meet the team
Our clients return to D2H time after time because we have built strong, personal relationships with them. They know their call to D2H will be taken by people who understand their team and their project, and will strive to deliver for them as if it were their own. This commitment to our clients is key for us, and comes from our engineers.
Dakota Vandawalker
Engineer
Qualifications:
BSAE
Main experiences:
Before starting at D2H, Dakota interned at a NASCAR Cup team assisting with wind tunnel testing. Now at D2H, he works on several racing series primarily doing aerodynamic design and analysis.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
CFD, wind tunnel testing, surfacing design, aerodynamic analysis
Hobbies and passions:
Playing the drums, hiking, playing Magic the Gathering.
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Nishant Taluja CEng MIMechE
Principal Engineer
Qualifications:
MSc Race Car Aerodynamics
Main experiences:
Amongst other tasks, Nishant is primarily responsible for developing and automating our CFD processes, making them more efficient, accurate and robust.
His background in pinnacle motorsports and automotive environments ensures that Nishant concentrates on the most important aspects of CFD – accuracy and repeatability.
He has enabled improvements in both of these metrics whilst also improving efficiency, allowing D2H to bring highly accurate CFD solutions to clients in a very cost-effective manner.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
A wide variety of programming languages from Python through to C++, coupled with extensive knowledge of CAD and pre/post-processing software. Aerodynamics and CFD – awarded the prestigious Boeing prize for the best overall masters’ thesis “Efficient race car component design”.
Hobbies and passions:
Nishant loves playing cricket, badminton and table tennis. Listening to music and watching movies with his family. He also enjoys researching how new technologies can impact his work.
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Michael Lee
Senior Engineer
Qualifications:
BEng Mechanical Engineering, MSc Advanced Motorsport Engineering
Main experiences:
Michael’s background as a freelance race engineer in national and international GT racing belies his all around technical capabilities. At D2H, Michael works on a wide range of projects from analysis of battery cooling systems, development of aerofoils for aviation, through to control system design for advanced closed-loop systems
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Aerodynamics, thermodynamics and vehicle dynamics, data analysis, electrical and control systems
Hobbies and passions:
Radio-controlled car racing for over 18 years. International travel and foreign languages.
Mark Jackson MBCS
Operations Manager
Qualifications:
BSc Mathematics, MSc Electro-Mechanical Engineering.
Main experiences:
Mark started his career as an aerodynamicist specialising in wind tunnel based testing, before moving into Computational Fluid Dynamics, and eventually the management of High Performance Computing (HPC) systems.
Mark now concentrates on maintaining the systems and developing the processes which ensure that D2H functions smoothly and efficiently, allowing our engineers to concentrate on their clients.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Aerodynamics, CFD, IT, HPC.
Hobbies and passions:
Classic car maintenance, music (listening to & playing the guitar/ukulele).
Adam Hall
Engineer
Qualifications:
BSME
Main experiences:
Before starting at D2H, Adam worked at a NASCAR Cup team for 7 years doing composite and mechanical design as well as assisting the aerodynamics group. At D2H, he continues to share those skills on a wide range of projects.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Composites tooling and fabrication, surfacing design, mechanical design.
Hobbies and passions:
Playing the guitar, hunting, managing his farm.
Nate Frame
Engineer
Qualifications:
BSME, BS – Mathematics, MSME, MS – Mathematics
Main experiences:
Before starting at D2H, Nate worked at large engine company after finishing Masters degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics. Nate is a versatile engineer assisting projects with coding, engine performance, metal fabrication, and welding.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Mechanical design, welding, fabrication
Hobbies and passions:
Diesel engines, trains, city planning, gym, Mexican food.
James Fewkes CEng MiMechE
Senior Engineer
Qualifications:
MEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering
Main experiences:
James has amassed his engineering expertise in a range of disciplines stemming from a decade of national club motorsport, designing diesel engine components through to aerodynamic R&D design within Formula 1. At D2H, James specialises in advanced structural analysis and engineering design on a wide range of projects encompassing both high level motorsport and elite sports.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Mechanical and Composite design, Finite Element Analysis (Linear and Non-Linear), Generative design (topography, topology optimisation, draping tools), Development/Test/Validation, Additive Layer Manufacturing.
Hobbies and passions:
Club Motorsport, classic mini restoration, mountain biking, road cycling, surfing, squash, snowboarding/splitboarding.
