News & Events
HALL’S CHAMPIONSHIP HOPE BREAKS AT ROUND 7
22nd October 2017Round 7 of the British Junior Championship saw the crew of James Hall & Simon Bradley chase their hopes of a top 3 championship finish. After the crew had a strong finish at the past two events, Hall was hoping to continue his consistent and high placed streak to build up his championship hope. On the Wednesday prior to the event, James had a strong pre-event test and a confident feeling in the Hall Motorsport built car – they were seeded 4th junior from 12.
On stage 1, Hall and Bradley went into the stage on a dry setup, however whilst sat on stage start, the heavens opened and turned the high gripped stage into a soaked ice rink. They got through the stage safely, and were placed in 6th place. Hall explained: ‘The stage was so slippery, the grip that was there was very unpredictable. I hope stage 2 dries up.’
Stage 2 saw the crews enter the notorious ‘Beech Road’ which is well known for being mud coated, with 12 foot ditches lining the route. 3 kilometres through the stage, Hall came into Beech Road and was unlucky to slide of the road and become wedged upon the ridge of the large drop. Hall said: ‘We came through the complex at a fair pace, and the car just wanted to go straight, I did everything I could to turn but could not. We had to wait for recovery to get us out.’
Stage 3 James and Simon were lucky to regain the field, however now being at the back of the crews due to not finishing the last stage. They set an 8th quickest stage time, which James felt was disappointing, but explained in service: ‘I had no confidence down Beech Road, we flew on the circuit, but just lost it all through the complex. My hopes of a good finish are over now.’
On stage 4, the crew got back into the rhythm, setting a top 5 stage time and started to get a feel back for the car: ‘“We seemed to fly again through that stage, there were no worries in my mind about Beech Road and I think that is what gave me the confidence.’
Stage 5 would be the last stage of the rally, and consequently James wanted to have a last stage push, however keep it on the road. That would not be the case, as through their first loop of the stage Hall and Bradley took a cut into a ditch, and peeled a tyre from the rim: ‘I managed to limp it back half way through, but we stopped and changed the wheel in 90 seconds. We went to pull away and a fuel pump wire had been disconnected through the bumps. We had a stage maximum.’
The crew ended up finishing in 8th place, however still gained the experience of the less grip, and took it as a lesson to be learnt. The crew will be back out on the 'Cadwell Stages on the 18th of November.
YOUNG RALLY STAR HALL MISSES OUT BY SECONDS
6th August 2017On Friday the 4th of August, the team of Hall Motorsport departed for the long trip north to Scotland for Round 5 of the English Junior Rally Championship. This would-be a round where juniors from the English, Scottish and Irish championship would convene. The local crew from Witney James Hall and Simon Bradley were seeded 9th on the road.
After the first 2 stages, Hall did not disappoint, sitting as 5th overall and 4th English, just a few seconds back from 4th. After having some meticulous changes on the car, Hall said: ‘Those stages I was cautious, perhaps to cautious. It’s difficult to judge the grip in some areas near the forest as there is a lot of unseen green on the road.’
After stages 3 and 4, Hall romped into 4th overall and 3rd English, leaving just a 17 second gap to 3rd. He now had some breathing space behind him to Ireland’s flying Sam Adams now sat 8 seconds back from Hall: ‘Those stages were quick, I took every opportunity I could, and even set a 3rd quickest stage time.’
Onto stage 5, and as Hall and Bradley left service, the heavens opened. The whole of the inside of the car had misted up and the crew were forced to back off the pace. Unfortunately, 1 kilometre into the stage, the crew came across a serious accident, where they were forced to stop and help the trapped crew (CREW OK).
Once the crew and car had been removed from the stage, an inspection was taken of the final stage and an executive decision was made to run the final leg. Hall’s aim was to keep the car on the road and try to maintain his current standing.
He had a clean final stage, and as they came into service, tensions rose as it was rumoured that Irish star Adams had taken 10 seconds out of Hall. As everyone waited, the nods were given and it was to be. Adams took 10 seconds from Hall, leaving Witney’s Hall 5th overall and 4th English. ‘I guess you can say there’s a hint of disappointment in me, but I have never felt so comfortable like I did today. I am feeling confident now we have presented our true pace when everything is going well.’
