TriumphTR2

Triumph TR2 Racing

The TR2 in competition, 1953–55: an outright win on its first RAC Rally, team awards on the Alpine Rally and in the Tourist Trophy, the first Macau Grand Prix, a works team that finished Le Mans, and the American club races.

A black open sports car with a maroon cover over its cockpit, driven fast past a blurred crowd and buildings, its driver in a pale helmet and goggles.
A long-door TR2 at speed, its cockpit covered, in the Grand Prix Historique de Tunisie in October 2018.Monaam Ben Fredj, CC BY-SA 4.0

The TR2's competition record was made mostly in rallies and races for production cars, by private owners as well as by the factory. Its first big success was an outright win on the RAC Rally in March 1954, which, Ken Richardson later said, persuaded Standard-Triumph to form a competition department; he ran it. The results that the sources record, race by race, are listed at the foot of this page; the sections here tell what the list cannot.⁠1​2​3

Works and major results, 1954–55

The result that mattered most came first. TR2s were first and second on the RAC Rally of March 1954, J. C. (Johnny) Wallwork's winning outright ahead of P. G. Cooper's, and Mary Walker drove a third to the ladies' award.

The Rally was a triumph for the TR2 sports car.

"Triumph TR2 Wins The R.A.C. Rally", Motor Sport, April 1954

Later accounts disagree on who sat beside Wallwork, and none read confirms the fifth place on that rally that Wikipedia gives a TR2.

The rest of 1954 brought results abroad and at home. On the Rallye Soleil-Cannes that spring, Maurice Gatsonides won a special prize for reversing up the last yards of the hill climb. Gatsonides and Ken Richardson's Mille Miglia finish in May is placed 27th, and 7th of the 2,000 cc sports cars, by racingsportscars, but 28th by Motor Sport at the time and by the TR Register. At Le Mans in June, Edgar Wadsworth drove his private TR2 to the finish with John Brown. Gatsonides, Kat and a driver printed only as Richardson won the Alpine Rally's team award in their TR2s, and a Triumph earned a Coupe des Alpes; the TR Register gives it to Gatsonides and Slotemaker, which Motor Sport's report does not. In September TR2 teams took team awards at Dundrod, in the Tourist Trophy.

In 1955 an AC Ace beat the TR2s in their class on the Tulip Rally, T. F. Fisher won his class on the Scottish Rally, and in June the works team ran at Le Mans in 1955. Triumph used disc brakes in the Tourist Trophy that September, Motor Sport noted. The Vintage Sports-Car Club's bulletin, as the magazine quoted it, reported that "two Triumph TR2s came top" in its Pomeroy Trophy that year.⁠1​4​5​6​7​8​9​2​10​11​12​13​14​15​16​17​18

A black-and-white photograph of a TR2 numbered 31 racing side by side with a low, rounded Porsche spyder numbered 36 on a wet bend, two more cars behind and a full grandstand beyond.
Plate I TR2 No. 31 racing a Porsche 550 spyder through a wet bend at Zandvoort on 7 August 1955, in a Dutch national sports-car race, not one of the events in the results below.Harry Pot (Anefo), CC0

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America, 1954–55

racingsportscars lists hundreds of American entries for TR2s from 1954 to 1956, at Torrey Pines, Palm Springs, Pebble Beach, Watkins Glen and Elkhart Lake among others, most of them in production classes. Of the 227 owners who answered the owners' club's poll in 1955, more than 45 per cent said they entered competitions.

The club's newsletter reported their results. In October 1955 it told of two wins in a TR2 at the Cowboy State Sports Car Races at Cheyenne, Wyoming, for an "R. Kastner", probably Robert "Kas" Kastner, who would later set up Triumph's competition department in America.⁠3​19​20

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The works competition department

Richard Heseltine wrote in Motor Sport in 2010 that the department started in one corner of Banner Lane's experimental department, and its cars were "near-as-dammit standard", prepared with stiffer springs and dampers. The engine, he added, "was never modified internally for competition, either", and the drivers "were under strict instructions not to exceed 5000rpm".

