Exactly 21-years to the day that Tony Pond set the
Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race track record for
fastest lap speed, Mark Higgins reached a new level
on June 6.
“The Subaru was driven on Pirelli P Zero Trofeo
tires,” reports Paul Hembery, director of
motorsports.
“These are road-legal track tires that are designed
for high performance driving. When Pond set the
record in 1990, he drove on slicks, which will have
enabled him to set a fast pace while sticking to
the winding roads. However, it takes a seriously
good road tire to achieve grip and control at
speeds of up to 170 mph, which is what Mark
achieved,” he explains.
As a former test driver for Subaru, Higgens has a
long association with the automaker. The car used
to break the lap record is not the rally version,
but a standard production US-spec Subaru WRX STI
fitted with essential safety enhancements such as a
roll cage, race seats and harnesses.
“The car is as close to a production car as you can
get, while remaining safe for the challenge,” says
Hembery. “Yes, Tony Pond’s car was too, but at
these speeds tire choice makes a huge difference
and he was on slicks, which are illegal on British
roads. Beating the record on road-legal Pirelli P
Zero Trofeos shows how far our tire technology has
come on in the last 20 years.”
For more information, visit www.us.pirelli.com.
