Triumph TR4 Racing
Works rallies in Europe in 1962 and 1963 and across Canada in 1964; class wins at Sebring in 1963 and 1966; three national championships in a row for Bob Tullius: the TR4 and TR4A in competition, in Europe and above all in America.
About the pictureA TR4 hardtop racing today, not a car from the TR4's racing years

The TR4's competition career was short in Europe and long in America. Standard-Triumph's works team rallied it for two seasons, 1962 and 1963, and took it across Canada in 1964, while in the United States the TR4, and then the TR4A, won national championships of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and its class at Sebring, and raced on in club events into the 1970s. Racingsportscars, which records the circuit results, lists most of its entries in America:
- TR4 entries listed
- 977from 1962 to 1974, by racingsportscars
- In the United States
- 775of those entries
- Wins
- 90outright, with 116 class wins
- The most frequent driver
- 65entries, by Bob Tullius
The results below give every event the site's sources record, with its crews.source 1
Works rallies, 1962–64
Leyland disbanded Standard-Triumph's competitions department in 1961. What changed its mind, Motor Sport thought, was a private TR4: the Swiss Jean-Jacques Thuner and J. Gretener drove theirs to 2nd place in its class on the Monte Carlo Rally of January 1962, behind a works Austin-Healey 3000, and within weeks Graham Robson had been given the job of organising a works team. The best result of its four TR4s, 3 VC to 6 VC, was the Coupe des Alpes that Mike Sutcliffe won on the Alpine Rally of 1962, and from 1964 the factory rallied other Triumphs. In April 1964 three of the cars, rebuilt, finished the Shell 4000 across Canada.source 2source 3source 4source 5source 6source 7

United States: SCCA, Sebring and beyond
In America the TR4 raced first in the SCCA's E Production class, and the importer backed its private drivers. In 1962 it began paying the expenses of successful drivers, more than 50 of them that first year, and published a booklet on preparing a TR3 or TR4 for competition, which Kas Kastner wrote. That season Bob Tullius took the national E Production title, which the importer counted as Triumph's first national class championship. Behind him, Bruce Kellner was 3rd in the national standings, Charlie Gates won the Pacific Coast Class E title and Jim Spencer the Midwest one.
For 1963 the SCCA moved the TR4 up to D Production, and Tullius won that title too, with Spencer 2nd, and again in 1964, when he also won the D Production race of the American Road Race of Champions at Riverside. That year, by the importer's count, Triumph drivers won 10 of the 18 divisional championships open to them. In 1965 another Triumph driver, Steve Froines, took the D Production title from Tullius. Gates, meanwhile, was national D Modified champion of 1965 in a TR4A built by Kastner, by then the company's competitions manager: the new car had been refused a place among the production cars.
Sebring was the TR4's big race. In 1962 George Waltman and Nick Coné drove a near-standard TR4 there that had been a press car. In 1963 the importer's team of three won its class, and in 1966 so did its TR4As. In between and after, private TR4s and TR4As kept coming, and in 1967 two of them headed the GT class up to 3 litres, as the results below show.
The TR4 went further than the circuits. In 1964 a "completely stock TR-4", the importer's newsletter reported, won the MG Car Club's 1000-mile international rally, and in February 1966 a TR4A was 2nd in its class at the Daytona Continental. In 1966 Kastner's department took a near-standard TR4A coupé to Bonneville, where it reached 206 km/h (128.20 mph) in its class, and to Irwindale, where Road & Track reported a class record on the drag strip.source 8source 9source 10source 6source 11source 12source 13source 14source 3source 15source 16source 17source 18source 1source 19source 20

Britain and Europe on the circuits
In Britain the TR4 raced mostly in marque events. Neil Dangerfield ran one for S.A.H. Accessories from 1962, finishing 5th in a marque race at Goodwood on 24 March 1962, and raced a TR4 abroad in 1964, at the Spa 500 km, where he retired, and at the Nürburgring 1000 km, where his entry with Sparrow, for the Sprinzel-Lawrence tuning firm, did not start. Private TR4s rallied in Europe too: a private crew was 20th on the Tour de France of 1963, and a British private crew ran the Tulip Rally of 1964. Racingsportscars' records of the TR4 reach as far as Suzuka, in Japan, in 1965.

