The sixth running of the CT British Reliability Run in aid of the Hole In The Wall Gang
Camp will head towards New York’s Finger Lakes Region on September 15th to 17th. The
run has something of a motorsports theme this year. The CT British Reliability Run
was launched in 2018 after I had taken part in the New Hampshire version of this event in 2017.
The event has become an established part of the calendar and has raised a useful amount of money for the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp over the past five years. This group continues to be the charity we support with this event as part of the overall “Driving for Kids” philosophy of Reliability Runs in the US.
The event has a small but dedicated group of regular teams who make the event a lot of fun to organise and run every year. It is not a closed shop, newcomers are welcome and I think would feel at home immediately. I must confess I had hoped when we started the event that it would grow to around a couple of dozen teams, but that goal has proved elusive. It’s a shame, partly because it limits our fund-raising potential, partly because people are missing out on a very enjoyable weekend.
The concept is based on the event that Club Triumph arranges in the UK every other year. Their event is not for the faint of heart: a 2,000-mile drive over a weekend going from one end of Britain to the other, with no overnight stops. The event dates back to 1966 and has raised the equivalent of over $1 MILLION for a variety of charities.
Our event is, in comparison, a pretty sedate affair. All you need is a British car that is in decent shape and an interest in driving it a bit further than you might normally go. We generally cover between six and seven hundred miles in the three days, but we spend the two nights in a pleasant hotel.
This year’s run returns to the Finger Lake region of New York which was the destination of the 2019 Run. The hotel is once again the Hope Lake Lodge, which provided excellent accommodation for us four years ago.
This year there is a motorsports theme to the event. The outbound route on Friday will follow part of the
route of a pioneering rally in 1903 which went from New Jersey to Pittsburg. We’ll follow much of the
route they took on day 2 of that event, though of course the roads are a lot better now than they were in
1903.
On Saturday we will visit Watkins Glen where those who wish will be able to drive on the present day racetrack (see https://www.theglen.com/drive-the-glen/ for details) as well as tour the original route which is all on public roads. If you are interested in this event and think you and your car are up to it, or have questions please email me at nwardle2@comcast.net We have a few hotel rooms remaining at an excellent group rate if you want to join in the fun,
5th Annual CT British Reliability Run – 2022
A BIG THANK YOU!
Hello CTR members! Eleven British cars and their drivers/navigators recently completed the over 600 mile CT British Reliability Run. They raised over $7,500 (so far) for Paul Newman’s The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. A big THANK YOU to everyone who gave so generously But it is not too late to donate, any amount will be truly appreciated.
For online donations go to: http://getinvolved.holeinthewallgang.org/BRR22 (scroll down the page and click on the “Make a Gift” button and follow instructions ).
For mailed in donations: The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. PO Box 150448, Hartford, CT 06115-0448 (put “CTBRR” in the check memo).
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This year is the fifth year for the Reliability Run and our sights are set on passing the $50,000 mark in money raised for the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. Besides feeling good about that, by the time it’s done participants will have enjoyed three days of driving on some of New England’s best kept secret roads. The run takes place September 16th to 18th. Deadline for registration is August 31st, hotel rooms are first come, first served.
It does not seem that long ago that I was enjoying a beer with Ed Cooke of Abingdon Spares and we were talking about whether we could organize our own Reliability Run. We were both doing the 2017 run up in New Hampshire, organized by Bob Dougherty of British Cars of New Hampshire.
When that event was completed I started thinking seriously about what it would take to have our own run, starting from Connecticut. I talked a few people into helping, because I knew I had neither the time nor the skills to set the whole thing up. It takes a team, and we have a good one: Janet Thomson liaising with the charity (Paul Newman’s Hole In The Wall Gang Camp), Alex Thomson looking after the bookkeeping and working with Lime Rock for the cookout on Sunday, Jay Jablonski getting the car emblems printed and providing support where needed, Ed Cooke maintaining the web site, and my partner Susan Schiavi working with the hotel and restaurants and also setting up the welcome breakfast.
