Isle Of Man TT 2016: Mark Higgins Smashes Lap Record

oi-Dennis

By Dennis

Published: Monday, June 6, 2016, 16:41 [IST]

Rally driver Mark Higgins smashed his own course record for four wheelers at the Isle of man TT by over 1 minute blasting through the 60.72 kilometer lap around the island in a blistering 17min 49.75seconds in a tuned Subaru WRX STI called the Subaru WRX STI Time Attack.

Higgins tore past his old record of 19min 15.88sec set in 2014 using the heavily modified WRX STI that was tuned by rallying gurus Prodrive. In 2014, Higgins had used an almost stock Subaru WRX STI.

The STI Time Attack is said to deliver 600hp and 542 Nm of torque from a 2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder boxer engine and weighs in at under 1,200 kilograms.

To help Higgins retain the mad speeds, the tuned Subaru was running on medium-compound Dunlop Sport Maxx slick tyres used in the British Touring Car Championship.

The Prodrive tuned Subaru went around the Isle of Man course at a breathtaking average speed of 204.34km/h.

Speaking to Manx Radio after his run, Higgins said, "I think 125mph was the dream before the start. I've only had one practice run so I'm over the moon to do that on only my second lap and there's a little bit more to come - definitely from me because I'm learning all the time I go around the track - and there is a little bit more to come from the car as well."

"The conditions were great - the only problem I had was in the last five or six miles when I couldn't see for flies on the windscreen. That made things a bit difficult in the last sector, but I can't really complain because the bike riders have them on their visors all the time."