The next round is Round 6 at ‘The Patriot Stages’ at Caerwent Millitary Base.
James would like to thank the following;
- TJ Hall & Son Ltd
- Steve Claridge Motor Salvage
- SD Timmo Car Sales
- RP1 Oil & Grease
- Oxford Karting
- Pitstop Engineering
Mid – Summer Stages Caerwent Military Base
2nd July 2017On the 2nd of July, the team of Hall Motorsport embarked round 4 of the British Junior Rally Championship at Caerwent Military Base. The local crew of James Hall and Simon Bradley from Witney were looking for a solid finish after the previous mechanical disappointment at York. After taking a podium at round 1, James was still on a high, and was looking forward to putting round 2 & 3 disappointments behind him.
Prior to stage 1, Hall quoted: ‘You need 100% confidence here, everyone talks about the notorious kerbs, but the more you think about them, the higher the rate is of hitting them. I just want a consistent clean run this weekend to get some solid points back.’
After the mornings loop of stages, James and Simon were sat in 5th, after having issues with the clutch. However, the car was still on the road and they had had no other mishaps yet. ‘Disappointed with the clutch slipping, there is a gearbox oil leak and I think it is spitting onto the clutch. We are trying to adjust it in services but there is no difference. Let’s see what we can do this afternoon.’
In the afternoon, James continued with the stages setting mid table times, taking no risks after realising he would not be able to make a podium finish. At the end of the day, the crew clocked in and finished 6th overall with no damage to the car. ‘I guess you can say I am satisfied with the result, I just wanted to finish a rally without any problems today and I have. I don’t think I have been on an event yet however though where I have concentrated so much. A huge thanks to everyone for this weekend. See you all in Scotland.’
James would like to thank the following;
- TJ Hall & Son Ltd
- Steve Claridge Motor Salvage
- SD Timmo Car Sales
- RP1 Oil & Grease
- Oxford Karting
Hall Struggles Once Again
19th May 2017This weekend, James Hall took on the challenge of Round 3 of the British Junior Rally Championship at Melbourne Airfield to compete for his championship win fight.
After stages 1&2, James and Navigator Simon Bradley, also from Witney, were sat as 5th junior: ‘The Stages were extremely slippy after last nights rain, I love these stages, so fast and flowing’.
On Stages 3&4, James had two great stages, and made it back up to 4th junior: ‘Those 2 stages were the hardest I've ever driven, we had two too 3 stage times within a few seconds of the top boys’.
On stage 5&6, Hall wanted to keep his pace up, and push to be sitting top 3, but was unlucky to hit problems: ‘On stage 5 we were coming along the straight, and the brake went straight down to the floor and we ended up in a field loosing time. I lost confidence with the car, especially when we are going along at 90mph’.
The final two stages were more of a marathon rather than a sprint, and where they would loose time to the car behind and finish in 5th: ‘I'm glad the cars back in one piece, a few scrapes here and there, but it's valuable points on the board’.
Now the team look forward to the mid summer stages at Caerwent on the 2nd of July.
Formula 1000 Rally Championship - Round 2
2nd May 2017This weekend, James Hall and Simon Bradley from Witney, embarked the ‘Toyota Harlech Stages’ on the outskirts of Snowdonia for Round 2 of the British Junior Rally Championship, seeded car 3 out of 16 juniors on the road. After Hall's success at Anglesey at round 1, he was hoping to continue his podium streak.
After stages 1&2, the crew had fallen back to 4th, however just a few seconds from 3rd. ‘The Stages were ok, they are to straight and not enough corners’.
On stage 3, Hall found a strong rhythm and got back into the flow. A few kilometers into the stage, a boiling coolant pipe burst for Hall inside the car, forcing them to pull over. Hall and Bradley managed a quick repair and finished the stage to go straight to stage 4. However, again on stage 4, the heater pipe gave way, forcing them to take 2 stage maximums and be recovered to service. ‘I'm disappointed, very disappointed but I managed to find a good flow again’.
On the last few stages, Hall took the time to learn the car on the stages, and bring the car back with no further damage. ‘It's a shame that we had problems today, but at least we had time in the car and we had a finish, gaining points still. A huge thanks to the team for getting me back out on the road’.
