Lamera Cup Estoril – Bertrand Balas and Jean Lombard: friends of 45 years

Bertrand Balas (69 years old) defines himself as a part-time showman. A driver whose talent and eclecticism have helped him build a very enviable track record both on the circuit and in rally. " Yet, I was never a full-fledged professional. », he smiles. “ The BMW dealership in Grenoble (Isère) that I ran for 40 years with my brother did not allow me to concentrate 100% on racing. »

However... BB, as his fireproof suit reminds us, distinguished himself in car (Motul Steering Wheel in Formula Renault in 1979), in rallying (numerous category victories at Monte-Carlo in Alfa Romeo and in Lancia), in ice racing (triple winner of the 24 Hours of Chamonix, numerous victories in the Andros Trophy) and even to the 24 Hours of Le Mans whose only participation in 1994 resulted in a 12th place overall and a 3rd position in GT1 in a Dodge Viper that he shared with Justin Bell and Rene Arnoux in person!

Today, the Grenoble native occasionally takes his helmet out of the closet to lend a hand to his friends in the Lamera Cup. That's precisely what he's doing this weekend in Estoril...

« From Jarama, I've been replacing Olivier Lombard, who is convalescing, on the Hedonic Racing Lamera 5. What's fun is that this gig allows me to reunite with Jean, his father, in the role of team manager. Jean and I have known each other since 1979. At the time, he was the mechanic for the late Jean-Michel Neyrial in Formula Renault. The latter was the winner of the Volant Elf and I of the Volant Motul. »

Subsequently, Bertrand and Jean took different paths but remained in contact.

« "I was a mechanic but also a monitor at Winfield School," says the Nice native. "Then I decided to take the wheel myself in FR. »

Those in their fifties will remember with amusement and nostalgia the colors of this single-seater sponsored by the Moulin Rouge! I then took over the Montlhéry driving school (Essonne) where the talents of Eric Hélary, Christophe Bouchut, Jules Bouillon, and Franck Lagorce blossomed. And after five years at the helm of this school, I got back behind the wheel. This time in endurance racing. I notably competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times. »

« The funny thing is that Jean was also the team manager of my car at Le Mans. " adds Bertrand. In 1994, on the Viper Luigi, he was at the helm from the wall! Since then, we had hardly ever seen each other except for Jean-Michel Neyrial's funeral. And here we are again. Me, to temporarily replace his son Olivier, who will return to the circuit at the next meeting. And Jean in the role of team manager. It's true that Henry, his son, is part of the team, just like Olivier and Franck Dupuis, a talented novice driver. I give him some advice, and he progresses at a remarkable speed. »

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