RBRR Facts

[Tim Bancroft]

Here are some facts about the RBRR.

1.The first RBRR was run in 1966 and attracted an entry of 6 cars.

2.So far 688 crews have successfully completed the event

3.It is the oldest running event for Triumph motor cars.

4.Over 300 people were involved in 2006 event, this includes entrants, marshals and organisers.

5.The oldest car to have entered the event is a 1954 TR2, the newest being a 1984 Triumph Acclaim

6.Triumph/British Leyland entered 23 cars into the event whilst they were still making the Triumph range, the last time being 1982 when 6no. Acclaims were entered. The other Triumph models being sundry 200/2500 saloons, Dolomite Sprints and a couple of Stags.

7.Tim Hunt and his white TR4A have participated in 15 RBRRs, its doubtful that anyone will break this record.

8.The only type of production car other than a Triumph to have been used on the RBRR is the Bond Equipe, these have been used 5 times. A Standard could be used for the next RBRR.

9.The original RBRR featured a ferry crossing at Bonar Bridge!

10.The existing road book design was designed by Les Mills, one of the originators of the RBRR. Nigel Abdullah took over the routing and continues to this day.

11.The 1973 RBRR was cancelled owing to the Fuel Crisis!

12.Four start and finish venues have been used, Broadfields Garage, a former Standard Triumph dealer, The British Leyland HQ at Berkeley Square, The Cock of the North on the Great North Road and The Plough, this venue has been used since 1994.

13.The 2006 was been the most successful RBRR so far, not bad considering the history of the event.

14.Organisation of the RBRR starts in September of the year before of the event and finishes in April of the year after the event.

15.The 2008 event will be the first one to have 4 organisers!

16.2006 saw the quickest take up of entries, 6 being received on the first day of post after the event was announced in the November 2006 edition of Club Torque.

17.Crews have been made up with people from as far away as America and Australia, interestingly no Scottish based crews have entered the event.

18.Fair to say the event has been dominated by the big saloon range, 200 of these cars have successfully completed the event. The next best being the Dolomite range including FWD cars with 129 successes.

19. The longest used Control Stop (Other than JOG and LE) is Morrisons Garage at Stirling.

[ferny]

Nice collection. Will something like this be included with the bumph participants receive to help explain the event and gain sponsors? If not, how about some on the site for people to print off themselves?

[Tim Bancroft]

Peter,

You will get comprehensive bumpf to help obtain pledges for the Charity, this includes forms to record pledges onto.

James C is about to update the comp website to include my updated RBRR info.

Tim

[ferny]

Cool. I'll almost forgive you for calling me an old chap in another thread now. Almost...

:)

[Nick B.]

The wife has been giving me a hard time since I announced that I was going to do RBRR08. Keeps saying it's insane, and reminds me that I have two children to bring up. She kindly asked me to ask whether there has ever been any accidents or injuries during the run.

Regards
Nick

[Tim Bancroft]

2004: Spitfire written off when oversteered and hit a bridge parapet. No injuries. Mechanical issue: Diff locked up.

1996: TR8 (Proper one). Car slightly hit an armco barrier.

No other accidents, a few spins. Not bad as 689 cars now have completed.

The event gains a MSA (Motor Sports Association) Touring Assembly Permit (TAP), they are very happy with the event. To acheive this, I have to submit the route and basic synopsis of the event to the MSA officials, I also send out the sections of the road book to MSA approved Route Liaision Officers who are appointed by the MSA for each County. These chaps review the route and submit to local Police Constabularies. No issues last time.

It ain't a race. Control Stops are used to control the pace. Marshals at each stop are told to only sign the route at the proper time as issued in the road book. They do get badgered, but they let me know and I have a word with any crew that is particulary hasty!

[AlanChatterton]

Nick, I take it the good lady will not be accompanying you on the RBRR then?

I used to get terminal grief off Sam for doing it. Then she decided that she ought to have a go, just to see if it is bad as she thought. Now addicted, and she's been doing nothing but talking about it since!

We have decided not to do it in the Stag. Combination of bloody cold and an auto that does 4000rpm at 70,.........so the Yellow Estate it will be. She now wants me to "give it some more grunt" So, engines coming out to be rebuilt and "tweaked" at her insistance, run in ready to be thrashed on the RBRR!!

What a TOP chick!

[Deleted User]

Tim, Nice collection of facts, but my Acclaim that we used on the 2006 event was first registerd on the 3rd April 1984, so does that make it the "newest" car to have taken part in the RBRR ?

[Nick B.]

Thanks for that very valuable piece of information. Now there is absolutely no way that i am not (allowed) entering the RBRR.

And Kevin - you are absolutely right - she is not going to co-drive. Usually she starts nagging about uncomfy seats after 50 miles or so (and thats when we are driving in the moderne car). So taking her on RBRR and do 2000 miles in bucket seats is next to impossible.

Look forward to meeting you lot next year.

Regards

[Nick B.]

Thanks for that very valuable piece of information. Now there is absolutely no way that i am not (allowed) entering the RBRR.

And Kevin - you are absolutely right - she is not going to co-drive. Usually she starts nagging about uncomfy seats after 50 miles or so (and thats when we are driving in the moderne car). So taking her on RBRR and do 2000 miles in bucket seats is next to impossible.

