News

Late Entries Still Available

2012-05-24T22:28:52Z

Despite a late influx of entries for this year’s Tour Britannia there are still some places available on the event.

Confirming that the Tour can still accept entries, Event Director Alec Poole said, “We are delighted with both the quantity and the quality of entries that we have already received but we have the flexibility to accept even more cars if competitors discover at the last minute that they are able to take part.

Anyone who has not yet entered Tour Britannia but is interested in taking part can contact Alec on 01295 268888, e-mail him on info@tourbritannia.com or download an entry form by clicking here.

Works Radical to contest 2012 Tour Britannia

2012-05-17T15:45:19Z

Tour Britannia will have its first works entry when the classic race and rally tour runs for the eighth time on 6-8 June. In the concurrent targa category for post ’75 cars, Radical will field its fully road-legal SR3 SL for journalists Richard Meaden and Jethro Bovingdon.

Neither Richard nor Jethro have driven the SR3 SL before, but its race and track-proven pedigree - including scooping EVO's Trackday Car of the Year - should make it ideal for the task. Both drivers have experience in a wide range of disciplines, both contesting the Nurburgring 24-hours amongst other events, and will be aiming for lap and stage records at every venue.

Targa Britannia is open to any post ’75 road legal car, including sports, GT and saloon cars capable of carrying a crew of two, and complying with MSA race regulations. The competitors will tackle 20 asphalt special stages as well as races at Croft and Cadwell Park, with the car being driven on the public road between the venues. It will be a real test of a car’s ability to perform in competition and be used on the road, all within the same event.

The Radical SR3 SL is a fully road-legal track car without compromise. The SR3 SL scores on all levels: performance, handling, styling and specification. It is powered by the advanced turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engine, delivering 240bhp, with direct fuel injection and a fly-by-wire throttle, coupled to a six-speed paddle-shift gear change. Confidence-inspiring handling comes from bespoke adjustable dampers, developed specifically for the car's unique race-proven suspension arrangement.

It features a lightweight spaceframe chassis that's been tested and approved to sportscar racing standards. Fully-floating 280mm disc brakes front and rear provide stopping power beyond the abilities of any other supercar. Despite a dry weight of only 725kg, the SL comes with trimmed bucket seats, a wraparound LCD dash, electrically-adjustable wing mirrors, cockpit heating and courtesy lighting.

Twenty special stages for 2012 Tour Britannia

2012-05-10T12:40:45Z

Competitors in the 2012 edition of Tour Britannia (6-8 June) will tackle 20 special stages and two races during two and a half days of intense competition following final sign off of the route for the eighth running of the classic race and rally tour.

As always the stages are interesting and novel, with four of the venues completely new to motorsport. There are unique variations at some venue, including the Harewood Hillclimb course being tackled in the opposite direction to normal. Meanwhile, the team at the event HQ hotel of Rudding Park in Harrogate is surfacing a new road in the grounds to be used on the first stage of the event.

Tour Britannia will visit 10 venues, with another new to Tour Britannia special stage venue confirmed as Blyton Park Driving Centre near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire. “The stages for 2012 are new and interesting and should provide a great challenge and a lot of fun for our competitors,” said event director Alec Poole.

Full-on asphalt stages like Blyton Park, and another recent addition at Tockwith, contrast nicely with the beautiful parkland roads at Raby Castle and Aske Hall and the iconic stages at Harrogate and Newark Showgrounds. There really is something for everyone in the 2012 route.

Meanwhile, the organisers are dealing with a flurry of entries as the closing date approaches, including 2011 winner John Clark and rallying crew Tony Robinson and Jon Cropper in one of nine Porsches already on the entry list for the competition event.

In the concurrent regularity rally, a fabulous array of classic cars will compete, ranging from a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud to a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso and, marking the 50th anniversary of the model, an MGB. Also represented in the regularity entry are classic marques liker Porsche, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Austin Healey, Lancia and Bentley.

