2/7/1932 - 16/8/1997
Record updated 02-Jul-07
A loyal Gordini campaigner, Pollet competed in five World Championsip Grand Prix with a best finish of 7th at Monaco in 1955. He won his class at Le Mans in 1954.
Born in Roubaix, France, 'Jacky' had raced a private Simca Gordini T15 in 1952. He then joined the Equipe AGS squad for a single race at the Grand Prix des Frontières at Chimay in 1953. This led to him being taken on as a junior works driver for Gordini the following season.
In single-seaters he took sixth in the Bordeaux GP in 1954 and shared the third-placed car with Behra at Caen. Pollet led the Grand Prix des Frontières briefly at Chimay until a stone smashed his goggles, and he was moving back through the field until he crashed into the crowd two laps from the finish, fatally injuring two spectators. He was classified 4th.
In sports machines he won his class at Le Mans with Andre Guelfi and Eugene Martin and also won the Automobile Tour de France with Goulthier.
His association with Gordini continued in 1955. He came fourth at Grand Prix d'Albi in the Gordini T16 (16-0031) and scored his best World Championship finish with seventh in Monaco in the same car albeit five laps behind the winner, Maurice Trintignant in a Ferrari.
In sports cars that year he drove with Nano da Silva Ramos, finishing 4th in the Bol d’Or. They actually led the race for six of the 24 hours but unfortunately had to slow down due to suspension problems. Nevertheless they finished first in the two-litre category. The pair then raced together again at Le Mans in a Gordini 15S (15-0043). Unfortunately they had to retire after 14 hours because of a holed radiator.
Thereafter Pollet competed in a Mercedes 300S, finishing eighth overall and fourth in class driving with P Flandrak in the 1956 Mille Miglia.
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