Historic racing and rallying today
TR4s and TR4As still race and rally in historic events. Motor Sport reported a TR4A in the Historic Sports Car Club's Improved Road Sports championship in 1990. Body panels are made to the works pattern and works-style cars are built, so a TR4 in works colours at a historic event is not necessarily a works car; notable TR4s sets out what a works registration does and does not prove. No source read lists the TR4s that hold FIA historic papers.source 28source 29

Results
A yellow year marks a win.
- 1962
Geneva Rally 1962
1962. Jean-Jacques Thuner, in 5 VC: 2nd in its classsource 4
- 1962
- 1962
- 1962
Tulip Rally 1962
May 1962. John Sprinzel and Graham Robson (navigator), in 3 VC: finishedsource 4
- 1962
Tulip Rally 1962
May 1962. Mike Sutcliffe: finishedsource 4
- 1962
Tulip Rally 1962
May 1962. Jean-Jacques Thuner: finishedsource 4
- 1962
- 1962
- 1962
- 1962
Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Rally) 1962
June 1962. John Sprinzel and Willy Cave (co-driver), in 3 VC: retired: rammed in fogsource 4
- 1962
- 1962
Liège–Sofia–Liège 1962
August 1962. John Sprinzel, in 3 VC: retired: lost its radiatorsource 4
- 1962
Liège–Sofia–Liège 1962
August 1962. In 4 VC: retired: accidentsource 4
- 1962
RAC Rally 1962
November 1962. John Sprinzel, in 3 VC: finishedsource 4
- 1963
Tulip Rally 1963
1963. Vic Elford and David Stone (co-driver), in 3 VC: 4th in GTsource 4
- 1963
- 1963
- 1963
Sebring 12 Hours 1963
23 March 1963, Sebring, USA. No. 37, Bob Tullius, Bruce Kellner and Jim Spencer: 35th overall, 4th in GT2.5source 32source 33
- 1963
- 1963
Coupe des Alpes (Alpine Rally) 1963
June 1963. Mike Sutcliffe and Roy Fidler (co-driver), in 6 VC: retired: accident; Roy Fidler badly injuredsource 34
- 1963
- 1963
Tour de France Automobile 1963
September 1963, France. No. 162, Barbara and Mordacq (co-driver): 20th overallsource 1
- 1963
- 1963
RAC Rally 1963
November 1963. Roy Fidler and Don Grimshaw (co-driver): retired: rolled at Wythopsource 35
- 1964
Sebring 12 Hours 1964
21 March 1964, Sebring, USA. No. 34, Waltman and Lawrence: 40th overallsource 16
- 1964
- 1964
- 1964
- 1964
Shell 4000 Rally 1964
18 April 1964, Vancouver to Montreal, Canada. Barry Martin: finishedsource 7
- 1964
American Road Race of Champions 1964
14 November 1964, Riverside, USA. No. 11, Bob Tullius: 1st in D Productionsource 1source 12
- 1964
American Road Race of Champions 1964
14 November 1964, Riverside, USA. No. 63, Norm Evans: 3rd in D Productionsource 1
- 1964
American Road Race of Champions 1964
14 November 1964, Riverside, USA. No. 41, John Goans: 4th in D Productionsource 1
- 1964
American Road Race of Champions 1964
14 November 1964, Riverside, USA. No. 42, Eddie Kimmel: 6th in D Productionsource 1
- 1964
American Road Race of Champions 1964
14 November 1964, Riverside, USA. No. 51, Don Dillon: 7th in D Productionsource 1
- 1964
American Road Race of Champions 1964
14 November 1964, Riverside, USA. No. 12, Bruce Kellner: 8th in D Productionsource 1
- 1964
American Road Race of Champions 1964
14 November 1964, Riverside, USA. No. 22, Harold St. John: 10th in D Productionsource 1
- 1964
American Road Race of Champions 1964
14 November 1964, Riverside, USA. No. 62, Charlie Gates: retiredsource 1
- 1965
Sebring 12 Hours 1965
27 March 1965, Sebring, USA. No. 37, Martin and Hill: 41st overallsource 17
- 1966
- 1966
- 1966
- 1966
- 1966
Sebring 12 Hours 1966
26 March 1966, Sebring, USA. No. 39, Bob Tullius and Charlie Gates: retired: engine-bay firesource 36source 37
- 1967
Sebring 12 Hours 1967
1 April 1967, Sebring, USA. No. 29, Burr and Owen: 29th overall, 1st in GT3.0source 18
- 1967
Sebring 12 Hours 1967
1 April 1967, Sebring, USA. No. 28, Vega, Witt and Kingham: 31st overall, 2nd in GT3.0source 18
- 1967
Sebring 12 Hours 1967
1 April 1967, Sebring, USA. No. 27, Kelly, Tharin and Pickett: retired: enginesource 18
- 1968
- 1968
- 1968
- 1968
- 1968
- 1968
- 1968
- 1968
American Road Race of Champions 1968
23 November 1968, Riverside, USA. Dick Staples: 9th in D Productionsource 41
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