Now attention turns to round 3 in York for the ‘Melbourne Stages’.
James would like to thank the following;
- TJ Hall & Son Ltd
- SD Timmo Car Sales
- Oxford Karting
- Steve Claridge Motor Salvage
- Must See Signs
- RP1 Oil & Grease
Young Rally Star Hall Takes Podium On Round 1
19th March 2017James Hall and navigator Simon Bradley embarked the Lee Holland Stages at Anglesey this weekend for Round One of the British Junior Rally Championship. Hall said prior to round one: ‘My aim for this year is to attempt a top 3 championship result and a top 5 result at every round’.
On stage’s one and two, Hall beat his seeding and moved up from 5th junior on the road to 3rd junior. He quoted: “The stages were fast, with some technical chicanes, we have some problems with the brakes but I think we have them sorted”.
On stages three and four, Hall was pushing to decrease the gap to second place and had the car on the limit, however had a few moments in the tight sections: ‘Stage 3 the cones were everywhere and we lost a few seconds. Stage 4 was better, but still not quicker than the guys in second’.
Stages five and six caught the crew out, as the car was on a dry setup however the heavens opened on the start line. ‘We had no grip what so ever, we are still maintaining third however I think we are increasing the gap to fourth’.
The last two stages were a marathon rather than a sprint, and he managed to stay in third, but with the gap to fourth decreased massively. ‘I’m over the moon to start the year on the podium, a huge thanks to everyone involved, I can’t express myself enough!‘
James would like to thank the following;
- TJ Hall & Son Ltd
- SD Timmo Car Sales
- Oxford Karting
- Steve Claridge Motor Salvage
- Must See Signs
- RP1 Oil & Grease
Hall Set And Ready For 2017
3rd March 2017After a lot of hard work over the winter by the team, the HALL Motorsport Citroën is now out and ready for its first test on the 5th of March, prior to James' and Simon's first rally at Anglesey.
Young Rally Driver Aims For 2017 Top Spot
22nd January 2017James Hall of Witney will be competing in the 2017 Kick Start Junior Rally Championship in his Hall Motorsport built Citroen C1. After his 2 years in the championship, Hall has gained much experience and is hoping to put it all into play this year. He stated; “My experience from the rallying, go karts, ovals and autotests will hopefully hold me in a strong position for 2017.” James had some top 3 times last year, but was unlucky with mechanical issues to hold him from top 3 finishes.
Over the Winter period, high amounts of work have been taken out by the whole team to try and remove as much weight as possible from the car. “The team are working so hard at the minute, to give me the greatest opportunity for the championship win this year”.
Hall now trains himself hard, ready for Round 1 of the championship in Anglesey North Wales on the 19th of March.
Hall's Championship is over
22nd November 2016On the 20th of November, the team of Hall Motorsport made the journey up to Lincoln for James Hall's final round of the 2016 Junior rally championship. "It's my last round this year, because we have to drop Anglesey due to drop scores, and anyone could win the championship at this round so I'm hoping to have a good clean push".
On stages 1 & 2, Hall and co driver Simon Bradley were setting 4th quickest stage times even after being held up behind slower cars no letting them through. "The stages were fast, it was great being here last year as we know most of the corners".
Onto stage 3 & 4, where James managed to set two 3rd quickest stage times, pushing him into joint 3rd overall. "Hearing we were in 3rd place was amazing, it's been our best place all year".
Stage 5 was held in the dark, and Hall was hoping his pre-event test would benefit him over the fellow competitors. Around 3 kilometers into the 4 kilometer stage, Hall lost all drive, and was forced to retire with a broken driveshaft. "The anger, the emotion the sadness is un-describable at the minute. I really wanted a good result to finish the year on so we could take it into next year. Now, I look forward to 2017, hopefully we will have better luck".
James would like to thank the following;
- Simon for being the calming influence
- The service crew for ensuring everything was all correct
- T.J.Hall and Son
- Euro Car Parts
- S.D Timmo Car Sales
Hall makes world top 3 best
14th November 2016James Hall, junior rally driver of Witney was shortlisted down to the top 3 of the Professional Motorsport World Expo Rally driver of the year award. Hall would make the trip to Cologne in Germany for the 3 day Motorsport exhibition and awards gala dinner. Hall quoted, "The show was brilliant, I was socialising with so many different nationalities, beginning my international journey."