An interesting entry in the Targa class for modern cars is the Radical of motoring journalists Richard Meaden and Jethro Bovingdon.

Some places are still available on the event. You can download the entry form here.

Seven new venues in 2012 Tour Britannia route

2012-04-18T18:16:22Z

Ten venues, seven of them new to the event, feature on the definitive route for the eighth running of Tour Britannia, Britain’s only classic race and rally tour, which runs from 6-8 June. With entries building well, and already past minimum levels with over six weeks still to go, and contracts in place with venues, the event organisers are now in the final phase of planning for the 2012 event.

Once again, Tour Britannia has secured the use of several venues never before used for competitive motorsport. Meanwhile, the tour’s first races at Croft will be a major new feature along with a welcome return to the glorious Cadwell Park circuit in Lincolnshire.

Scrutineering and documentation will be held at the event headquarters, the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate, during the afternoon of Wednesday 6 June. Once the formalities are complete, competitors will tackle a 0.75-mile special stage in the grounds of the hotel.

On Thursday 7 June the action starts straight away with a special stage in the grounds of Harrogate Showground before heading to a new venue, which is still under wraps. Following races at Croft, the route takes in more new ground with special stages at Raby Castle, Aske Hall and Hipswell Moor before a re-run of the Harrogate Showground stage on the run-in back to the Rudding Park Hotel for the overnight halt.

The route for Friday 8 June is topped and tailed by two visits to the spectacular Harewood Hill Climb, with special stages that use some of the paddock area and access roads as well as the famous hillclimb course. In between the two Harewood stages, the crews head into Lincolnshire for a race at Cadwell Park, a special stage at another new venue, Newark Showground and at Blyton Park Driving Centre. The finish celebrations and awards ceremony will be back at the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate.

“I’m delighted with the final route for the 2012 event,” said tour director Alec Poole. “We’ve condensed the event into two and a half days to make it even more cost effective for our competitors and I’m very pleased that we will be taking the event to a host of new venues as well as one or two old favourites.”

Prologue stage for Tour Britannia

2012-03-14T20:02:46Z

For the first time in the event’s eight-year history, Tour Britannia will feature a prologue stage on the evening of Wednesday 6 June ahead of the start of the three-day classic race and rally tour.

Scrutineering and documentation will be held at the event headquarters, the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate, during the late afternoon of Wednesday 6 June. Once the formalities are complete, competitors will tackle a 0.75-mile special stage in the grounds of the hotel.

“This was too good an opportunity to miss,” said event director Alec Poole. “It will be open to regularity, competition and targa competitors alike. Our present thinking is that it will be a bit of fun and a useful shakedown ahead of the main event, so we have decided that it will not count towards the overall results. The regularity crews can compete for a separate award, while the competition and targa entries can use it to decide the grid for their first race the next day at Croft.”

The main competition will then start early on Thursday (7 June) with a full day of action in Yorkshire including the Croft race circuit and asphalt special stages on private land.

Poole believes that the prologue stage will be the perfect start for the 2012 event. “The stage will go right past two sides the pub terrace where the rest of the competitors will be having supper. No doubt lots of advice and encouragement will be offered from fellow competitors and the idea is to set the ball rolling for the coming days’ action in the best atmosphere.”

Tour Britannia route to be unveiled at Race Retro

2012-02-20T19:43:03Z

More details about the route for Tour Britannia (7-9 June) will be unveiled at Race Retro, the International Historic Motorsport Show, at Stoneleigh (24-26 February).

Classic venues like the Croft and Cadwell Park race circuits are already confirmed along with the famous Harewood Hillclimb and the awesome Oliver’s Mount motorcycle course at Scarborough. More venues for both races and asphalt special stages will be revealed at Race Retro, where Tour Britannia will have its regular position in the main ‘speed street’, Hall 2 stand 36.