- racingsportscars.com, "Triumph TR4 – All Results", summary: entries, finishes, wins and class wins; entries by country; the most frequent drivers; the ARRC of 1964; Dangerfield's races; Spa and the Nürburgring, 1964; the Tour de France, 1963; Japan; 22.9.1963, Tour de France, No. 162; 15.11.1964, US Champions Riverside [DP]; page 14; page 15. racingsportscars.com/type/results/Triumph/TR4.html Database
- Motor Sport, "XXXIe Rallye Monte Carlo", Mar 1962, p. 17, p. 17: the department disbanded; Thuner and Gretener second in class; Robson to organise a team; Triumph passage. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/march-1962/17/xxle-rallye-monte-carlo Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, March 1962, Mar 1962, Thuner and Gretener behind a works Austin-Healey 3000; Sebring 1962: Waltman and his co-driver Nick Coné; the merged classes; 2nd in the over-2-litre class behind a works Austin-Healey 3000; "Waltman and his co-driver Nick Coné". vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/aTSOA0362.pdf Primary
- Julian Balme, "TR4: Triumph's rally underdog", Classic & Sports Car, 4 Aug 2021, the team, 1962–64; 5 VC with Webers, 2nd in class behind Walter's Porsche Carrera; 3 VC; 6 VC; "5 VC limped home"; 4 VC crashed; 3 VC, "fourth overall in the GT category"; 3 VC "retired, after falling off its jack in the dark"; Robson: "the engine blew a cylinder-head gasket"; 3 VC as CAG 408. classicandsportscar.com/features/tr4-triumphs-rally-underdog Reference
- Motor Sport, "Matters of Moment", Jul 1962, p. 11, the Coupe des Alpes. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1962/11/matters-of-moment-july-1962 Primary
- Aaron Severson, "Grandfather's Ax: The Many Evolutions of the Triumph TR4, Part 1: TR4 and TR4A", Ate Up With Motor, 22 Oct 2012, the TR4 withdrawn in favour of the Spitfire and 2000; the 1963 title in a Sebring car; the TR4A refused for production racing. ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/triumph-tr4-tr4a/view-all Reference
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, May 1964, May 1964 (vol. 10 no. 5), the Shell 4000; the private TR4 of Barry Martin (Toronto). vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA0564.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, March 1964, Mar 1964 (vol. 10 no. 3), p. 2: the 1962 season, the expense cheques, Triumph's first national class championship. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA0364.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, November 1963, Nov 1963 (vol. 9 no. 10), the competition preparation booklets. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA1163.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, February 1963, Feb 1963 (vol. 9 no. 2), the 1962 standings: Kellner, Gates, Spencer. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA0263.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, September 1963, Sep 1963 (vol. 9 no. 8), D Production, 1963: Tullius champion, Spencer second; Kastner competitions manager. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA0963.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, November 1964, Nov 1964, D Production, 1964; ten of 18 divisional titles. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA1164.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, March 1966, Mar 1966 (vol. 12 no. 3), Froines's 1965 title; Gates in D Modified; Daytona 1966. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA0366.pdf Primary
- Gordon H. Jennings, "Kas Kastner and his Super Triumph", Car and Driver, Feb 1966, pp. 48–49, 92, the TR4A in D Modified. kaskastner.com/feb66.pdf Primary
- racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1962, results, results, No. 37; results, 30th. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1962-03-24.html Database
- racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1964, results, results; results, 40th. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1964-03-21.html Database
- racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1965, results, results; results, 41st. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1965-03-27.html Database
- racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1967, results, results; results, 29th; results, 31st; DNF, 77 laps. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1967-04-01.html Database