Hall had been shortlisted to the top 3 junior rally driver of the year and would find the results out on the Wednesday night. "The dinner was tremendous, to be involved with that class of people, the atmosphere was indescribable. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the top, a fellow championship contender who is slightly ahead in the championship took the win. I'm not disappointed, I'm just determined for next year now."
James now prepares for 'The Cadwell Stages' on the 20th of November, which is his final round and will be determined to push to have a good solid result.
Hall's championship hopes in tatters.
1st November 2016This weekend, the team of Hall Motorsport made the ride down to South Wales for Round 7 of the 2016 Kick Energy Championship, the Peter Lloyd Stages at Pembrey. Prior to the event, Hall and Co Driver Simon Bradley were 2nd in the championship, and were hoping to push for the win this year. "The year has been ok I suppose, we have finished every event apart from York when we rolled, but it's been consistent".
On stage 1, Hall and Bradley locked their front wheels up and hit a tyre, causing them to loose 10 seconds. However, this did not stop them, as they would go ahead to place the 5th quickest stage time.
On stage 2, things would be a little different. A ¼ of a mile into the stage, the crew entered the notorious "Beech Road", known to claim many victims. As they entered the section, the car lost all drive and had to force to pull over. After a quick assessment by James and Simon, it became clear that gearbox had an internal problem, and could not be fixed on event.
As a result, the crew had to retire from the event, pushing them down the championship board, crushing their 2016 championship hopes. After being recovered to service, Hall spoke; "The fear and emotion I have right now is un-explainable. I'm not just dissapointed for myself, but also for Simon and the rest of the team. However I'm not going to dwell on this weekend, I'm going to focus on Cadwell Stages and prepare for the event like never before, to try regain some points. Personally, a big thanks to the whole team, mostly to Simon and the service crew".
A huge thanks to:
- T.J.Hall and Son Ltd
- S.D Timmo Car Sales
- Steve Claridge Motor Salvage
- Euro Car Parts
Young Gun Hall aims to keep up his championship hopes
18th October 2016James Hall, British junior rally driver from Witney, competes in the 2016 Kick Energy Junior Championship and is currently 2nd Overall. Hall has competed in 6 rounds and is competing in Round 7 this weekend at the Peter Lloyd Stages at Pembrey race circuit, South Wales.
Hall is hoping to maintain his current championship position, as hopes to push the car to take points out of 1st - James and Simon will be competing in the Hall Motorsport built Citroen C1. The boys this year have had some good solid results, finishing mid-pack with some fast stage times and having a blip at York, rolling the car after clipping a tractor tyre and sending them onto their roof.
After round 7, James will compete on the Cadwell Stages on the 20th November, which will be his last event this year as he will drop round 9 at Anglesey Race Circuit, a 2-day event including various night stages. Hall quoted, “Me and the team have had a long discussion and vote to drop Anglesey, because of score drops. Am gutted to be dropping the event, as last year it was one of my favourite events, but it’s an event with more stage time for the car to break, losing our championship hopes.”
A huge thanks to all of the support this year so far;:
- T.J.Hall and Son LTD
- Steve Claridge Motor Salvage
- S.D.Timmo Car Sales
- Euro Car Parts
Hall gains confidence and pushes the car beyond the limits again.
14th June 2016
This weekend, the crew of Hall Motorsport supported by Rally Preparation Services of Witney, made the long ride up to the North West for the Keith Frecker Memorial Stages, Round 5 of the Junior Rally Championship.
For the first 4 stages, James Hall and Simon Bradley were struggling to gain confidence in the brakes. After many adjustments, the service crew managed to get it sorted and got the crew setting some fast stage times. After stage 6, the crew were 8th overall, and then on stage 8, Hall put in the 3rd quickest stage time pushing him up to 6th.
On the last stage, Hall wanted to push for 5th, but in the process, the difficult conditions caught Hall out and he ended up mounted on a kerb loosing over 90 seconds. Unfortunately, this pushed the crew back to 7th overall.
However, Hall managed to gain confidence again after the last events accident, and he proved he can stay on the pace with the top crews.