“We’ve been busy with the final stages of route planning over the last few weeks and have some interesting news to announce both to our regular competitors and prospective new entrants,” said event director Alec Poole. “We’re inviting everyone to come to Race Retro and see what we have in store for this year. I think it will be one of the best routes we’ve had so far.”

Tour Britannia is Britain’s only classic race and rally tour and the eighth running of this unique event will be based in Yorkshire. The Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate will host documentation and scrutineering during Wednesday 6 June before another first for the event, a special prologue stage in the grounds of the hotel on Wednesday evening.

Thursday’s leg will take in the event’s first visit to Croft as well as Oliver’s Mount, along with a brand new special stage venue never previously used on the tour. Friday’s route will include Cadwell Park and Harewood, while on Saturday the route heads south before finishing in the Midlands.

Running alongside the classic event will be Targa Britannia, a parallel event open to any post ’75 road legal car, including sports, GT and saloon cars capable of carrying a crew of two, and complying with MSA race regulations.

Targa Britannia launched at Autosport International

2012-01-17T17:49:43Z

Targa Britannia, a race and rally tour for modern cars, was launched at Autosport International. The event, which will run in parallel to the well-established Tour Britannia (7-9 June) will open this type of competition to owners of modern cars, having previously only been accessible to those in classic pre ’75 machinery. The traditional event for pre ’75 cars will run to its well-established and popular format.

Targa Britannia will give competitors the chance to tackle a unique event in British motor sport, with three full days of competition including three races and quality asphalt special stages at up to a dozen venues including the Harewood hillclimb and the sensational Oliver’s Mount motorcycle course. The competition car is driven between each venue, providing a challenge for both driver and co-driver as the public road route takes in some glorious British scenery. The total competitive element makes the tour excellent value for money when compared to single-day race meetings and the vibrant social atmosphere will add to the sense of occasion.

The existing Tour Britannia will remain the province of the older cars and will remain unchanged. The two events will share a common route, taking in three races and a series of asphalt special stages during three days of competition. The event will be based at Harrogate and includes races at Croft, Cadwell Park and Mallory Park.

In 2011, Mike Smith and Ian Ashley contested an invitation class of Tour Britannia in a Caterham R500 when their intended Porsche 911RSR hit gearbox problems just before the event. “It was a fantastic experience,” said Smith. “I don’t think anyone had ever competed across the Epynt ranges in the rain in an R500 before.”

Now, event organiser Alec Poole has decided to open the tour up to more modern cars. “We think there are plenty of competitors out there with modern machinery who would like the chance to tackle something rather different,” said Poole.

Targa Britannia will be open to any post ’75 road legal car, including sports, GT and saloon cars capable of carrying a crew of two, and complying with MSA race regulations. This covers items like roll cage, fire extinguisher, harnesses and towing eyes. Drivers must have race licences, while the co-driver only needs a basic MSA licence, available from £39.

There will be three classes: up to 1600cc, 1600cc to 2000cc and over 3000cc. The organisers will cap the field at 35 cars to allow the entire Targa field to compete in a single race, while the main Targa award will be based on an Index of Performance to give the less powerful cars an equal chance of success. Team prizes will be awarded within the Targa event.

Co-drivers will work with a straightforward road book to guide their driver from one venue to another. The co-drivers stay in the car for the special stages, but leave it to the drivers at the race circuits.
Finally, to make the event as flexible as possible for potential entrants, competitors can join in for a single day if they wish but would not be eligible for any awards other than ‘Driver of the Day’. Their day will run for 24 hours from 6pm the previous evening so that cars can be scrutineered and paperwork completed before having dinner and then being ready to start the following morning.

Meet Tour Britannia at Autosport International

2012-01-17T17:47:26Z

Organisers from Tour Britannia will be on hand at Autosport International (12/13 January 2012) to meet prospective entrants as Britain’s only classic race and rally tour heads for its biggest entry to date.

Event director Alec Poole will be hand during Thursday and Friday of the show and will be based with the Historic Sports Car Club (stand 6700 in Hall 6), where he will be available to chat with anyone interested in the event as well as give updates to regular competitors.

