Strong start for student motorsport team

Posted 14 May 2015

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A group of dedicated students have been balancing their studies with a passion for rallying this year, setting up a new society and rebuilding a car from scrap to track. 

The Harper Adams Motorsport Team was founded last summer by a four-strong group of second year MEng/BEng engineering students: James McDiarmid, Dan Markham, Will Coldicott and Max Haines-Messenger.

Membership of the club is now at 20, with eight to 10 students regularly turning out to work on the car, a Mk2 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 GTi, which had previously been used in an old student project within the engineering department and was in a sorry state, with a twisted chassis among other ailments. 

“We completely overhauled the car,” explained Max, 20, from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. “It has had a new engine, front cross member and other parts. We’ve put in brand new seats, harnesses and fire safety equipment to meet the stringent FIA regulations and safety standard.” 

None of this would have been possible without support from the university and various sponsors, including the Students’ Union, agricultural machinery company Scanstone and tyre manufacturer DMACK. 

“We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors,” said Will, 19, from Evesham, Worcestershire, “and the support from the university has been tremendous. The engineering department has given us access to the ramps where we work on the car and our lecturer Ianto Guy has provided guidance – not giving us the answers but pointing us in the right direction in a really helpful, constructive way.”

In the spirit of giving back, the team has run activities for a group of Chinese Masters in Mechatronics students, giving them a taste of their passion for motorsport and fostering friendships between the home and international students. 

Both rally driving and car mechanics are new to quite a few of the members. “I had never done anything like this before”, said Max. “I had only ever tinkered with bits of machinery on the farm at home,” added Will, “Nothing to the extent of what we have had to do to the car. “

“It has been a great learning experience for everyone. I think we have a nice dynamic in the team, in that we have some people who have the patience to take the time on smaller jobs, and others with the knowhow and experience to come in and do the bigger ones quickly and efficiently.

“We have developed a route to progress through the team. If members start by helping to do the work on the car, they can move on to become a co-driver and eventually a driver. No-one can come straight in and expect to race without having an appreciation of the time and effort required to maintain a performance vehicle.”

As well as preparing the vehicle, the core members have spent a lot of the year laying the groundwork for eventually competing regularly at rallies across the UK. They have visited a few as spectators and volunteered with car clubs such as the Dunfermline Car Club to get to grips with the basics of time control and marshalling. 

They have also built up some vital contacts – including spending time with a scrutineer for the Citroen World Rally Team who is personal friends with Sebastien Loeb, nine times WRC World Champion, and from whom they learned about scrutineering, making sure the rally car complies with all the rules and is safe to drive. 

At the end of March the team entered the Glengorm Time Trials on the Isle of Mull. They performed well, sitting mid-pack until a cracked power-steering pump forced them to retire in the fourth stage. 

“We’ve made some great contacts within the Mull Car Club and learnt a huge amount; not only about the car and setup required but also about the way events are run developing our understanding of the sport as a whole,” Max added. 

The car has since been repaired and their next event is the Red Dragon Stages on May 23rd, at Cirencester. 

The Harper Adams Motorsport Team is sponsored by Harper Adams University, Harper Adams University Students’ Union, ScanStone, Dmack, Morris Lubricants, VW Heritage, Wizzbang Fabrication, AH Fabrications, Roean Land Rover,  Pro-Bolt, Lee Bros., and Demon Tweeks.

Keep up to date with the team’s activities on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HAMotorsport