A massive thanks to Rally Preparation Services, T J Hall and Son LTD, Steve Claridge Motor Salvage and S D Timmo Car Sales.
The next event for Hall, is Solway coast in Dumfries Scotland on the 7th August.
Hall’s raring to get back underway!
18th April 2016
James Hall, British junior rally driver has competed in 2 rounds of the Kick Start Junior Rally Championship and is raring for Round 3!
Between rounds 2 and 3, Hall and navigator Simon Bradley have had a long wait, however have been both competing in a number of different events, such as autosolo’s up and down the country, and also navigating for other competitors.
Over the long break, the Hall Motorsport built Citroen has undergone a lot of work, including a re-built engine and gearbox! A massive thanks to the team for being able to give James and Simon the best opportunity possible!
Round 3 will be held at Melbourne Airfield in North York!
Hall’s flying start continues!
21st March 2016
This weekend saw James Hall and Simon Bradley from Witney, make the long ride up to Anglesey in North Wales, for Round 2 of the Kick Start Rally Championship! The crew were to start the event seeded 6th Junior, not to be disappointed with.
The crew went into SS1 and made a few mistakes, putting them further down the leaderboard. They went into SS2 and went 30 seconds quicker, pushing them back into the mid table. All through the day, Hall was putting in top 4 stage times, trying to push himself into the top 5 of the table.
In the last 2 stages, the gearbox on the Rally Preparation Services supported Citroen started to weaken, and on the final mile of SS8, Hall lost 1st and 2nd gear, but managed to bring the car home in a respectable 8th place and 7th in class.
Hall was disappointed with this result, as he was hoping for a push. However, over the next several weeks, major improvement will be made to the car, in time for Round 3!
Massive thanks to the following:
- The services crew
- Simon Bradley
- Rally Preparation Services
- S.D Timmo Car Sales
- T.J Hall and Son Ltd
Roskirk Stages - Three Sisters Race Circuit
13th March 2016
This weekend James Hall and Simon Bradley from Witney, travelled up North for Round 1 of the Kick Start Junior Rally Championship, in their Hall Motorsport built and Rally Preparation Services supported Citroen C1. The crew had been seeded 6th junior out of 16 crews.
James and Simon tackled stage 1&2, taking a dislike to the short 2 mile stages, as they were sprints not marathons.
Through the day, the crew were pushing their Rally Preparation Services supported Citroen to the limits, but we're very restricted on straights due to a weaker engine than usual. Although Hall was restricted on power, he managed to make up for it in the corners, resulting in 6th Junior overall out of 16, and 3rd English Junior!
A massive thanks to the service crew for maintaining the car. Thanks to Rally Preparation Services and S.D Timmos car sales for the financial support!
Hall prepares for big season ahead!
21st January 2016
After a successful first year of rallying for young James Hall 14 from Witney, James now prepares for his 2016 year of rallying. The Rally Preparation Services supported Citroen has undergone many improvements through the winter, including a new paint job, which has brightened the car up. Once again this year, James will be supported by Rally Preparation Services of Witney, hoping for another prosperous relationship this year. The first two events have been confirmed for James and co-driver Simon Bradley. Round 1 of the 2016 Kick Start Junior Rally Championship will be held at The Roskirk Stages at Wigan on the 13th March. Round 2 will be on the 20th March at The Lee Holland stages at Anglesey North Wales.
James and Simon are hoping for some testing before the first event in the Rally Preparation Services supported Citroen, to get back to grips with the car after being out of it for a while.
New 2016 Schedule
11th January 2016
Hall Motorsport are delighted to announce that we have recieved the first two race dates for the new 2016 season.
The first event takes place on March 13th in Wigan. The second event takes place a week later (March 20th) on Anglesey.
More dates will be released shortly and posted on the website when we have them.
Press release - Oxford Mail
16th November 2015
Witney teen rally driver James Hall has a roaring start in his first racing season
SPEEDING along the track at up to 80mph, 14-year-old James Hall from Witney spends his weekends in a slightly different way to his school friends.
Read the full article on the Oxford Mail website.
