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27th Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run


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Having fallen victim to Covid a year ago this event will run from 1st to 3rd October, starting and finishing at Knebworth house, near Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Around 130 Triumphs, from a 1936 Gloria Southern Cross to a 1983 Acclaim and including some 25 TRs will be setting off from 18.00 on Friday 1st October. Anyone would be welcome to see us off.

This will be my 23rd start on an RBRR in the trusty 4A and the 16th with the same co-driver, both records by some margin and I am determined to make it my 21st finish. The charity chosen to benefit from this year's event is the Motor Neurone Disease Association and if anyone would like to support my team's fundraising effort this time round the link is: 

http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tim-mike25

Tim 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can anybody tell me how to access the route. I understand that it doesn't go through Pimperne anymore.

Many thanks,

Tim

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am glad to report that we successfully completed the event, now my 21st finish in 23 RBRR starts in the TR4A. It didn't miss a beat the whole weekend, returned a true 36.1mpg corrected for the known odometer error and I never opened my tool kit. The only problem was that the bulb in the flexible map light fell out a couple of times!  The car had done only 1600 miles in the previous two years as we approached the Knebworth House start facing 2000 miles in two days. Classics are all the better for regular use but two trips to Gaydon, one to Silverstone and another to Malvern since July with no issues gave me confidence.

Concerns over possible fuel availability problems en route resulted in some last minute crew withdrawals and only 113 cars started. At one stage we actually had 176 entries! There were 14 non-finishers for various maladies but no one ran out of fuel. I had a round trip of 40 miles to pick up my co-driver since he had been unable to find any diesel nearby on Friday. However, although it was tricky finding fuel near the start, once we got north of Peterborough there were no problems. Some garages were out of Super, I was happy to use E10 since I reasoned it would not be in the system long enough to cause problems and I planned to be sure I only filled with Super towards the end of the Run since this fuel would be in the tank for a while. I brimmed the tank at Ashburton on the edge of Dartmoor and this got me home with still over a quarter of a tank remaining, despite the detour to run my co-driver home. We noticed that once east of Andover there was no petrol on the A303 and Fleet Services on the M3 only had diesel. I was glad I had not taken 10 litres in a can though, it would have been dead weight.  I honestly felt as fresh at the finish as I did after my first RBRR in 1974 and was back to normal by Monday pm. 

I have just checked and the grand total raised for the Motor Neurone Disease Association on this year's event is already over £79,000 and still growing steadily. Such an amount seemed very unlikely just a few weeks ago, we are all very pleased. If anyone would like to contribute post facto the link to my team's page is

http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tim-mike25

Two members successfully completed the Run in our late President, Derek Pollock's well known one owner TR4, CMV 7A. We thought this an appropriate tribute to the much missed Derek, who co-founded the event in 1966. Derek never actually used his favourite Triump[h on the Run, considering a two-seater too uncomfortable for such an endurance event. However, this was not a consideration for him later on as he used his original RHD TR8 MCV 128V on eight RBRRs up to his last in 1994. Herewith a picture of the two cars at Land's End on Sunday morning 3rd October. Sorry - I don't know why it insists on attaching upside down!

IMG_0639.JPG

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Taken in OZ?  Or too much Devon ale?    Surely not!

Well done for such a consistent record.     CT has reported that 12% of starters failed to complete, but I don't know how that compares with past RBRRs.    What was disturbing was that 30% of entrants failed to show up, with very few having the courtesy to cancel.     Economics following Covid?     You would think that all cars would be fully restored and maintained after all that furlough!

John

image.thumb.png.7489c9ed645b38d2990c1337612fc6c8.png

Edited by john.r.davies
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This was the 6th time I have entered the RBRR and IMHO it was the best to date. An enjoyable mixture of great roads and easy navigation with a simple run to the end from the Haynes Motor Museum. Amount raised had increased to over 88,000 by last Sunday so hopefully will soon be over 100k :)

I suspect the failure to show up was down to the fuel shortage in many cases - I know I mentally tossed a coin before deciding to go for it, in a TR7 V8 I had only purchased a couple of weeks before with a no working fuel gauge & a totally unknown petrol consumption. Am very glad we did and now looking forward to next years 10CR

 

 

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this looks like something i need to consider trying- need a co driver prepared for a 3a tho

do you get extra points for not using a hood ? or doing it with aero screens ?

sound shattering.

not a relaxed 3 driver saloon with a bed in the back :ph34r:

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Why not go for it next time in 2023 Hamish? Over the years there have been 16 successful completions of the event by sidescreen cars, including of course TS2 in 2010 piloted by the intrepid Rob Murphy and Mark Treadwell. There is no doubt the sense of achievement at finisning the Run in a two seater must be far greater than for the wusses in e.g. 2.5 saloons or Dolomites who are often 3 or even 4 up. I look at it very simply, with only two drivers you have 16.7% more fun than if the driving is shared three ways. It helps to have a high back seat for comfortable sleep when the co-driver is at the wheel. Eye shades eliminate glare fromn oncoming headlights and decent ear plugs or defenders reduce the TR's familiar note to the silence of a Jaguar!

