Claude Roger Léon Ballot-Léna (4 August 1936 – 5 December 1999) was a French racing driver born in Paris.
Career Ballot-Léna won the 1969 Spa 24 Hours in a Porsche 911 and the 1983 24 Hours of Daytona in a Porsche 935 Turbo owned by Preston Henn. He also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans many times from 1966 until the 1980s and other than record holder Tom Kristensen has scored the most class victories at Le Mans with seven wins driving Porsche, Ferrari and Jaguar GT class cars. Ballot-Léna was also one of the earliest European NASCAR drivers when he made six Winston Cup starts in 1978 to 1979 at Talladega Superspeedway, Daytona International Speedway, and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Ballot-Léna died on 5 December 1999 in Paris from cancer.
Motorsports career results
24 Hours of Le Mans results 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1965 Abarth France Frank Ruata Abarth 1000 SP P1.15 - DNQ DNQ 1966 Jean-Louis Marnat & Cie Jean-Louis Marnat Marcos Mini Marcos GT 2+2-BMC P1.3 258 15th 5th 1967 S.E.C. Automobiles CD Dennis Dayan CD SP66C-Peugeot P1.15 25 DNF DNF 1968 Auguste Veuillet Guy Chasseuil Porsche 911T GT2.0 224 DNF DNF 1969 Auguste Veuillet Guy Chasseuil Porsche 911T GT2.0 301 11th 2nd 1970 Établissement Sonauto Guy Chasseuil Porsche 914/6 GT GT2.0 285 6th 1st 1971 Auguste Veuillet - Sonauto Guy Chasseuil Porsche 908/2 P3.0 DNF DNF 1972 Charles Pozzi Jean-Claude Andruet Ferrari 365 GTB/4 GT5.0 306 5th 1st 1973 Automobiles Charles Pozzi Vic Elford Ferrari 365 GTB/4 GT5.0 316 6th 1st 1974 Robert Buchet Vic Elford Porsche 911 Carrera RSR GT DNF DNF 1975 Écurie Robert Buchet Jacques Bienvenue Porsche 911 Carrera RSR GT 304 8th 4th 1976 Ecurie T.S. Guy Chasseuil WM P76-Peugeot GTP DNF DNF 1977 JMS Racing / ASA Cachia Peter Gregg Porsche 935 Gr. 5 315 3rd 1st 1978 Pozzi-Thompson JMS Racing Jean-Louis Lafosse Ferrari 512BB IMSA+2.5 218 DNF DNF 1979 JMS Racing / Charles Pozzi Michel Leclère Peter Gregg Ferrari 512BB/LM IMSA+2.5 219 DNF DNF 1980 Ch. Pozzi - JMS Racing Jean-Claude Andruet Ferrari 512BB/LM IMSA 129 DNF DNF 1981 Charles Pozzi S.A. Jean-Claude Andruet Hervé Regout Ferrari 512BB/LM IMSAGTX 328 5th 1st 1982 Charles Pozzi - Ferrari France Jean-Claude Andruet Ferrari 512BB/LM IMSAGTX 57 DNF DNF 1983 Preston Henn T-Bird Swap Shop John Fitzpatrick Racing Preston Henn Jean-Louis Schlesser Porsche 956 C 327 10th 10th 1984 Group 44 Jaguar Tony Adamowicz John Watson Jaguar XJR-5 IMSAGTP 212 DNF DNF 1985 Group 44 Jaguar Bob Tullius Chip Robinson Jaguar XJR-5 GTP 324 13th 1st 1986 Porsche AG René Metge Porsche 961 GTX 321 7th 1st 1988 Chamberlain Engineering Jean-Louis Ricci Jean-Claude Andruet Spice SE88C-Ford Cosworth C2 17 DNF DNF 1989 Joest Racing Henri Pescarolo Jean-Louis Ricci Porsche 962C C1 371 6th 6th
NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pts Ref 1978 GC Spencer Racing 49 Dodge RSD DAY22 RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL18 DOV CLT NSV RSD MCH DAY35 NSV POC TAL37 MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT NA 0 1979 6 Olds RSD DAYDNQ CAR RCH ATL27 NWS BRI DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY31 NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL ONT NA 0
Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1978 GC Spencer Racing Dodge 35 22 1979 Oldsmobile DNQ
References
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