Robin Bonanno isn’t about to slow down.
At 59, as a breast cancer survivor and winner of multiple Formula racing championships, she isn’t ready to pump the brake just yet.
“Growing up in New Jersey, I always restored cars with my dad and just knew that I loved driving and wanted to do that,” said Bonanno, who now lives in Odessa.
“So when we moved to Florida, we bought a Ferrari and it just happened that my neighbor was a retired race car driver (Amos Johnson).
“It kind of all just snowballed from there, and I have no plans to stop racing now,” said the woman, who has been racing for 22 years.
During that span, she’s been getting progressively skilled and faster.
She also has switched to more powerful cars, starting with a Triumph Spitfire, moving to a Radical race car, and eventually deciding to move to the open-wheel cars that are used in Formula racing.
Bonanno races in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the South Atlantic Road Racing Championship (SARRC), which is held in seven different states. Running in those leagues has yielded 14 championships: three in the SARRC and 11 regional titles in the SCCA.
In June, she’ll unveil her newest ride: a Formula A car that can hit speeds up to 150 mph. She’ll debut that car at Sebring International Raceway.
“I just knew, as a driver, I wanted to and had to go faster with a bigger, badder car — and that’s the Formula A.
“It’s harder and meaner to drive, so there’s a learning curve, but I’m looking forward to getting it out there,” she said.
As much as she enjoys the speed and the challenge, Bonanno wants everyone to know that there’s more to her than simply racing cars.
She’s also a pilot, a guitar player, a teacher, a wife and an aspiring inspirational speaker.
She hopes to inspire others to pursue their dreams — whether that be young girls at the race track who are looking up to her, or helping others to find their way in life.
“Women just line up and say, ‘I always wanted to do this or that’ and I say to them, ‘Well, why aren’t you doing these things?’ I want to be a role model and help young women, girls, men — help anyone do what I’m doing. I know it’s not for everyone, but I can help people do a lot of things they’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Bonanno’s husband of 15 years, Carl Lunderstadt, who also doubles as her crew chief and manager, knows she can be inspiring.
“I’ll say this about my wife, she is the best driver I’ve taught and I’ve taught a lot of drivers,” Lunderstatdt said.
They’re on the lookout for sponsors, which not only would benefit their race team, but also the sponsor, Lunderstatdt said.
“We could get any sponsor tremendous exposure because she’s good and a female driver,” he said.
They also can be beneficial to charitable causes, he said.
“We can draw an awful lot of attention to someone’s charity because we’re not in it to make a lot of money. We’re in it to do good, help promote a good charity, and enjoy it because it is a very enjoyable sport,” he said.
Bonanno agreed.
She’s not looking for just any sponsor.
She wants one who “wants to build something.
“I’m not looking for someone to throw money and say, ‘Go race,’ but to build something bigger and better. Because it’s nice to be looked up to, and if I can help someone, that’s all I want to do,” Bonanno said.
Published April 27, 2022