Tim

Edited by tim hunt
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Long ago, I decided that working 48 hours on two shifts was A/ not fun, and B/ dangerous.

And then I got promoted, was no longer a House Officer doctor and could get some sleep.

So when the RBRR came around, I always did it in a saloon with two colleagues.   One in three is tolerable, but good luck to those who chance it!

John

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I know your views on the matter John - all I can say is that neither my co-driver Mike nor I have any problem sleeping soundly as passenger in a moving smoothly driven car. We always swap over before any suggestion of tiredness, normally this means maximum 2 hour stints. I do not consider this is 'chancing it', the one thing I will never sacrifice at the wheel is safety.

Tim 

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I'm sure you don't endanger yourself or others, Tim.

BUT

A/ last time (?) someone recounted how they left the finish to drive home, felt tired, stopped for a coffee at a service station, AND FELL ASLEEP BEFORE THEY COULD GET OUT OF THE CAR!

B/ when even pro drivers, the HGV crew, cannot drive continuously more than nine hours in one stint, AND must then have eleven hours of rest in 24 hours.

I'm even more concerned  for the future of the RBRR.   I want it to continue, and in a nation more and more safety concious, it would only take one serious accident for the Police to ask, you and your mate are driving how far?  In how long?   And it could get banned.

No good saying this here, but I already have to CT.

John (aka Cassandra)

Edited by john.r.davies
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17 minutes ago, john.r.davies said:

I'm sure you don't endanger yourself or others, Tim.

BUT

A/ last time (?) someone recounted how they left the finish to drive home, felt tired, stopped for a coffee at a service station, AND FELL ASLEEP BEFORE THEY COULD GET OUT OF THE CAR!

B/ when even pro drivers, the HGV crew, cannot drive continuously more than nine hours in one stint, AND must then have eleven hours of rest in 24 hours.

I'm even more concerned  for the future of the RBRR.   I want it to continue, and in a nation more and more safety concious, it would only take one serious accident for the Police to ask, you and your mate are driving how far?  In how long?   And it could get banned.

No good saying this here, but I already have to CT.

John (aka Cassandra)

+1 I agree for a change it is bonkers and dangerous should be banned when the police pull you over and your excuse is tied it should be a offence what makes you different from the law with HGV driving 

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FWIW John HGV drivers can only drive for 4 1/2 hrs in one go, they then have to take a 45 minute statuary break.

Stuart.

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25 minutes ago, john.r.davies said:

Thank you Stuart.

PS Is the statuary break done like this?

image.png.fbdeb742565f49e71015a08578512794.png

Interesting sculpture, presumably in Germany judging by the model of truck.

Stuart

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  • 3 weeks later...

Bit late to this thread...

I completed the RBRR this year in my supercharged TR6, second time in this car with my sister as co-driver! ran faultlessly and I think was probably the best I have done so far (apart from the state of the roads up north!).

I also entered a 2500 TC saloon (the Beast!) for my uncle (normally drives a 4A) so he could "enjoy" it with 2 of his 3 sons. sounded like it was a luxury compared to the 6 and glad to say they completed it without incident. 

Overall, a great fun 48 hours.. roll on the 10 countries run!

Cheers

Tim

PS picture of TR and Saloon (with my midget between!)

beast.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

By way of an update I can advise that last night at the NEC Club Triumph secured the Classic & Sports Car Magazine award for 'Best Contribution to Charity' in 2021 in recognition of crews on last month's RBRR having raised over £100,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The JustGiving total continues to grow and today stands at £117,486.54 including Gift Aid, an amazing result and a record for the event since a charitable element was first introduced in 1990.

My thanks to all TR Register members who entered the Run, sponsored drivers or turned out to meet us somehere on the route. 

Tim

D5E86BB5-79DD-4374-8D82-06C7BB24A7FE.thumb.jpeg.5da06a2e4e832ecf9b9f39967526096f.jpeg

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2 hours ago, tim hunt said:

By way of an update I can advise that last night at the NEC Club Triumph secured the Classic & Sports Car Magazine award for 'Best Contribution to Charity' in 2021 in recognition of crews on last month's RBRR having raised over £100,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The JustGiving total continues to grow and today stands at £117,486.54 including Gift Aid, an amazing result and a record for the event since a charitable element was first introduced in 1990.

My thanks to all TR Register members who entered the Run, sponsored drivers or turned out to meet us somehere on the route. 

Tim

D5E86BB5-79DD-4374-8D82-06C7BB24A7FE.thumb.jpeg.5da06a2e4e832ecf9b9f39967526096f.jpeg

Many ironies accompany this best ever charity total, particularly with Covid still lurking in the background, and not least with the organisers almost pulling the plug on the event on the Tuesday evening due to a shortage of fuel.

But it didn’t lead to a shortage of cash and sheer determination by the organisers, crews and marshalls alike to take on this gruelling event under very exceptional circumstances. Well done to all involved. 

Kevin

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