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Adam Hall, a second-year mechanical engineering student at Queen’s University Belfast, is passionate about motorsport and has been involved in a rally project with his brothers over the past few years.
With his brothers Jonathan and Michael, he is part of Hall Motorsport ,which runs a Ford Escort Mk2.
“We decided to buy the car in December 2011,” says Adam Hall. “I was in fifth year at secondary school at that time. We have been competing in it since, through my A-level years at Royal School, Armagh, and more recently during university.
“We spent the first year rebuilding the shell and fabricating it into GRP4 spec with turrets and tunnels for a five-link suspension system and adding safety features such as four-point harnesses, fire extinguishers and braided fuel hosing.”
Hall’s pastime has seen him take part in three seasons of rallying across Northern Ireland, which keeps him busy rebuilding, repairing and maintaining the car. Generally, the team takes part in six rallies a season, with most taking place around the spring.
Being involved in the sport has given him many memorable experiences, says Hall. “Motorsport has always been in my blood, and my two brothers are no different. Growing up following heroes such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns in World Rallying, as well as knowing the history that Ari Vatanen had in Ireland driving Mk2s, it is great to be involved in the sport, albeit at a much smaller scale, and in the project with my brothers.
“One rally that stands out in terms of performance was the Turkey Run in December 2013, which was the first rally we competed in after we rebuilt the car with the new Pinto engine and sequential gearbox. It was great to see the improvement in performance after our efforts in developing it.”
Hall believes that his involvement in the sport will help his career. “Being able to learn mechanical skills, and important aspects of a competitive car, has been satisfying as I look to become an engineer,” he says.
“Maybe I’ll be able to put them to good use when I am older.”
Do you have an interesting mechanical engineering-related hobby? Email liz.wells@caspianmedia.com