My own part is designing the route and preparing the road book. It has its frustrating moments when a route that looked promising turns out to be impractical, but for the most part it is very enjoyable driving around the region and seeing the route in different seasons.
This year the Run goes to Vermont again, but to the east of the Green Mountains to explore the upper reaches of the Connecticut River valley. I am not going to give much away as regards the route, but it will include plenty of miles on roads less travelled, which is my approach to tour planning.
The Run traditionally involves two nights away from home using the same hotel, and this year follows that pattern using the Black Bear Ski Resort at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. While I put my best effort into designing the route, I have a feeling that what brings people back is the social aspect of the run. Most of the participants have been on every run and enjoy each other’s company tremendously.
This does not mean that newcomers are not welcome. On the contrary, this is a very friendly group and new recruits to the run immediately feel part of the team. That said, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that it does take a certain something to take part in the Run. If you include the mileage to get to and from the start and finish points I estimate most people cover around 750 miles, and not everybody will be up to that. You also need a car that is up to the challenge. It’s not really difficult, the route is on decent paved roads with a couple of steep hills thrown in, but you do need a dependable vehicle, which means one that is maintained properly and driven frequently.
If you are interested in taking part or have any questions about the Run, send me an email to nwardle2@comcast.net and I will be happy to respond.
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#4……..Another successful CT British Reliability Run!
The group raised $10,955 for the Hole in The Wall Gang Camp.
A big THANK YOU to all who donated!
The fourth running of the Reliability Run was enjoyed by all despite a couple of attempts by Mother Nature to get us wet. Scenic drives and a lively social scene left everyone looking forward to next year.
Let’s get the tough news done with: this was the first year our Reliability Run had a car fail to complete the drive. It was bound to happen eventually and the dubious honour goes to Sam Patterson whose newly restored TR250 suffered a loss of oil pressure in the first hour of the run, just north of Lime Rock. Preliminary investigation suggests a thrust washer was to blame. Happily Dave Icaza loaned Sam his own TR250 and Sam and Kim were able to join the group later on Friday in Glens Falls and complete the Run with the replacement car. The lesson learned here is that reliability takes work and is built over time with these old cars. Sam was very unlucky as thrust washers usually go for some time before wear becomes a concern and this sort of failure was an extremely low-probability event.
The Reliability Run is not the most extreme test of cars but it does require that cars be maintained and driven regularly and over some distance so that emerging problems can be recognized and resolved before they become problems. Sam didn’t have the time for this, given that his car was finished just before the event and unfortunately paid the price. Most of the cars and drivers taking part have done this run before without issues and deserve credit for keeping their cars in tip-top condition. I think we all shared in Sam’s disappointment and were happy to see Team Patterson Oil back in the running by the end of the day. It had been a day where the weather followed a somewhat familiar pattern: a bit damp and cool at the start, but improving as the day wore on. The dampness in Connecticut extended to some fairly thick mist on route 63 from Litchfield to Goshen. We escaped the mist by dropping down route 4 into Cornwall Bridge and then making a less direct progress to Sharon by running alongside the Housatonic and down route 41 into Sharon. The view on the approach to Sharon was quite dramatic as the sun started to put in an appearance. After a rest stop in Amenia we made our way through the network of county roads in Dutchess and Columbia Counties towards our lunch break in Chatham. Agriculture is still very active in this part of the world resulting in some splendid vistas across rolling, open countryside that are quite few and far between in more heavily wooded Connecticut where many otherwise interesting roads are just tunnels through the trees.
After lunch we made our way over to Stephentown, where Cumberland Farms is a frequent rest stop on my route planning. Here those who were participating in Friday’s route bade us farewell and set off back to Connecticut. We headed north, making full use of New York’s long distance state route 22 to put some miles behind us on the way to Glens Falls. Once we had passed through Hoosick Falls and North Hoosick it was time to bid NY 22 farewell and search for some quieter roads. This took the form of a detour through the Buskirk Bridge, the only covered bridge in NY state that links two counties.
