FOUNDING CHAIRMAN - STUART BRADBURY 1945-2020

Triple R Racing

  • Member Inducted 2026

When Edward Turner designed the hemi-head Daimler 2.5 litre, (152 cubic inch) engine in 1959, never in his wildest dreams could he have envisaged that the modest 140 horsepower it produced would be increased by Team Triple R to approaching 2,000 horsepower, with world-breaking performances to match. It was used in the Daimler SP250; more about that later. 

‘Team Triple R, the epitome of a shed built, British engine racecar team’

Team Triple R (Robin Read Racing) has been together for more than 44 years and includes Robin Read, Ella Chapman, Mark Evans, Bertie Hopkinson, Bill Mears and Damian Burke.

Robin, team principal and the driving force behind Triple R, has held a competition license since 1973, and previously raced a motorcycle and junior Volvo powered dragster before being involved with Daimlers. He also competed in Top Fuel, achieving 2nd place in the FIA championship in 1999, running a time and speed that seeded him number 46th in the world that year. 

Mark Evans’s role is crew chief; he’s been involved since 1982 and aside from running his own successful company his contribution to the team, both in commitment and helping financially, has been significant.

Ella has been mixing nitro and packing parachutes since 1990. It’s a responsible job and yet is carried out without drama, hence she is called the ‘fuel and chute fairy’ because if you blink you’ve missed it!

Bertie is proudly an old school ‘handle-winding’ machinist, making bespoke parts without the luxury of Computer Numerical Control machining programs or equipment. ‘Billet Bertie’ at one time made most of the connecting rods used in Top Fuel motorcycles around the world. He also machined the first generation of billet cylinder heads for a Daimler, no mean feat!

Bill, for many years a start line marshal and area rep for BDR & HRA, has been responsible for starting the nitro burning Daimler motors since 1982. He also monitors tyre pressures and looks after the car’s appearance.

Damian has also been a start line marshal, for Tony Huck’s Ultimate Street Bike race series as well as the BDR & HRA. When Triple R isn’t running, he’s involved with other racecars. His duties are basically ‘whatever’s needed’, which he carries out confidently and with speed.

Triple R wearing matching team apparel for both the ‘Spirit of Le Patron’ (top) and ‘Little Car’ dragsters (lower). Photos: Herb Andrews

Initially, Triple R ran a purchased dragster, which they modified. However, it fell short of their expectations so they designed and built their own in-house. Known as ‘Little Car’ it won the European Competition Car Championship in 1989, setting time and speed records to secure the win, at 7.04 @186mph. ‘Little Car’ also came second in 1988 and 1990. 

‘Little Car’ set a world first in 1989, by running a sub-7-second pass by a British-engined car, and a Daimler at 6.88 @ 193mph. ‘Little Car’ went on to run a best of 6.69 @ 199mph, so close to that 200-mph barrier.

The desire to break 200mph with ‘Little Car’ was carefully considered but the changes would involve back-halving the chassis and, given the car’s history, that wasn’t going to happen.

An entirely new car, the ‘Spirit of Le Patron’ was designed and constructed. It debuted in 2021 and was the first British-engined car, and Daimler, to run over 200mph, by running 6.37 @ 209mph. Since the debut it has reset the record previously held by ‘Little Car’ seven times. It’s also noteworthy that no other Daimler-powered car has run sub-7 seconds or over 200mph.

Power for the “Spirit of Le Patron” Dragster – named in tribute to Robin’s late father, Jim Read, who raced a Pro Comp Dragster named “Le Patron” – comes from the familiar SP250 Daimler. Much of the 2.5L engine resembling a scaled-down early Chrysler Hemi. 

Away from the track Team Triple R has promoted Drag Racing at major motorsport exhibitions and at venues within the UK and Europe, thus giving journalists and enthusiasts alike the opportunity to study a British-engined car and discuss with the team the unbelievable results and performances achieved while working within a tight budget. 

The ‘Little Car’ (top & middle right) went on to run a best of 6.69 @ 199mph, so close to that 200-mph barrier. But the entirely new car, the ‘Spirit of Le Patron’ (lower & middle left) was the first British engine car, and Daimler to run over 200 mph, with a pass of 6.37 @ 209 mph

Team Triple R’s Facebook page (Robin Read Drag Racing) has 2500+ followers, enjoying informative regular updates on ‘Little Car’ and ‘Spirit of Le Patron’. If two record-setting Daimler-powered cars are not enough for their followers, the team last year commenced the build of an ‘Oscar Altered’; its construction can be followed on the same page.

The Old School Classic Altered Racers (aka OSCAR) have outline rules to which Team Triple R are working. Based on a Daimler SP250 body style and utilising a similar blown nitro Daimler engine combination to their other cars, it will be another world first, unique in that it will have the same engine/body combination with which it would have been manufactured originally.

In summary, for over forty years Team Triple R has constructed, innovated, funded and set world records with a British-engined dragster. It is for this significant contribution that Team Triple R is inducted into membership of the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Profile by Herb Andrews & Graham Beckworth