Tour Britannia

[Peter Mallett]

The Road Run/Rally/Racing event for historic and classic cars.

[Mike Bell]

Competitors for the 2011 Tour Britannia are set for a fanstastic finale with the last leg of the event due to take place on the legendary Silverstone Race circuit on the 19th of June.
Whilst organisers of Tour Britannia are putting the finishing touches to the route for the 2011 edition, they have already agreed with the Northamptonshire venue to host this year’s final day racing on the Silverstone International Circuit. Competitors will therefore be the first to sample and use the brand new pits complex which is currenlty being built in preparation for the 2011 Formula One Grand Prix set to take place only a few weeks later.
The 2011 Tour Britannia starts in anger on Friday, June 17th and promptly launches into action with a circuit race and special stages that very day. Saturday and Sunday will equally be full of action with a minimum of one race circuit per day and three or four stages set in some of the UK most prestigious and renowned Country House grounds. The bulk of the event will be centered in South Wales and the West Country before heading to Silverstone on the last day.
The organisers are very pleased with the number of entrants who have availed of the “early bird” opportunity to date for competitors registering before the 15th of December, considerably more than at the same time last year.

[Tim the Grey]

Le Mans the weekend before, Nurburgring 24 the weekend after. Hmmm, Darling.....?

[Mike Bell]

I am going to keep shamelessly plugging TB 'cos I reckon this year will be superb, and Alec and Fred deserve the support.

Here is a link to the recently announced route overview

I have not decided whether to do it this year or not yet due to some uncertainties over June but could be pursuaded if anyone else is interested but can't quite decide to 'take the plunge'.

[john ruston]

What are you asking?

[brands]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I am going to keep shamelessly plugging TB 'cos I reckon this year will be superb, and Alec and Fred deserve the support.

Here is a link to the recently announced route overview

Some excellent locations during the three days, if spectators are allowed ?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by brands

Some excellent locations during the three days, if spectators are allowed ?

I think where spectators are normally allowed they are for TB, and as some stages and races will be at weekend locations where an event is already taking place should be no problem. Ask, am sure they will be able to confirm.

[gary396]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I think where spectators are normally allowed they are for TB, and as some stages and races will be at weekend locations where an event is already taking place should be no problem. Ask, am sure they will be able to confirm.

Yes, the last time I did it (as a timekeeper) in 2009 there were quite a lot of spectators at the two venues that I covered (Harewood Hill Climb and to a lesser extent the Great Yorkshire Showground) and both were open for that purpose. Elsewhere you tend to get spectators en route watching the cars pass. TB have a spectator advice button on their website but the link hasn't been updated from last year yet. Really good event to watch if you get chance though.

[brands]

Thanks for the info Mike and Gary.

Caerwent is non spectator for rallies, Kemble might be off limits but the rest are usually open to the public. Will have to wait until the timetable is published but Pembrey/Epynt, Wiscombe/Combe and Prescott are all within reach of home.

[Mike Bell]

Just got the latest release-

The organisers of Tour Britannia have just put the finishing touches to the final route for the 2011 edition due to run in Wales and the West Country from June 17th to the 19th. The co-operation and help for providing suitable venues that has been forthcoming, from South Wales in particular, has been exceptional and gives the feeling that this year’s event could be the best ever Tour Britannia.

The Friday route will be terrific and will include two challenging tarmac stages at Epynt both wide and smooth, followed by a more challenging eleven-mile stage at Caerwent. On the same day, there are two other stages and a race at Pembrey. All stages are tackled twice so there is wonderful value here for those drivers who revel in the rally side of the event. On Saturday, there will be a chance to sample the legendary hillclimb at Porlock plus racing at Castle Combe as part of an existing race meeting. Then on Sunday morning, a return to Caerwent – this time run in the opposite direction – will precede a visit to Prescott Hill Climb, a venue that simply oozes motor sport nostalgia. The final race event will be at Silverstone where the cars will tackle the International circuit.

The seven hundred mile route will take the competitors through some of the most beautiful and scenic roads of South Wales, the West Country and Cotswolds, possibly even rivalling those in North Wales that were so much enjoyed by competitors last year.