With over five months to go before the start of the 2012 Tour Britannia, more than 25 entries are already confirmed, which represents the highest number ever received so far in advance of the event.

Early entries in the competition event include Tour regulars Mike Smith/Ian Ashley (Porsche 911 RSR) and Stuart Scott/Steve Wood (Chevrolet Camaro), while Yorkshire crew Roger Kilty and Lynette Banks are back with their Ford Escort Mk1 RS1600 and aiming to put their local knowledge to good effect. As one of the few drivers with experience of racing, rallying and speed events, Kilty is well placed to challenge for the overall podium. The concurrent regularity event already has entries ranging from an MGA to a Ferrari 250GT Lusso.

The eighth running of this unique event will be based in Yorkshire and will run from 7-9 June, offering crews in both the competition and regularity events three full days of action taking in some old favourite locations as well as several new venues. Tour Britannia will be based at the Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate, which will host documentation and scrutineering during Wednesday 6 June before another first for the event, a special prologue stage in the grounds of the hotel on Wednesday evening.

Tour Britannia announces partnership with Bonhams and EFG International

2012-01-06T15:56:38Z

Tour Britannia is delighted to announce that Bonhams Auctioneers and EFG International (represented in the UK by EFG Private Bank) have become the main partners of Britain’s premier race and rally tour for classic cars.

Tour Britannia is one of Europe’s leading historic motoring events offering the entrant the choice of the more relaxed regularity category or full-blown competition category. Following the very successful 2011 event, the 2012 Tour Britannia will run from 7-9 June and base itself around the beautiful Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate.

Welcoming Bonhams and EFG International’s commitment to the event, Tour Britannia’s Alec Poole said: “Bonhams has assisted us greatly over the years and we are thrilled that Europe’s foremost collectors’ motor car auction house has become one of our main partners. Bonhams has a long standing partnership with EFG International, which is known for its commitment to historic motoring, and I welcome them alongside Bonhams.”

James Knight, Bonhams’ Group Motoring Director commented: “The Bonhams motoring team has thoroughly enjoyed participating on the Tour; we regard it as a perfect fit to our portfolio of events, and it was only natural to further raise our profile with Tour Britannia.”

Keith Gapp, Head of Strategic Marketing & Communications, EFG International, said: “It is a pleasure to be partnering with Tour Britannia, alongside Bonhams, with whom we have a very strong relationship. Tour Britannia has made strong progress in recent years, and we look forward to supporting its continued development.”

Details of Bonhams' forthcoming auctions can be found at www.bonhams.com.

For more information on EFG International, visit www.efginternational.com. To learn more about its commitment to historic motoring, visit www.efgmotorracing.com

Dates Announced for Tour Britannia and its Baby Brother

2011-11-12T16:38:42Z

Tour Britannia 7, 8 & 9 June 2012

Mini Britannia 6 October 2012

It seems only days since we were in Llandudno for Mini Britannia but already it's full steam ahead planning for two events once again next year.

Speaking of Llandudno, we must say a huge thank you to all the competitors who supported us on the inaugural Mini Britannia and all the marshals and officials who worked so hard to help us put it together in just 10 weeks.

Given that short time frame, it was really pleasing to receive so much positive feedback and that has encouraged us to do it all again next year, on Saturday 6^th October.

But first, in June, it will be Tour Britannia. From its Harrogate base, the three day event will take in a variety of venues in Yorkshire and the North Midlands.

2011 has been a landmark year for us. The more challenging format for Tour Britannia has been widely welcomed by competitors and we are not resting on our laurels. We have some very special venues lined up for you next year, including race tracks, hill climb courses and classic rally stages.

Both events will once again run classic competition and regularity events in tandem, while a Targa class will be open to modern vehicles.

Further information, along with entry forms for both events, is available at www.tourbritannia.com with an early bird entry fee available for Tour Britannia until December 19^th. We look forward to hearing from friends, new and old, very soon.