The works also backed private owners. In May 1955 Motor Sport noted that Standard-Triumph "also encourages private owners of Triumph TR2s, in a very practical manner", and the owners' association of 1954 gave its members a handbook with a log for their results. The works rally cars' registrations and crews, event by event, are not given in the sources read.⁠2​21​22

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Racing today

This page's pictures show TR2s in historic events in 2016 and 2018, and in 2010 Heseltine counted the Mille Miglia and Le Mans Classic retrospectives among the events open to the car. The results below include two modern races, the Le Mans Legend of 2005 and 2006, in which PKV 374, one of the 1955 works cars, ran. They also include the Jabbeke speed test of May 1953, which was a timed run, not a race.⁠2​23

A white open sports car with its sidescreens up and two helmeted occupants, racing past a steel barrier on a circuit.
A white TR2 with its sidescreens up passing the barriers at Dijon-Prenois in the Tour Auto, April 2016.François de Dijon, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Results

A yellow year marks a win.

  • 1953

    Jabbeke speed test 1953

    May 1953, Jabbeke motor road, Belgium. Ken Richardson, in MVC 575: timed: in speed trim with overdrive, over the flying kilometre and the flying mile⁠24​25

  • 1954

    Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Rally) 1954

    1954. Gatsonides: finished: Team Award⁠12

  • 1954

    Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Rally) 1954

    1954. Kat: finished: Team Award⁠12

  • 1954

    Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Rally) 1954

    1954. Richardson: finished: Team Award⁠12

  • 1954

    RAC Rally 1954

    March 1954, Great Britain. Johnny Wallwork: 1st overall, 1st in sports cars of 1,601–2,600 cc⁠1​2

  • 1954

    RAC Rally 1954

    March 1954, Great Britain. P. G. Cooper: 2nd overall⁠1

  • 1954

    RAC Rally 1954

    March 1954, Great Britain. Mary Walker: 21st overall, 1st in the ladies' category⁠26​2

  • 1954

    Sebring 12 Hours 1954

    7 March 1954, Sebring, USA. No. 35, Alan Patterson and Hendricks: 24th overall, 3rd in S2.0⁠27

  • 1954

    Mille Miglia 1954

    2 May 1954, Brescia, Italy. No. 528, Maurice Gatsonides and Ken Richardson (co-driver): 27th overall, 7th in S2.0⁠5​6​2

  • 1954

    Mille Miglia 1954

    2 May 1954, Brescia, Italy. No. 507, Leslie Brooke and Jack Fairman: 94th overall, 12th in S2.0⁠5​6​28​29

  • 1954

    Mille Miglia 1954

    2 May 1954, Brescia, Italy. No. 526, Stoddart and White: retired⁠5​30

  • 1954

    Le Mans 24 Hours 1954

    12 June 1954, Le Mans, France. No. 62, Edgar Wadsworth and John Brown, in TS1730: 15th overall, 5th in S2.0⁠8​9​23

  • 1954

    Tourist Trophy 1954

    11 September 1954, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 30, Brian McCaldin and Maunsell: 17th overall, 5th in S2.0⁠31

  • 1954

    Tourist Trophy 1954

    11 September 1954, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 27, J. B. Johnstone and Titterington: 18th overall, 6th in S2.0⁠31

  • 1954

    Tourist Trophy 1954

    11 September 1954, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 28, Ted Lund and Blackburn: 19th overall, 7th in S2.0⁠31

  • 1954

    Tourist Trophy 1954

    11 September 1954, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 29, Bob Dickson and Richardson: 20th overall, 8th in S2.0⁠31

  • 1954

    Tourist Trophy 1954

    11 September 1954, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 25, Leslie Brooke and Scott Douglas: 22nd overall, 9th in S2.0⁠31

  • 1954

    Tourist Trophy 1954

    11 September 1954, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 26, Ray Merrick and Tew: 24th overall, 10th in S2.0⁠31