In commenting on this, Alec Poole, the Commercial Director of the event said : “In planning the route each year for Tour Britannia, our initial brief is to choose venues that even the most experienced competitor will find interesting and want to drive. We then go back over the route making sure nothing is missed and invariably find some gems that we can add, which move the event from being merely good to excellent. For example, the toll road that we have found in Weston-Super-Mare is a case in point. It’s things like that that make me wish I could enter the event myself.”

The full route will be unveiled on the Tour Britannia stand (Hall 2, Stand B36) at the Race Retro Show on February 25th. Competitors and potential competitors in both Competition and Regularity categories plus the new-for-2010 Targa category are welcome to visit and ask questions about the event.

Prospective competitors should take note that the entry list is filling up fast, which could be due in part to the fact that the Tour Britannia has moved from September to its new date in June but is more likely to be the fundamental attraction of competing in an event unique within Britain that so happily blends racing and rallying.



There is a pdf version here

[Tim the Grey]

That looks like a great 3 days. I should be there this year, having missed out last year.

[Mike Bell]

New website for Tour Britannia which is good because last year's results now back on line

[terence]

Almost worth doing TB just to drive Epynt and Caerwent again!!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by terence bower

Almost worth doing TB just to drive Epynt and Caerwent again!!

Terry, sounds like a fantastic route this year, and agree that chance to drive Epynt and Caerwent is the icing on the cake! Apparantly in the interests of survival Deers Leap will not be able to be taken flat.......

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Terry, sounds like a fantastic route this year, and agree that chance to drive Epynt and Caerwent is the icing on the cake! Apparantly in the interests of survival Deers Leap will not be able to be taken flat.......

Long time since I've been over Epynt......I seem to remember that getting the number of blind brows that were "flat" was critical, as the fourth (or was it the third?) was followed by a sharp right......

I remember Caerwent from Le Jog as a maze of 90 degree junctions often with big kerbs....and plenty of people getting lost and heading in the wrong direction....

Sounds like a good event

[terence]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Long time since I've been over Epynt......I seem to remember that getting the number of blind brows that were "flat" was critical, as the fourth (or was it the third?) was followed by a sharp right......

I remember Caerwent from Le Jog as a maze of 90 degree junctions often with big kerbs....and plenty of people getting lost and heading in the wrong direction....

Sounds like a good event

Spoken like a man who's been there.

[stuartscott]

This a "must" for any motorsport enthusiast. Have taken part the last two years and have entered again for 2011 and each year it just keeps on getting better. Don't know if the Camaro is the best car for the event but it is great fun and a joy to drive!!

[john ruston]

It now features a real proper regularity.

It took a very good senior crew to win it last year.

Open and closed road stages.

[john ruston]

Entry now approaching 70 cars.

Ferrari GTO downwards,a real one!

Few places left.

Need a road registered B8 to enter.

[zefarelly]

what about the Elva John?

[john ruston]

No!

Michael has it racing at Spa in a couple of weeks.

Make it work and get it sorted first.

[Lancsbreaker]

Just been wistfully browsing the Tour Britannia site and looking at the regs, thinking that if I get my numbers right tonight I've just time to put an entry in on Monday morning.......

and surprised to see that although the regs for the regularity section specify that race overalls and crash helmets are NOT required, the regs for the Competition section. although requiring flame-resistant race suits for the race sections, don't mention crash helmets.......I presume this will be corrected in the Finals

[Mike Bell]

Alec was at Silverstone yesterday and I wished the organising team well. Sorry not to be joining in this year but fingers are well and truly crossed for 2012! Will be looking for a co-driver

Good luck all! Go well.......

[Fred Gallagher]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Just been wistfully browsing the Tour Britannia site and looking at the regs, thinking that if I get my numbers right tonight I've just time to put an entry in on Monday morning.......

and surprised to see that although the regs for the regularity section specify that race overalls and crash helmets are NOT required, the regs for the Competition section. although requiring flame-resistant race suits for the race sections, don't mention crash helmets.......I presume this will be corrected in the Finals

Hope you can make it! Alec and team have been working hard.

My modern rally commitments have meant I have been more in the background last year and this but I'll be on the event and look forward to seeing you.

And yes, helmets are most definitely required in competition!

Fred

[john ruston]

But not in regularity unless you fancy wearing one!