Higgins breaks Isle of Man record… again!

He's only gone and done it again. Just two days after breaking his own Isle of Man TT lap record with a 19m26s lap in his Subaru WRX STI, Mark Higgins has today gone faster again.

The iron-testicled rallyist clocked a time of 19m 15s, shaving 11 seconds from his Wednesday time. Around the Isle of Man's 37.3-mile course, that equates to an average speed of 117.5mph. That's astonishing.

"This was a great run when everything came together, and I was able to do a much cleaner lap," said Higgins after his run. "I am still learning where I can go flat in this car."

"I am really happy to beat the lap records set by John McGuinness in the Zero Bikes [electric motorbikes], and the sidecar lap record as John was riding me about that!"

Higgins's WRX STI is a stock US-spec 2015 car, save for an FIA roll cage, race seats and harness, along with toughened springs and dampers, a noisy straight exhaust (for crowd safety, apparently), and Dunlop Direzza tyres.

"I can't say enough about the WRX STI and how much abuse it has taken," said Higgins. "We have really ridden it hard over this course for three very fast runs."

Mr Higgins, Top Gear salutes you. Can anyone possibly top his time? Mr Loeb, you'd better get learning the course...

Elsewhere on the island, this afternoon Michael Dunlop won his first-ever Isle of Man Senior TT bike. It's the first Senior TT win for BMW since Georg Meier's in 1939, Michael's fourth TT win of the week, and 11th overall.

The Northern Irish rider crossed the line 14s ahead of local rider Conor Cummins with notorious Lincolnshireite Guy Martin in third place. It wasn't a perfect race as Michael had to slow down for his brother William, who'd fallen from his Suzuki while competing in the same race.

He is reportedly stable and conscious, and had been taken to Noble's Hospital by air ambulance with a suspected broken leg. TG wishes him a swift recovery.