McGovern grew up in Northern California. 

His mom wanted him to pursue joining the Navy, but Mike was into Nascar.  After high school, he worked at Sears Point, the race track in Sonoma.  That’s where he met Bob Bondurant, his future employer.

The two hit it off, and in 1983 Bob hired Mike on the spot.

McGov’s initial job was changing tires and washing cars at Bondurant’s original California facility.

“I did all the dirty work.”

But doing the dirty paid off.

In 1990, Bob Bondurant opened up his Chandler, Arizona driving school at Fire Bird Raceway, insisting his buddy McGov make the move to the Valley of the Sun.

Five years later, McGov was named Chief Driving Instructor.

“I’ve trained Tim Allen, Jason Priestly, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, plus many more.”

Yep, this star-studded racer even helps celebs learn the tricks of the trade, whether it be for fun or for a project.

“Prior to the movie ‘Gone in 60 Seconds,’ I helped Nicholas Cage better understand car control.  He was an OK driver but great student.”

As a student, you’ll first experience the C6 Corvette, averaging 400 horsepower.  Your ride will typically cap at 110 miles per hour, but with the right maneuvering, you’ll reach 170 no problem.

But if you really want to live on the edge, hop inside a ZO6 Corvette, cruising 500 horsepower at about 200 miles per hour.

“It’s basically a racecar you can put a license plate on.”

McGovern has any typical dad’s dream job.  This father of three boys says racing is his drug of choice— speed simply runs in his genes.

“There’s an addiction and an excitement level that you can’t really duplicate anywhere else.”

And thanks to McGov, I got a taste of that addiction…that fabulously fast and fun-filled high.

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