Look forward to meeting you lot next year.

Regards

[Tim Bancroft]

Kevin,

I have changed the info. Thanks for the info, I should have looked closely at your 06 entry form!

[JohnD]

Tim,
Would it help those who are uxorially challenged ('er indoors ain't keen) to emphasise that it is not a race?

And to those afflicted, see http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1208.
  This quotes the casualty rate (not death, but injuries in RTAs) as 55/100 million kilometers in 2005, and falling.  As the RBRR is driven no differently from any other road journey, you would need to enter 55 RBRRs to have an evens chance of an accident that injured you.

John

[Darren Sharp]

Hmmm

Don't expect I should post here but I did have an off on the RRBR in 2004. Siezed Diff - no injuries though. I also remember a yellow spitty very nearly lost a wheel that year. Tim didn't look to well on the last one I hope he has a better time in 08

Darren

[Darren Sharp]

Ooops  I just read back over the last few comments - dont worry Nick my diff could have gone anywhere its just that you dont normally drive for 600 miles straight off and some bits will get hotter than they have ever been. After 2004 I got so paranoid that I did several long runs at max speed (legal - of course it had a top speed of 80) in my dolly and slick 50'd the Engine and back axle (Dont put it in an O/D gearbox or Auto). Generally the driving on the RBRR O6 was excellent with just some courteous banter aimed at me when I was slowing the field down on the single track road in Scotland, at this point my co driver 'insisted' on taking the wheel and strangely then it appeared that everyone else was slowing him down!

[Nick B.]

JohnD wrote:

Tim,
As the RBRR is driven no differently from any other road journey, you would need to enter 55 RBRRs to have an evens chance of an accident that injured you.

John

I am not really sure that doing an RBRR can be compared to other road journeys, as the driver probably would be slightly tired on the second day of the RBRR.

But that is just something that proves how excellent drivers you all are, since there are no mishaps with drivers falling asleep behind the wheel (anyway - no chance of falling asleep in a topless rumbling spit  ;D )

[Spitfire1500]

Silly question (I don't mean to hijack) but how do I go about entering the RBRR 2008 event - is there likely to be forms and so on in the next CT magazine, or in the secretary notes?

I intend to go to the RBRR 2008 in whatever Triumph I get my hands on (hoping for a MK3) but I'm unsure about the full details of it - how you apply to it, when application forms will be distributed and accepted that kind of thing.

Thanks,

David

[Nick B.]

Hi David

I have asked a similar question some ago, so why not grasp this opportunity to pass the info on

Entry will be open with publication of the next club mag - not the secretary notes.

And the run itself is the first weekend of october (which you probably know)

All forms etc will be in the mag.

Guess I will see you then!

Cheers

[Tim Bancroft]

As Nick states, the 2008 RBRR will open for entry by CT members with the publication of the November issue of Club Torque-approx 15/11/07.

Once you have filled in the entry form, send with entry payment to Jason Chinn. He will acknowledge your entry, send you the Sponsor pledge forms and you will be in. Entry for the event will be £60/person, obviously min 2 entrants/car. You then have whatever time left till the 1st w'end of October to gain as much sponsor pledge money as poss and get your car ready-easy eh!

Foreign entrants who are CT members will be able to e-mail Jason to obtain the entry form, however they should get their Nov issue of Club Torque by the end of November.

The weirdest thing about the RBRR is that it takes so much time to get ready for a simple 2 day event, all that work and its over in the blink of an eye!

[Spitfire1500]

Wow, thanks Nick and Tim,

I may have a co-driver sorted out now, but I'll be asking some more friends just in case one drops out for a reason.

It will be my first RBRR - I'm looking forward to it.

For now, I'll await my next Club Torque magazine!

Thanks again,

David

[Keith]

timbancroft61 wrote:

1996: TR8 (Proper one). Car slightly hit an armco barrier.

That was in 86 wasn't it? Or am I thinking of another one (or am I just being a sad old git to remember it ;))

Keith

[Tim Bancroft]

Keith,

You are correct, must get my fact rights.

I do not think your a sad old git, wish I had done a s many RBRRs as you.

Tim

[AlanChatterton]

What was the most spectacular breakdown ever on a RBRR?

(not really in the spirit of the event I know, but interesting still !)

Also, in the same vane, the soonest breakdown after starting (breakdowns on the way to the start not allowed, we've done that twice now!!)

Anyone?

[Keith]

On the 2000 run we got about as far the turning for Whitewebbs Lane (100yds) when it started misfiring badly, pulled into the car park of the King and Tinker to try and sort it out. We couldn't work out out was but it came good on it's own after about 20 minutes and didn't miss a beat for the next 2000 miles!
I later diagnosed it as the electronic ignition which I subsequently replaced.

Keith

[thescrapman]

AlanChatterton wrote:

What was the most spectacular breakdown ever on a RBRR?

(not really in the spirit of the event I know, but interesting still !)

I think what Alan is trying to say is has anyone grenaded their engine.

The wider area it was strewn over the better.

Leaving an oilslick for fellow competitors gaining additional brownie points.

;D

Colin

[AlanChatterton]

Thats the idea! In a Jeremy Clarkson ending up in a bush sort of way.......