THE SELF INTERVIEW No. 6

Name: Darren Hall

Occupation: Engineer
 
 

1. When did you join 7 Oaks…………………………………..…?  June 1991

2. What or who inspired you to get into motor sport…..?   Watching motor racing/rallying on TV, I’ve always been car mad.

3. What was your first competition car and why did you choose it…?  1000cc metro.  It was my first road car so I competed in grass Autotests with it.

4. Brief history to present day……Have competed in the odd sprint and hillclimb over the years but mainly Autotesting and Rallying.  Was co-driver to Neil B-J on 1993 RAC Rally, then in 1994 I acquired my first rally car, a Vauxhall Nova 1300cc.  Competed in a couple of single venue rallies, then in 1995 contested the Colway Tyres 1300cc Championship, finishing 6th overall, which included forest and tarmac rallies throughout Britain.
1996 Colway Tyres 1300cc Championship, this time competed on the same rounds throughout Britain as the British Rally Championship and finished 2nd overall.
1197Colway Tyres Formula 1300 British Rally Championship.  Again competed on all rounds as the BRC and finished 1st overall, gaining my first British National Rally title.
1988 purchased ex-works Nova 1600Gsi, as driven by the late great Dave Metcalfe and used it to contest the BRC.  The gearbox, a six speed dog box, proved very unreliable and we retired on the first three rounds.  Sold the car and quit rallying for three years as unable to fund it without sponsorship.  Carried on autotesting in my standard road car, a Nova GTE.
Feb 2001, purchased my latest toy, ex-works 1995 British Rally Championship winning car, a Nissan Sunny Gti as driven by Alistair McRae.  A top piece of kit and mega expensive to run and maintain – Sponsors form an orderly queue – don’t all rush at once!!!!
Rose and Crown Championship 7 times and CLub Autotest Champion a few times as well!

5. Most extravagant bit of kit for your comp car…..…Not really extravagant but twin 40 Webers for the 1300cc Nova.

6. Did it work….?  Yes – it gave me equal power with the top 1300’s and enabled me to challenge for outright victory in 1996.

7. Favourite venue/track/hillclimb and why…….. Any rally Venue is good as long as it is Forest (Wales, Cumbria, Scotland) or tarmc (Ireland, Isle of Man) etc.

8. Worst venue/track/hillclimb and why………. Single venue rallies – driving around cones and doing the same thing lap after lap.  Proper rallying takes place in forests, closed roads……. Etc!

9. Worst/Most expensive accident…………. 1997 Ulster Rally, Ireland, I had built up  a stonking lead after only three stages when a mis-called pace note sent us into a large hedge, flicking the car into the air and 180° spin, landing in the hedge on the opposite side of the road.  It ripped off a wheel, hub, steering arm and driveshaft and nearly cost us the championship.

10. Best/Favourite motorsport car ever…….. Too many I’m afraid, but all Group B rally cars are the Dog’s Danglies and are on my shopping list if I win the Lottery!

11. Best/Favourite racing/rally driver ever………. My childhood heroes were Russell Brookes and Nigel Mansell.  Nowadays it is Colin and Alistair McRae.
 

The Acorn : July Edition