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Tom Boughen
Engineer
Qualifications:
MEng Mechanical Engineering
CIW HTML5 & CSS3
OCA/OCP Java Programmer I & II
MTA Programming with Python
Main experiences:
Tom joined D2H as a software engineer focusing on the development of front ends for our client-facing tools. His previous experience as a mechanical engineer allows him to easily understand the purpose and application of the D2H toolset, and create an engaging user experience for our clients.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
HTML/CSS/JavaScript, C#, Java, Python
CAD (Solidworks/ProEngineer)
Hobbies and passions:
Custom PC building
Video games
Warhammer 40,000
Kickboxing
Specialty coffee
Carole Bailey MA (Hons)
Financial Controller
Qualifications:
MA (Hons)
Main experiences:
Carole has over 25 years of experience working in senior financial and operational roles, both in the UK and internationally.
This wealth of experience allows Carole to manage all financial aspects of the company, ensuring that D2H is able to keep client projects moving efficiently.
Carole’s previous experience in non-engineering based companies enables her to bring in fresh, challenging ideas to keep the team thinking of better ways of working..
Hobbies and passions:
Theatre and live gigs; travelling; all things food and drink – cooking, baking, eating and drinking; reading.
Seth Morris
Principal Engineer
Qualifications:
BSME, MSAE
Main experiences:
Seth brings his experience of over 10 years of motorsport aerodynamic development, including GT and cup cars, to a wide variety of projects at D2H.
In his technical lead role, Seth is responsible for delivering highly complex projects to our clients whilst also ensuring that our technical skills and tools are constantly being improved.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
CFD, Aerodynamics, Thermodynamics, System Engineering
Hobbies and passions:
Welding, car restoration, tractors, fabrication.
Matthew Hicks CEng MiMechE
Engineering Director
Qualifications:
BSc (Hons)
Main experiences:
Matthew has worked in high-performance sports, motorsports and industrial engineering for more than 25 years.
His motorsport experience has included designing and developing race-winning cars in Formula 1, Le Mans 24 hours, Indy 500 and World Rally Championships.
He has led the design development and structural testing of suspension systems, I.C.E component design along with cooling, electrical and hydraulic systems.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Mechanical design engineering from holistic scheme development with key stakeholders (Industrial Design, Customer Representatives, Regulatory bodies, etc.) through to component design and development.
Composite design engineering including the development of laminates with structural analysis tools through to manufacturing tooling design. with significant experience in FEA.
Hobbies and passions:
Passionate engineer, always seeking inspiration from other disciplines and areas of life to push forward our engineering. Accomplished photographer of editorial/fashion and live music gigs. National award-winning brewer.
Noah McKay
Engineering Director
Qualifications:
BSME, MSAE – NC State University
Main experiences:
20 years of motorsports aerodynamics with thousands of hours of wind tunnel test experience in facilities around the world. Tested many types of cars from endurance prototype racers to stock cars to dirt modified. Mechanical design of metallic and composites parts including body surfacing, ducting, suspension and powertrain components etc. Managed composites manufacturing departments from part and mould design to procurement to lamination.
Engineering discipline and skills:
Wind tunnel and track aerodynamic testing
CFD analysis
CAD design
Thermal Analysis and ducted flows
Data fitting and analysis
Hobbies and passions:
Trail riding, cooking.
Adam Evans CEng MiMechE
Senior Engineer
Qualifications:
BEng Aerospace Engineering, MSc Aeronautical Engineering.
Main experiences:
Before working at D2H Adam honed his skills working as a design engineer designing specialist tooling. Since joining D2H Adam has worked across many complex projects and has become an expert in aerodynamic design and CFD modelling, especially external flow and cooling performance.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Aerodynamics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Aerodynamic design, Design for Wind tunnel, Surfacing design.
Hobbies and passions:
Motorcycle road racing, Motocross/Enduro, Rugby, Mountain biking, Motorsport.
Ben Garlick MEng
Principal Engineer
Qualifications:
MEng Motorsport Engineering.
Main experiences:
Ben is one of our lead composite and mechanical designers and has worked on a wide variety of projects such as LMP1, LMP2, Formula E, WRX, Dakar, IndyCar, electric vehicle battery installations, wind tunnel model design and elite sports.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Composite and mechanical design, motion analysis, FEA.
Hobbies and passions:
Sim Racing (mainly engineering), over-complicating basic food, skiing and dog walking.
Darren Davies
Founder & CEO
Qualifications:
MEng in Aeronautical Engineering (Imperial College, London)
Main experiences:
Long career in pinnacle motorsports around the world (F1, Indycar, NASCAR, Le Mans….) with multiple victories and championships. Moved out of motorsport to help deliver engineering projects in architecture, refrigeration and commercial vehicles, eventually leading to founding of the D2H Group in 2014.
Engineering disciplines and skills:
Fluid dynamics and thermodynamics expertise with strong all-around engineering skills and experiences. Project management and risk management skills, honed in the good-times and the bad-times.
Hobbies and passions:
Always family first, then rugby and any other sport, and then my growing farm of small livestock and pets at home.