  • 1954

    Macau Grand Prix 1954

    31 October 1954, Macau. Eduardo de Carvalho: 1st overall⁠32​33

  • 1954

    Macau Grand Prix 1954

    31 October 1954, Macau. Paul du Toit: 2nd overall⁠32​33

  • 1954

    Macau Grand Prix 1954

    31 October 1954, Macau. Reginaldo da Rocha: 3rd overall⁠32

  • 1954

    MCC National Rally 1954

    10 November 1954, Great Britain. 3rd overall⁠34

  • 1955

    Liège–Rome–Liège 1955

    1955, Liège, Belgium. 5th overall, 1st in the 2-litre category⁠35​36

  • 1955

    Liège–Rome–Liège 1955

    1955, Liège, Belgium. 6th overall, 2nd in the 2-litre category⁠35​36

  • 1955

    Liège–Rome–Liège 1955

    1955, Liège, Belgium. 7th overall, 3rd in the 2-litre category⁠35​36

  • 1955

    RAC Rally 1955

    8 March 1955, Great Britain. H. E. Rumsey and P. P. Roberts: 2nd overall⁠37

  • 1955

    Sebring 12 Hours 1955

    13 March 1955, Sebring, USA. No. 51, Mott and Skogmo: retired: head gasket⁠38

  • 1955

    Circuit of Ireland 1955

    April 1955, Ireland. 1st overall, 1st in the sports-car category⁠39

  • 1955

    Circuit of Ireland 1955

    April 1955, Ireland. 2nd overall, 2nd in the sports-car category⁠39

  • 1955

    Circuit of Ireland 1955

    April 1955, Ireland. 3rd overall, 3rd in the sports-car category⁠39

  • 1955

    Circuit of Ireland 1955

    April 1955, Ireland. 5th overall, 5th in the sports-car category⁠39

  • 1955

    Circuit of Ireland 1955

    April 1955, Ireland. 6th overall, 6th in the sports-car category⁠39

  • 1955

    Mille Miglia 1955

    1 May 1955, Brescia, Italy. No. 611, Leslie Brooke and Lampe: 59th overall, 10th in S2.0⁠40​28

  • 1955

    Mille Miglia 1955

    1 May 1955, Brescia, Italy. No. 608, Margairaz and Huguenin: retired⁠40

  • 1955

    Mille Miglia 1955

    1 May 1955, Brescia, Italy. No. 609, Scott-Russell and Haig: retired⁠40

  • 1955

    Mille Miglia 1955

    1 May 1955, Brescia, Italy. No. 610, Steed and Adams: retired⁠40

  • 1955

    Mille Miglia 1955

    1 May 1955, Brescia, Italy. No. 612, Perrier and Perrier: retired⁠40

  • 1955

    Le Mans 24 Hours 1955

    11 June 1955, Le Mans, France. No. 28, Bob Dickson and Ninian Sanderson, in PKV 376: 14th overall, 5th in S2.0⁠16​23​41

  • 1955

    Le Mans 24 Hours 1955

    11 June 1955, Le Mans, France. No. 29, Ken Richardson and Bert Hadley, in PKV 375: 15th overall, 6th in S2.0⁠16​23​41

  • 1955

    Le Mans 24 Hours 1955

    11 June 1955, Le Mans, France. No. 68, Leslie Brooke and Mortimer Morris-Goodall, in PKV 374: 19th overall, 7th in S2.0⁠16​23​41

  • 1955

    Tourist Trophy 1955

    17 September 1955, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 23, Todd and Titterington: 21st overall, 2nd in S2.0⁠42

  • 1955

    Tourist Trophy 1955

    17 September 1955, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 21, Bob Dickson and Richardson: 22nd overall, 3rd in S2.0⁠42

  • 1955

    Tourist Trophy 1955

    17 September 1955, Dundrod, Northern Ireland. No. 22, Brian McCaldin and Maunsell: retired⁠42​43

  • 2005

    Le Mans Legend 2005

    2005, Le Mans, France. In PKV 374: retired⁠23

  • 2006

    Le Mans Legend 2006

    2006, Le Mans, France. In PKV 374: 23rd overall, 5th in its class⁠23

Contents

Sources

Every source the site cites is on the sources page.