A network of minor roads took us through a few farms to Schaghticoke and a turn on to route 40. The countryside here is devoted to dairy farming and offers great views of the distant Adirondacks across the Hudson. The weather was mostly cloudy but clear enough to enjoy the views until we reached the outskirts of the greater Glens Falls area and eventually our hotel.
The weather on Saturday morning was a distinct improvement and added greatly to the drive to Brandon, VT. We followed the 2018 drive’s route along the shore of Lake George as far as the Lake Champlain Bridge at Crown Point, and then travelled through Vermont farming country to Brandon. The approach to Brandon on VT 73 offered good views of the Green Mountains which appeared to block further progress. Brandon offered a good variety of eating and watering holes and with the cars cooled off and the teams well fed we set off to traverse the Brandon Gap through the mountains. The road through the Gap offers fairly long, moderate climbs but plenty of them on the way to the summit at 2,183’ under the stern gaze of Mt Horrid (3,216’). The cars then had the chance to cool off on the descent to Rochester and VT 100. Once back in the valley the going was easier with only a minor climb through Granville Gap to contend with before the real challenge appeared. VT 17 offers some good combinations of sharp bends and steep gradients on the way over the Appalachian Gap Pass, with a summit at 2,375’. The first group of cars found the summit shrouded in low cloud, but conditions had cleared a bit by the time the second flight arrived and enjoyed some views on the way down from the Pass.
The weather had by now deteriorated somewhat and both groups played dodge the showers on the way back to Glens Falls. The really heavy downpour in a thunderstorm caught the second group just 15 miles from the hotel, forcing a stop to erect weather protection as there seemed to be no end to the heavy rain and no way to maintain a speed that would keep the rain away.
Sunday offered the best weather of the weekend. I think at least one car went to a car wash to remove the evidence of the previous day’s escapades, but then when you’ve borrowed somebody else’s car for the weekend the least you can do is send it home clean. Most of the cars wore their road dirt home. It was acquired honestly, the Reliability Run of course has to go on come rain or shine.
Our route home followed some hill and dale roads through Greenwich and on to Cambridge before taking the inevitable trip down NY 22 to Stephentown. From there we followed county roads that run more or less parallel to 22 but allow a more relaxed pace and some glimpses at distant hills. Eventually we reached the horse country around Ancram once more and then went over the ridge of high ground and into Millerton. From there it was a short trip down the old iron ore track into Lime Rock, past the little side road called Furnace Road that hints at the iron working past, and into Lime Rock Park for our cookout farewell.
We were able to hand over a cheque for around $11,000 to Anna, representing the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. I think that takes our four year total to somewhere just over $40,000 which is commendable for a relatively small event. Of course, in my mind that raises the question of why the event does not attract more people, but for the moment I was just pleased that the regular stalwarts and the new recruits had all enjoyed another Run and had done so well to support a worthy cause.
Normally when you drive a route that you have planned yourself and driven several times, it’s a bit like knowing what everybody is getting for Christmas. This Run wasn’t quite like that, the scenery still seemed as fresh as the first trial run in the late winter had suggested it would be, and I enjoyed the Run immensely.
Upon reflection though I think what made the event so enjoyable was not the scenery, beautiful as it was, and it wasn’t the cars, as well as they ran. It was the continuing development of the friendships that come with taking part in the event over the years and the group dynamic that exists. It’s not a closed shop mind you, and I think the new recruits were immediately made to feel part of the team.
And so the Run is over for another year. When life calms down a bit towards the end of the year I’ll start the whole thing over again, hopefully with input from the participants as to where they’d like to go in 2022. Let’s see if we can reach 20 cars next year, and hopefully a few more Triumphs!
Planning for the 2021 Connecticut British Reliability Run:
The 2021 Connecticut British Reliability Run (CTBRR) is September 17th – 19th, 2021. The Reliability Run has two goals. The first is to demonstrate that old British cars are reliable and capable of being driven over much longer distances than most of their owners would normally attempt. The second (and more important) goal is to raise money for a worthy cause involving children.
