Harper Adams University students are rallying round for success - with video

All the team's members, from the car's driver to its service crew, are students at Harper Adams University, Newport. The students will use the championship as a hands-on lesson and the chance to develop their engineering careers once their studies end.

While it is pioneering in rallying, it isn't the first time that students in Shropshire have dipped their toe into the world of motorsport. Engineering students at Wolverhampton University's Priorslee campus in Telford of Wolverhampton University have their own Formula Three racing car.

Harper Adams Rally car co-driver Max Haines-Messenger, aged 21, from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, said: "We have spent the past year developing a wealth of knowledge and experience that will see us face this new challenge head-on."

Both Max and driver James McDiarmid, 21, from Aberfeldy in Perthshire, are automotive engineering students.

Head of engineering Parmjit Chima department at Harper Adams University, said: "It's been a pleasure to witness how automotive engineering students from Harper Adams University have put into practice all their engineering knowledge and skills to develop a Ford Fiesta R2 to race in the 2017 Junior British Rally Championship.

"The BRC competition gives the students a chance to show and prove their creativity and engineering skills against professional rally teams from across the nation.

"The students have demonstrated great technical know-how, commitment and commercial awareness to foster a partnership with M-Sport – a leading rally racing team in the UK."

The rally team's Ford Fiesta arrived in mid-November and is in the process of being built ready for pre-event testing.

The Harper Adams Motorsports Team have spent many hours outside of their teaching and learning commitments to ensure the rally car is ready for the start of the championship.

Mr Chima added: "As a testament to the students' enthusiasm, determination and passion for engineering, all of the team members have been offered jobs with M-Sport on completion of their course. This will be a fantastic start to their careers in engineering and the world of motorsports in particular."

M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson OBE said: "We're always looking to inspire the next generation, and this initiative does just that with a group of proactive and talented youngsters who have the aspiration and work ethic to match."

The team's Ford Fiesta arrived in mid-November and is in the process of being built ready for pre-event testing.

They will be entering all the BRC events across Northern Ireland, Belgium, Scotland, England, Wales and the Isle of Man along with various other events throughout the season.

The team will begin their campaign at the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally in March.

Report by Tom Tracey