Photo courtesy of Oxford Mail
Race Six - Cadwell Stages
15th November 2015
Sunday 15th November, would see the pairing of James Hall and Simon Bradley of Witney, travel to Cadwell Park Lincolnshire for the final round of the English Junior Championship, in their rally preparation services supported Citroen C1. 12 Juniors were to take part in this event, with Hall being seeded 6th, quite high up for only his 6th event. From the start, the crew did not fail to impress, setting times with the quicker half of the group. The team had decided this weekend to take an attitude to keep the car on the road, but to also have a strong result. Going into the final leg of the day, Hall was 5th overall and 4th in his class. Unfortunately, in the last two stages of the day, the slippy conditions caught the crew out, causing two spins! The result of these spins, meant that the crewnfell back to 6th Overall and 5th in class.
Now the first year of Hall’s rallying career is over, its time to reflect over the winter. Also, improvements will be getting made to both the Rally Preparation Services Citroen C1 and more experience to James’ driving skills.
A big thank you goes to all of James’ supporters and sponsors!
Race Five - Glynn Memorial Stages - Anglesey Race Circuit
31st October/1st November 2015
Saturday 31St October and 1St November would see James Hall 14 years of age and Simon Bradley from Witney, travel up to North Wales in their Rally preparation Services Citroen C1 for round 8 of the Junior rally championship. This rally would be James’ 5th event, so still learning many things. 26 junior crews were to take part in this event, with Hall starting car 22; With the rally being a two day event, it would be more of a marathon rather than a sprint. From the start James was setting times which were on the pace, moving him up 8 places in the first few stages. Later on, the crews were to take on the stages in the dark, and having James never driven in the dark before, this was another learning curve for him. As the weekend moved on, the pairing managed to push a little bit more and gain a few more places, leaving them with 11th Junior Overall and 6th English!
With this strong consistent finish, the team now prepare themselves for the Cadwell Stages at Cadwell Park on the 15th November.
James next event will be Cadwell Stages 15th November.
Race Four - Peter Lloyd Stages
18th October 2015
First of all, would like to thank Robert & Eddie for trying their absolute best to try get me back out today and relaxing me after the accident.
I'm more disappointed for the team rather than myself!
On SS1 we were going well, we'd finished our first lap and had just passed the merge. We came down into a 90 right on a slight loose surface. Unfortunately I miss judged my late breaking point and ended up in some car tyres! I managed to chuck it into reverse and carry on, I noticed the car was slightly underpowered, but both me and Simon thought it was a tyre trapped underneath. Suddenly all the lights flashed up on the dash and the car cut out, we jumped out to see what had happened and I had split the oil cooler, making me loose all my oil, and we must have ran on a dry engine for over half a mile!
The recovery crew managed to tow me back to service (massive thanks) Where Dad and Ed were able to repair the car. The car took some turning over but eventually started! She was running rough but by now the engine was kaput so we thought we'd try our luck!
On SS2 the car was going but no where near as fast as usual; Eventually, mid-way through SS2, she cried no more and we ground to a holt!
A massive thanks to everyone this weekend, sorry for the disappointment, I really am! More thanks to Simon Bradley!
Let's hope we are able to get our new engine back in and running for Anglesey in two weeks time!
James next event will be Glynn Memorial Stages & Anglesey Race Circuit on 31st October/1st November.
Race Three - Carewent
5th July 2015
James next event will be Peter Lloyd Stages, Pembrey on 18th October.
Race Two - Wheaton Airfield
7th June 2015
James next event will be the Mid Summer Stages, Carewent on 5th July.
First Race of 2015 - Dale Airfield
17th May 2015
Sunday 17th May was the day when James Hall, just turned 14 was to commence his Rally career in his Rally Preparation Services sponsored Citroen C1 co driven by Simon Bradley from Witney. James and his team travelled to West Wales to Dale Airfield for 45 miles of competition on the disused airfield tracks. 9 Juniors were to take part in the event all with previous experience ranging from 14 to 17 years old’s. From the start James was not to disappoint setting times in line with the more experienced crews despite still learning the limits of his car and his car control. As the day progressed James got to grips with his car very well to finish the last stage in 5th position just 13 seconds of the fastest car.
This impressive first event has put the team in good spirits to build with the remainder of the 2015 season with the outlook of overall championship honours over the next two seasons.
James next event is at RAF Weeton in Yorkshire on 7th June.