In the three prior runs, those goals were met. In 2018 the participants toured the Adirondacks and 2019 went further afield to the Finger Lakes region of New York. For 2020, the formula for the run was modified to three separate day runs to accommodate the unusual conditions cause by the pandemic. For 2021, the CTBRR will travel to Glen Falls, NY on Friday. Saturday is a tour of northern New York and Vermont returning to Glen Falls in the evening. Sunday will be a scenic route back to Connecticut.
Each year, all cars (and participants!) that set off on these runs have returned safely. And the event has raised well over $30,000 for the chosen charity, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. The Camp is dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge. It’s a community that celebrates the fun, friendship and spirit of childhood, where every kid can “raise a little hell.” It was established by the late Paul Newman. Mention the name Paul Newman and most people will recall his long and successful career as an actor, starring in many critically-acclaimed and commercially successful films. He also had a remarkable career in auto-racing, a sport in which he was active into his early 80s. Triumph enthusiasts will note that in 1976 he won an SCCA National Championship in a Triumph TR6.
Please consider supporting this year’s CTBRR making an online donation to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp:
http://getinvolved.holeinthewallgang.org/goto/ctbrr2021
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#3…….2020 Reliability Run (with photos):
The Reliability Run has normally taken the form of a three day tour with a couple of nights in a hotel. Last year’s run was a bit different and featured three one-day tours. Here’s where it went.
Friday’s run went from Southbury to the summit of the highest mountain in Massachusetts, Mt Greylock. The mountain rises 3,489’ above sea level and is accessible via two different roads built around the turn of the last century.
From the start point in Southbury the outbound journey used a variety of CT state and local roads to reach Kent by way of New Milford. From Kent the route went over to New York state to enjoy some pastoral scenes on the way to Sharon.
Leaving Sharon the caravan headed back into New York state to pick up New York state highway 22 in Millerton. The generous speed limits on NY 22 allowed the tour to cover ground at a somewhat higher speed than most similar roads in MA and CT would permit, and most important provided a more enjoyable experience than the rather dreary stretch of US 7 north of Canaan CT and the sprawl of Pittsfield MA.
From Stephentown NY the group turned east towards Mt Greylock and spent about 20 minutes climbing through the trees on the winding mountain road, the view at the top being ample reward for the patient climb.
The return route also used roads in New York, this time some of the county roads that run roughly parallel to NY 22 before reaching the beautiful countryside around Ancramdale. From there the roads led over the ridge to Millerton and back to Sharon, but via a different route than the morning’s drive.
From the familiar landmark of the clock tower in Sharon the return journey to Southbury went over the hills to Cornwall Bridge, and then to Lake Waramaug via Warren. Southbury was reached by way of Washington Depot, Roxbury, and South Britain.
The tour from Southbury to Mt Greylock and return covered approximately 247 miles in about 8 hours including rest stops and lunch.
Saturday’s run stayed within the state of Connecticut and mostly east of the Connecticut River. The run used two-lane state highways to go from Abingdon Spares in Deep River up to the north east corner of the state and back again.
We started the tour to the eastern part of Connecticut by heading west and then looping around to pass through the delightful village of Chester. In more normal times the Chester-Hadlyme ferry would have provided a tempting means of crossing the river, but sadly these days the ferry is operating at reduced capacity, meaning our tour would have spent a long time getting over the river.
CT route 154 alongside the river is not exactly a poor substitute and offered a magnificent view of the swing bridge and the Goodspeed Opera house as we approached Haddam. The bridge was completed in 1913, replacing ferry service that dated as far back as 1695. Once over the river we headed off in the direction of Colchester by way of Moodus. East of Colchester there’s enough active farming to allow some open views over gently rolling countryside before we stopped short of the I-395 corridor and its attendant sprawl and used a road less travelled to make our way to the northeast corner of the state.