  • Primarymade at the time, by the maker or by people who were there
  • Referenceserious later work: clubs, specialists, magazines, books
  • Databaseresults and listings, entry by entry
  • Uncheckedencyclopaedias and enthusiast sites: cited beside a good source, named in the sentence, or marked Unchecked
  1. Motor Sport, "Triumph TR2 Wins The R.A.C. Rally", Apr 1954, p. 26, p. 26; p. 26, Results. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/april-1954/26/triumph-tr2-wins-the-rac-rally Primary
  2. Richard Heseltine, "Triumph TR2/3", Motor Sport, Jan 2010, p. 122, p. 122, the competition department; p. 122, "[and John Cooper]"; "Wadsworth and Bobbie Dickson"; p. 122, the department, the cars and the rev limit; p. 122, historic events; "Richardson himself teamed up with Maurice Gatsonides". motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/january-2010/122/by-richard-heseltine Reference
  3. racingsportscars.com, "Triumph TR2 – All Results", the TR2's entries, 1953–56; American entries, 1954–56. racingsportscars.com/type/results/Triumph/TR2.html Database
  4. Motor Sport, "VII Rallye Soleil-Cannes", May 1954, p. 20, p. 20. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/may-1954/20/vii-rallye-soleil-cannes Primary
  5. racingsportscars.com, Mille Miglia 1954, results, results, 27th; results table, 27th; results table, 94th; results table, DNF. racingsportscars.com/results/Mille_Miglia-1954-05-02.html Database
  6. Motor Sport, "Mille Miglia Musings", Jun 1954, p. 29, p. 29, "finishing 28th"; p. 29, which reports 28th; p. 29. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1954/29/mille-miglia-musings Primary
  7. TR Register, "Triumph TR2 Buyers Guide" (the TR2 data sheet), competition history: "28th out of 450 starters"; "Gatsonides and Slotemaker win Alpine Cup". tr-register.co.uk/resources/buyers-guide/triumph-tr2 Reference
  8. racingsportscars.com, Le Mans 24 Hours 1954, results, results, 15th; results table, 15th. racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1954-06-13.html Database
  9. Motor Sport, "Les Vingt-Quatre Heures du Mans" (1954), Jul 1954, p. 19, p. 19. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1954/19/les-vingt-quatre-heures-du-mans-1954 Primary
  10. Motor Sport, "TR2's winning duo" (letter), Feb 2010, p. 34, Wallwork's co-driver. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/february-2010/34/tr2s-winning-duo Unchecked
  11. Wikipedia (EN), "Triumph TR2", 2026, the 1954 RAC Rally, fifth place. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_TR2 Unchecked
  12. Motor Sport, "Matters Of Moment" (the 1954 Alpine Rally), Sep 1954, p. 15, p. 15, the Alpine Rally; p. 15, "The 1954 Alpine Rally". motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1954/15/matters-of-moment-september-1954 Primary
  13. Motor Sport, "France Wins the Dundrod T.T.", Oct 1954, p. 40, p. 40. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1954/40/france-wins-the-dundrod-tt Primary
  14. Bill Boddy, "Matters of Moment", Motor Sport, Jun 1955, p. 13, p. 13, the Tulip Rally. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1955/13/matters-of-moment-june-1955 Primary
  15. Motor Sport, "The 13th Scottish Rally", Jul 1955, p. 53, p. 53. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1955/53/the-13th-scottish-rally Primary
  16. racingsportscars.com, Le Mans 24 Hours 1955, results and car data, results; results table, 14th; entry data, No. 28; results table, 15th; entry data, No. 29; results table, 19th; entry data, No. 68. racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1955-06-12.html Database
  17. Bill Boddy, "The Editor Discusses Show Business", Motor Sport, Nov 1955, p. 25, p. 25, disc brakes in the T.T.. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/november-1955/25/the-editor-discusses-show-business Primary
  18. Motor Sport, "Rumblings", Sep 1955, p. 49, p. 49, the Pomeroy Trophy. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1955/49/rumblings-september-1955 Primary
  19. Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, May 1955, May 1955 (vol. I), the owners' poll: competitions. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOAMay1955.pdf Primary
  20. Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, October 1955, Oct 1955, "In Competition", Cheyenne, 4–5 September 1955. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOAOct1955.pdf Primary