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, January 1965, Jan 1965 (vol. 11 no. 1), the MG Car Club 1000-mile rally, 1964. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA0165.pdf Primary
- Road & Track, "Multi-Purpose Triumph", Dec 1966, pp. 92–94, Bonneville and Irwindale. kaskastner.com/roadtrack2.pdf Primary
- Motor Sport, "The Goodwood season opens", May 1962, p. 56, the marque race of 24 March 1962. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/may-1962/56/the-goodwood-season-opens Primary
- Nationaal Archief (Anefo), via Wikimedia Commons, "16 Tulpenrallye, L. Bertorelli-R. Doyle (GB) in eem Triumph TR 4." (press photograph), Bestanddeelnr 916-3431, 1964, the private TR4 on the 1964 Tulip. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:16_Tulpenrallye,_L._Bertorelli-R._Doyle_(GB)_in_eem_Triumph_TR_4.,_Bestanddeelnr_916-3431.jpg Primary
- racingsportscars.com, Le Mans 24 Hours 1959, results, the TRS entries. racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html Database
- racingsportscars.com, Le Mans 24 Hours 1960, results, the TRS entries. racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1960-06-26.html Database
- racingsportscars.com, Le Mans 24 Hours 1961, results, the TRS entries. racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1961-06-11.html Database
- racingsportscars.com, Le Mans 24 Hours 1964, results, results: no TR4. racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1964-06-21.html Database
- racingsportscars.com, Le Mans 24 Hours 1965, results, results: no TR4. racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1965-06-20.html Database
- Motor Sport, "Veteran to Classic – Triumph TR", Dec 1990, p. 54, a TR4A in the HSCC's Improved Road Sports championship; a works replica TR4. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1990/54/veteran-classic-triumph-tr Reference
- Revington TR, Replica works rally TR4 body parts, replica works rally body parts. revingtontr.com Reference
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, June 1962, Jun 1962. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOAJune62.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, August 1963, Aug 1963 (vol. 9 no. 7), the 1962 result: 9th overall, third in category; entry list (OCR). vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA0863.pdf Primary
- racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1963, results, results, 22nd; results, 24th; results, 35th; results, 37th. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1963-03-23.html Database
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, March–April 1963 ("Sebring '63 Souvenir Issue"), Mar–Apr 1963 (vol. 9 no. 3), Waltman drove alone. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA030463.pdf Primary
- Steve McKelvie, "A Shell 4000 Triumph TR4 Works Rally Car", stevemckelvie.wordpress.com (blog), 20 Aug 2015, 6 VC written off. stevemckelvie.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/a-shell-4000-triumph-tr4-works-rally-car Reference
- Motor Sport, "The R.A.C. Rally", Dec 1963, p. 15. motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1963/15/the-rac-rally-8 Primary
- racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1966, results, results, 19th; results, 23rd; results, 26th; results, 28th; DNF, 47 laps, engine. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1966-03-26.html Database
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, April 1966, Apr 1966 (vol. 12 no. 4), p. 2: "driven by Bob Kingham and Milo Vega", "sponsored by John R. Kingham"; a fire after four hours. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOA0466.pdf Primary
- racingsportscars.com, Sebring 12 Hours 1968, results, DNF table, No. 86. racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1968-03-23.html Database
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, April 1968, Apr 1968 (vol. 14 no. 4), p. 2. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOAApr68.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, June 1968, Jun 1968 (vol. 14 no. 6), p. 1. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOAJune68.pdf Primary
- Triumph Sports Owners Association, Triumph Sports Owners Association Newsletter, December 1968, Dec 1968 (masthead "Volume 14, Number 11"), p. 3; p. 2 caption; p. 3. vintagetriumphregister.org/tsoa/TSOADec68.pdf Primary