In Woodstock we made our way to the Taylor Brooke Winery and Brewery for our lunch stop before retracing our steps to Pomfret. From Pomfret we turned on to CT 97 to travel south, running roughly parallel to CT 169 but several miles to the west. Passing through Scotland and Windham we returned to Lebanon before making a loop around Columbia and Hebron to pick up CT 85 to pass once more through Colchester on our way to Salem.
CT 82 took us most of the way back to Deep River, but we detoured through Devil’s Hopyard state park on the way to East Haddam. From there we drove through the center of Deep River and were back at Abingdon Spares having covered approximately 160 miles.
The third and final run of our event took us from Southbury in the opposite direction, over the Hudson and into the Catskill Park. Other than a short sprint on the Taconic State Parkway we used mostly New York state and county roads with a dash of US numbered roads thrown in for good measure.
Any tour that crosses the Hudson faces the challenge of choosing a bridge, which dictates to a large degree the route. This tour used the same bridges that last year’s trip to the Finger Lakes region took but managed to vary the routes taken in Connecticut to get to and from New York.
Outbound we followed a more or less direct route from Southbury to Sharon but then used a number of minor county roads to reach Pine Plains for our rest stop. From there we drove west to the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge which is toll-free westbound. By now NY 199 had become a bit of a rat-race, so we turned on to some quiet county roads that took us to Woodstock NY, a name made famous by the music festival that actually took place over 60 miles away. Woodstock today is a mecca for artists of all kinds who can be seen thronging the sidewalks if the weather is nice. They had a chance to admire automotive art as it slowly paraded through town.
We continued west on leafy roads, running alongside the Esopus Creek for some distance before arriving in Phoenicia, where we turned northeast into a steepsided mountain valley that took us to our lunch stop at Hunter Mountain Brewery.
It was tempting to spend several hours lazing in the sunshine on the Brewery’s deck with its fine view of Hunter Mountain, but we said farewell and continued heading northeast in search of NY route 23. This road offers a fine panoramic view on the way to the Hudson and the Rip van Winkle bridge.
The Taconic State Parkway is far from FDR’s original concept of the road in the 1930s. It remains cars-only but of course today’s cars are dangerously fast and overweight, not a good combination for the TSP.
Our trip on the parkway was mercifully brief and we were soon back on county roads for a drive through horse country before a brief spell on US 44, which delighted us with a fine view of the countryside around Amenia. The charmingly-named Bog Hollow Road led us back to Connecticut, passing through Kent on our way to the western shore of Lake Waramaug.
From there it was a short distance on familiar roads around Washington Depot and Roxbury back to our starting point of Southbury. The journey from Southbury to Hunter and return covered approximately 233 miles.
The combined mileage of the three days came to about 640 miles, but of course the cars had to travel from home to the start point and then reach home at the end of the day. The highest mileage award, had there been one, would probably have gone to Alan Habbe of Gales Ferry who drove his magnificent E-type Jaguar 1,006 miles in the three days. Apart from this achievement, Alan went away with some great memories because he was accompanied by his son and daughter on two of the rides. He noted that his grandchildren were perhaps just a bit too young to have spent so long in the car.
For the third year all cars that started the event made it home. The only minor event was a broken throttle pull -off switch (on a Weber carb!) that was repaired with a spring repurposed from a vise grip.
Any thoughts that this re-imagined event would be lacking in camaraderie were quickly dispelled as the tour went on, and everybody had a great time in the gorgeous autumn sunshine which made the countryside really shine.
Many thanks to the generous folks who made it possible to present the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp with over $7K in donations this year!
Pictures contributed by Rich and Lee Magna and Kimberly Patterson.
(click on any photo to see enlargement)
There’s less than 12 months till the next one, maybe you’ll think about joining us?
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#2……2019 Reliability Run (with photos):
The second British Reliability Run raised $11,700 for Paul Newman’s Hole In The Wall
Gang Camp. The sun shone on the teams and all cars made it safely back after covering
about 600 miles from Connecticut to the Finger Lakes region of New York and back.
