentleman who always had time for the fans.Thanks for the talks and the memories Gordie.Rest in Peace
RIP 240
The last time I saw Gordie we were climbing trees in saskatoon, that was over 50 years ago. Allthough we never stayed in contact his mom and dad sometimes parked their camper in my back yard when they came through Perdue. Uncle Joe and aunt Marie would always give me an update on what Gordie was up to and of coarse at coffee row I would have to do a little bragging about my famous cousin 240 Gordie. Two things I regret in my life, no. 1, not seeing Wayne Gretski play hockey live, no.2 not getting to know Gordie Bonin. Rest in peace Gordie.
When I was 5 and Gordie came to our house in Alberta to visit my dad, when He showed up all I could do was run outside to see his dragster…. I was so disappointed and said so asking him, where is your car? He said the rental in the driveway was his car. I said noooooo…. your real car!! I still think about this all the time. Much remembered, missed, loved R.I.P.
True Canadian hero. rest in peace Gordie
Canadian fans including myself are stunned by this sad news. I lived in Edmonton,Alberta in the 70’s and could not believe the level of pro nitro cars that were there. The Bubble-Up car of Gordie Bonin and Ron Hodgson were a mainstay at events all over North America and proved it by winning and setting records where ever they raced. I still have the press kit of Gordie’s car with sharp pictures enclosed that I picked up at Sanair raceway in Quebec in the mid seventies. Thank You Gordie for all the famous Canadian/NHRA moments that I will always remember you forever.
I’m glad we were able to spend this summer together at Pacific raceway and good guys’ I hope where ever you a
TO MY GOOD FRIEND 240;
YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL HEART AND SOUL, I KNOW YOUR UP THERE WITH THE ANGLES TELLING THEM ALL YOUR GREAT LIFE LESSONS AND WILL PROBABVLY BE TEACHING THEM HOW THE SKIES HAVE NO LIMITS, WHEN I LOOK UP AND SEE SOMETHING MOVING FAST, I’LL KNOW IT’S YOU AND NOT A FLYING STARRRRRRRRR…
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, SAVE A SPOT FOR ME………….JOLEEN