KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE SINCE 1999
Gérard Pillon
1/1/1937
14158
Pillon is the Co-founder and owner of the Domaine des Balisiers Winery. He first worked at the laboratories of the Battelle Memorial Institute of Geneva before becoming an entrepreneur. In 1983 he founded Domaine des Balisiers together with Jean-Daniel Schlaepfer. As a specialist in wine technology Gérard is responsible for the Domaine's technological research and development.
He raced sports prototypes.
He won the non championship sportscar race Internationales Flugplatzrennen Ulm-Laupheim in 1969 in his Lola T70 Mk.3B. Driving with Louis Morand, they did not start the Austrian GP, 1000 km at Zeltweg due to engine problems.
In 1970 he took the Lola to Argentina and raced in the 1000 km Buenos Aires unfortunately failing to finish due to an accident in the Lola T70 Mk.3B Chevrolet (SL76/147). Also failed to finish the 200 mile Buenos Aires and the 1000 km de Paris, Montlhéry DNF with an oil leak. DNQ 1000 km Monza, 1000 km Spa DSQ for receiving outside assistance.
In 1971 9th in the 1000 km Monza driving a Porsche 917K (025) with Dominique Martin. At the 1000 km Spa they went out when they had an accident caused by a puncture. at 24 h Le Mans they failed to finish with gearbox problems. He drove a Sauber and came 4th at the Grand Prix Casablanca sports car race.
1972 and Pillon was back in a Lola this time a Scuderia Filipinetti T290 Ford driving with Jacques Cochet. At Monza in a race won by Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni ina Ferrari 312PB, they went out with water in the electrics. At le Mans that year he teamed up with Bernard Cheneviére and Florian Vetsch in a Scuderia Filipinetti Ferrari 365 GTB/4 (14437) having failed to qualify the Lola with Cochet and Martin, but went out with an accident on lap 204.
He was also a regular competitor in hill-climbs
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Marcel Balsa 1901 - 1984 -
Leslie Johnson 1911 - 1959 -
Hap Sharp 1928 - 1993 -
Carlo Franchi 1938 -
Jacky Ickx 1945
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Clay Regazzoni 1939 - 2006
Regazzoni drove for Ferrari from 1970-72 and 1974-76, winning the Italian Grand Prix in 1970 and 1975, the German GP in 1974, and the United States GP in 1976. In 1974 he was second to Emerson Fittipaldi in the F1 championship. Regazzoni also raced for BRM, Ensign, Shadow and Williams, with whom he won the British GP at Silverstone in 1979. Regazzoni was confined to a wheelchair in 1980 when he suffered spinal damage in a crash during the US Grand Prix West in Long Beach, California. -
Silvio Moser 1941 - 1974
Moser made his name in F3 in the mid-1960s. He made his Grand Prix debut in 1967 in a Cooper-ATS. He finished 5th in a Brabham-Repco at Zandvoort in 1968. He died in 1974 after sustaining fatal head injuries when he crashed heavily in the Monza 1,000km race as he toured back to the pits without refastening his safety harness. -
Jean Claude Rudaz 1942
A pilot and founder of an air freight business, Rudaz entered the Italian GP in 1964 but after qualifying well, his engine blew up and he failed to start the race. -
Michel May 1934
Michel (or Michael) was a visionary engineer who was responsible for the first inverted aerofoil to create downforce on a racing car. Sadly his talents were not fully realised. -
Xavier Perrot 1932
Swiss Formual 2 driver who competed in the 1969 German Grand Prix. He also drove Siffert's March 701 in the Jochen Rindt Memorial Trophy F1 race at Hockenheim in 1972.