There was a bit of a nip in the air as I drove from the Navigator’s house to GMT Racing in Newtown. This Reliability Run was a bit different from the others I’d done because the MGB was pinch hitting for the Spitfire, which was still in pieces in my garage. I had no
worries about the B doing the run, she’d already done it twice as the scouting vehicle when we were route-planning.
Embarking on a run you’ve already driven two or three times leads to somewhat mixed emotions. There’s no concerns about getting lost, although this time my route directions would be tested as Jay was to lead one group based on my instructions.
But it’s a bit like knowing what everybody’s getting for Christmas while still enjoying people’s reaction as the tour proceeds. Fortunately, with
Mother Nature on my side again the route was everything I’d hoped it would be.
When I pulled in to the yard at GMT most of the teams had already arrived. It was an almost even split between Triumphs and MGs. Coventry was represented by 3 TR6s (Jay and Linda Jablonski, Paul and Catherin Lamson, and Howie MacMahon), a TR4 (Dennis Sharon and Beau Dubuque) and a Spitfire (Sam and Kimberly Patterson. Abingdon’s finest included an MG TD (Dwight and Pam Ihling), an MGA (Jim and Chris Wiebe) and three MGBs (Ed and Jane Cooke, Rich and Lee Magna, and your Editor and his Navigator). Last but by no means least was an NG TD roadster (Ian and Penny Clark). For the uninitiated, an NG is a British kit car (in this case built by Ian’s father) that uses MGB running gear. We also had a Brand X vehicle because Gary and Kathy Dabrowski’s MGB suffered a serious overheating problem on a trip to Stowe, VT and Gary quite wisely decided not to risk a long drive in the car without really knowing why it had overheated or what damage had been done.
After admiring the vehicles in GMT’s shop and fueling our inner souls with coffee, pastries and healthier fare we lined up the cars in two groups. As our piper, Jonathan Henckel, played Will Ye No Come Back Again we set off on the run, with our hotel 235 miles away.
Any route that involves crossing the Hudson will be dictated by the choice of bridge, and of course this kind of event needs to avoid the major crossings. I decided to use the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge to head west because once we were clear of Kingston there were no major towns on a more or less direct route to our hotel in Virgil, NY. We all made it to our lunch stop more or less on time and the food was served promptly.
We’d emailed our orders to Oakley’s and called them from about 30 miles away to give them a good idea of our arrival time. They did a great job and our food was ready for us.
Suitably fed we set off on the afternoon stage, with 110 miles to cover to the hotel. The TD a bit reluctant to proceed but a bit of coaxing brought it to life and we made it to our rest stop in Walton, the MG group running about 15 minutes behind the Triumph group.
It was in Walton that we had a little drama as two cars were a bit reluctant to continue. Jim Wiebe’s MGA was having electrical issues. Jim was quick to point out that all the British parts of the car were working perfectly, it was the modified electrics on his GM V6 powered car that were acting up. Ian Clark stayed with Jim, trying to work out why the car had developed an appetite for fuses.
The TD was again a bit reluctant to restart but
came to life, so four cars set off. NY route 206 climbs a respectable hill on its way out of town and as I picked up speed on the grade I checked my rear view mirror and could not see the TD, so we pulled over. Minutes went by and it became clear the little veteran car had run into trouble. The other 2 MGs carried on, suitably armed with the directions in the road book that all teams received, while I went back to see where the TD was.
As I got to the bottom of the hill I got my answer: the TD had needed a run at the hill rather than the dead start at the stop sign in town, and was coming up the hill like a bat out of hell. I once more turned around and four miles later managed to catch up with the older car. Hills might be slowing her down, but Pam Ihling was wasting no time on level ground.
At this point I decided to see how well I’d written out the directions and let Pam lead the way to the hotel. To my delight Pam and her navigator Dwight had no trouble following the route and we made it safely to the hotel, to be followed about 30 minutes later by the last two cars. All accounted for, and 235 miles covered.
The Reliability Run is not, of course, just about driving. It’s an opportunity to socialize with the other teams, to swap the usual stories that owners of old cars can tell and to relax in a convivial setting. The Hope Lake Lodge was an excellent place for all of this.