  21. Bill Boddy, "On Publicising The Product", Motor Sport, May 1955, p. 15, p. 15. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/may-1955/15/on-publicising-the-product Primary
  22. Motor Sport, "Rumblings", Sep 1954, p. 22, p. 22, the owners' association's results log. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1954/22/rumblings-september-1954 Primary
  23. Silverstone Auctions (now Iconic Auctioneers), "1955 Triumph TR2 – PKV 374" (lot 138), NEC Classic Motor Show Sale, 10 Nov 2019, lot 138, the Le Mans Legend races. iconicauctioneers.auctioneersvault.com/catalogues/nec-classic-motor-show-2019/138 Reference
  24. Triumph Motor Company (1945) Ltd, Triumph T.R.2 Sports Car (sales brochure), Rep. 12.53 (Dec 1953), p. 6, table of the runs. Primary
  25. Bill Boddy ("W.B."), "Stop Press – A Fast Triumph", Motor Sport, Jun 1953, p. 50, p. 50. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1953/50/stop-press-a-fast-triumph Primary
  26. Motor Sport, "Pictorial Review", Apr 1954, p. 31, p. 31. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/april-1954/31/pictorial-review Primary
  27. racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1954, results, results table, 24th. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1954-03-07.html Database
  28. racingsportscars.com, Driver page "Leslie Brooke (GB) – All Results", Mille Miglia 1954, No. 507; Mille Miglia 1955, No. 611. racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Leslie-Brooke-GB.html Database
  29. racingsportscars.com, Driver page "Jack Fairman (GB) – All Results", Mille Miglia 1954, No. 507. racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Jack-Fairman-GB.html Database
  30. Motor Sport, "XXIst 1000 Miglia", Jun 1954, p. 25, p. 25. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1954/25/xxist-1000-miglia Primary
  31. racingsportscars.com, Tourist Trophy 1954 (Dundrod), results, results table, 17th; results table, 18th; results table, 19th; results table, 20th; results table, 22nd; results table, 24th. racingsportscars.com/results/Dundrod-1954-09-11.html Database
  32. racingsportscars.com, Macau Grand Prix 1954, results, results, 1st; results, 2nd; results, 3rd. racingsportscars.com/results/Macau-1954-10-31-9493.html Database
  33. FIA, "Macau is a race for all nations", 28 Oct 2017. fia.com/news/macau-race-all-nations Reference
  34. Bill Boddy ("W.B."), "The M.C.C. National Rally (Nov. 10th-13th)", Motor Sport, Dec 1954, p. 21, p. 21, standfirst. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1954/21/the-mcc-national-rally-nov-10th-13th Primary
  35. Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, September 1955, Sep 1955 (vol. I), "All Over The Place". vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOASept1955.pdf Primary
  36. Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, October–November 1957, Oct–Nov 1957 (vol. III nos. 10 & 11), p. 1, the class. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOAOctNov57.pdf Primary
  37. Motor Sport, "Standard's convincing success in difficult R.A.C. Rally", Apr 1955, p. 17, p. 17. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/april-1955/17/stardards-convicing-successin-difficullt-rac-rally Primary
  38. racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1955, results, results table, non-finishers: head gasket, 111 laps. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1955-03-13.html Database
  39. Sports Cars Illustrated, News item: the 1955 Circuit of Ireland, Jul 1955. Primary
  40. racingsportscars.com, Mille Miglia 1955, results, results table, 59th; results table, DNF. racingsportscars.com/results/Mille_Miglia-1955-05-01.html Database
  41. Motor Sport, "Les Vingt-Quatre Heures du Mans" (1955), Jul 1955, p. 15, p. 15. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1955/15/les-vingt-quatre-heurs-du-mans-1955 Primary
  42. racingsportscars.com, Tourist Trophy 1955 (Dundrod), results, results table, 21st; results table, 22nd; results table, non-finishers. racingsportscars.com/results/Dundrod-1955-09-18.html Database
  43. racingsportscars.com, Driver page "Brian McCaldin (GB) – All Results", Tourist Trophy 1955, No. 22. racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Brian-McCaldin-GB.html Database

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