It’s always good to report the return of old friends to the track and this story records that two of them, Thomas Erdos and Shaun Balfe, will be racing together under the Balfe Motorsport banner this season contesting selected rounds of the International GT Open with a 2013 specification Ferrari 458 GT3.
“In a way, it is like ‘coming home’ to me,” said a delighted Erdos, “I took my first major British title with David Balfe, now Team Principal at Balfe Motorsport, when we won the British Formula Renault Championship in 1990. It was our first year together, and I’m just thrilled to be working with David again for the 2013 season.”
Back in the early Nineties the team was known as Fortec Motorsport, and went on to become one of the leading competitors in F.Renault before moving up to Formula 3. “I have many fond memories of our title-winning season,” admits Erdos, who dominated the year with four wins and a total of nine podiums. “Eventually, in 1995, David sold the Team to Richard Dutton, who has carried on flying the Fortec banner to this day.” Fortec indeed look set to enter the GT racing fray too in 2013 with a double entry in the British GT Championship with a pair of AMG Mercedes SLS
“I am really looking forward to working with Tommy again in our team,” commented Shaun “ the same philosophy still applies from when me and Tommy shared a car last in a Mosler back in 2003 at the Spa 1000k where Tommy took class pole, is still very much in the DNA of Balfe Motorsport. The main focus will no doubt be directed towards outright performance, whilst a very close eye will be kept on the level of preparation needed for endurance racing in today’s highly competitive environment.”
The team will concentrate its efforts on the International GT Open Championship. “I attended one of their rounds last year at the Hungaroring, as a TV commentator,” explains Erdos, who has Hungarian ancestry. “I was really impressed with the high level of racing, with so many top teams and drivers taking part, and the standard really is superb!”
After taking the British GT title in 2002 with a Saleen, Thomas Erdos moved into prototypes, Balfe carried on into 2003 in British GT, taking 7 wins, and claiming 2nd in the championship after the team’s Mosler, having lead the series all year, was knocked out of the final round.
Tommy claimed two class wins at Le Mans (2005 & 2006) and took the Le Mans Series title twice (2007 & 2010) and was runner-up twice (2005 & 2006). Where Balfe went on and claimed the Spanish GT Championship in 2004, and outright winner of the Silverstone 24hr race, before moving to GT1 with a Saleen, most recently driving in the Radical Works team.
Both drivers are now looking forward to their GT comeback in a Ferrari.
“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of a brand new 458 GT3,” grins an ebullient Erdos. “What a gorgeous car . . . and, of course, it will be red!”
Despite seventeen years in GT and sportscar racing, he has never raced a Ferrari. “Come to think of it, I’ve only ever driven one once, last year at Silverstone, in a track day, so this really will be a very special experience for me. Shaun has proved himself to be a very fast driver, in all types of cars, so I am really looking forward to sharing the car with him.”
The team’s stunning new race transporter was on display last week at the Racing Car Show.