The weather forecast for Saturday included a threat of showers and possible thunderstorms in the afternoon but we set off under sunny skies for a tour around Cayuga Lake en route to Watkins Glen, a 114 mile trip. The route included a stop at the spectacular Taughannock Falls. I noted how much less water was falling compared to the previous visits we made during route planning, evidence of a dry summer.
From Taughannock Falls it’s a fairly short trip to Watkins Glen where we had a layover that gave people choices. There was the chance to drive the Watkins Glen racetrack, eagerly taken by Sam Patterson and Jay Jablonski, while the old race track is clearly marked out and all on public roads for those who wanted a spot of racing history. Wineries, breweries and the odd distillery were all close by on NY route 14 while downtown Watkins Glen offered a variety of watering holes. For those who hadn’t had enough driving there was also a 50 mile tour around Keuka Lake.
Your editor and his Navigator wandered around in search perhaps of a place to eat by the lake but eventually ended up at the pub that was our lunch stop on the exploratory runs, the Rooster Fish, where we sat at the open french windows and watched the world go by before regrouping and going back to Virgil.
One of the features of the Reliability Run is the Road Book produced by Jay and Linda
Jablonski. It’s been referred to as the Bible for the Reliability Run. In it teams will find the route instructions that I draw up along with some trivia about the roads we’re using. Jay and Linda highlight the route on maps and include copious information about places to eat and attractions at the stopping places on the route. Contact details for all the teams are included just in case anybody gets lost.
A quick look at a map will show that it is easily possible to get from Watkins Glen to Virgil in well under an hour, but this being the CT Reliability Run I found a far more entertaining and lengthy route that avoided Ithaca by using some very minor country roads. The 54 mile run included a sporting hill climb on Blakeslee Hill Road, freshly strewn with two inches of chippings in anticipation of our run to make drifting round the hairpin more or less obligatory.
We arrived back at the hotel with no sign of the showers or thunderstorms, although it would rain during the night while we were all safely tucked up in bed and the cars
buttoned up.
The front that had passed through during the night left behind cooler air and clouds that meant the first hour of Sunday’s drive was a bit chilly, but eventually
the sun burned through and normal weather was resumed.
Our destination was Lime Rock Park, which is 188 miles from Virgil. Most of those miles
would be on NY route 23 which took us from Cincinattus to within 30 miles of the finish line. We crossed the Hudson on the Rip van Winkle bridge, which opened in 1935. The toll on opening day was 80 cents, equivalent to nearly $15 today, so the present toll ($1.50) is a bargain.
All the cars made it safely back to Lime Rock for a farewell gathering and meal. Jason, our fund-raising partner from the Hole In the Wall Gang Camp (https://www.holeinthewallgang.org/) was there for us to hand over a cheque that, in reality, will be somewhere around $11,700 when corporate matching donations are completed.
And that, of course, is what the event was really all about. In the two years we’ve run the event we have raised over $20,000 for the camp, helping them in their important work with sick children and honouring Paul Newman’s vision. The fact
that we had a lot of fun and perhaps raised a little hell in doing so would, I am sure, have brought a smile to Paul’s face.
With another run successfully completed, we look ahead to next year. Perhaps you will join us and see what all the fun’s about?
#1……2018 Reliability Run (with photos):
The inaugural 2018 CT British Reliability Run raised around $10,000 for the Hole in
the Wall Gang camp and the participants enjoyed a tour of the Adirondacks. This year
our destination is the Finger Lakes. Those who took part in last year’s Reliability Run had such a good time and raised such an impressive amount for charity that it was clear we had to see if we could beat our results in 2019.
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Planning started in January as we took note of lessons learned. One decision was very easy to reach: we would continue to support the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp as our charity. Their website is at https://www.holeinthewallgang.org/
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The destination was a little more difficult to choose, because it isn’t just a question of throwing darts at a map. There is the matter of a decent hotel at a reasonable price, availability of places to eat and suitable roads to get us from Connecticut to our destination and back.
Our first thoughts were the Green Mountains of Vermont, and while an entertaining route to the region was fairly easy to establish, finding lodgings that matched our criteria was not so easy. We turned our eyes westwards, back to NY state and out to the Finger Lakes region. Some hours spent with Google Earth suggested a likely route, while internet searches and phone calls uncovered a possible hotel choice.
From there it was just along day’s drive to establish that the route was as scenic as Google Earth suggested and that the hotel lived up to the pictures on its website.
And so we can now present the CT British Reliability Run 2019!
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When: It will take place on the last weekend in September, departing CT on the morning of Friday, September 27th on a 225 mile run to Cortland, NY. Saturday will be spent touring the Finger Lakes region and the return trip to Connecticut is the following day.
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Where: Our base for the weekend for the two nights away from home is at the Hope Lake Lodge, which is a few miles south of Cortland. You can inspect the hotel at https://hopelakelodge.com/ The hotel has reserved 14 rooms for us at a discounted rate of $154 a night, available through August 1st.
Why: we hope to raise more money this year for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
than we did last year. The camp was very grateful for our efforts and we want to continue our support of this amazing charity.
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How: for details of the event send email to nwardle2@comcast.net The registration fee remains the same as last year at $125. Drivers and navigators are responsible for their
accommodation and meals. The route is on US, State and County roads with no interstate highways.
On behalf of the organizing group, I hope to see you on the 2019 CT British Reliability Run!
Below is a gallery of photographs from the 2018 CT British Reliability Run.
(CLICK ON A PHOTO TO SEE ALL ENLARGED)
Reliability Run — Background info…..
Reliability Runs were something of a tradition in England that has now been continued by British car clubs on both side of the Atlantic. The C.T.R. in conjunction with the CT MG club is proud to present the first Connecticut British Reliability Run?
This type of driving event has its roots in England. Owners of British cars whose marque had a reputation for poor mechanical reliability would gather and do long continuous drives around England to prove that their cars were indeed reliable.
British Reliability Runs continue to this day, benefiting children’s charities in England, then in 2002 Blake Discher of the Detroit Triumph Sportscar Club, founded America’s British Reliability Run (ABRR). He had help and guidance from former Triumph Standard executive and British Reliability run veteran John Macartney. The ABRR spirit is now spreading throughout the USA with multiple regional runs. The ABRR is a challenging and fun driving event that so far has raised more than $215,000 for worthy children’s charities here in the United States.
The Charity 
The only competition is how much each CT Reliability Run team can raise for the chosen charity: The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, founded by Paul Newman. This organization is dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to seriously ill children and their families throughout the northeast, free of charge. It’s a community that celebrates the fun, friendship and spirit of childhood, where every kid can “raise a little hell.” We visited the camp in Ashford and were very impressed with the work that they do to allow seriously ill children to have camping opportunities that we perhaps take for granted. – Janet Thomson
WHO IS THE HOLE IN THE WALL GANG CAMP?
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp was founded by the late Paul Newman, a successful actor and race car driver. He had a love for Triumphs and in 1976 won a Sports Car Club of America National Championship in a Triumph TR6. The Camp is a community dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to seriously ill children and
their families through a variety of year-round programs. The Camp delivers fun, friendship and a healthy dose of mischief through its signature summer program and weekend sessions at the Camp facility in Ashford, CT as well as outreach to hospitals, clinics and communities across the Northeast. Even though in-person Camp was
cancelled this summer due to COVID-19, the organization quickly pivoted to provide at-home and virtual programming for the kids. This involved additional expense for supplies, postage, etc.
HOW DO I DONATE?
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It has website to facilitate online
donations specifically for this event:
Go to: http://getinvolved.holeinthewallgang.org/ctbrr2020
Click on “MAKE A GIFT” button and following the prompts
THANK YOU for making this event successful with even the smallest donation.
CT Reliability run
We have created a special website for the CT British Reliability run at https://www.ctbrr.org/ —— It has everything you need to know, and you can sign up for this great event!
CTRiumph! 