Rally champ’s near-crash at 150mph

Mark Higgins was born on the Isle of Man. He started karting there at age nine, knows the 37-mile TT course like the back of his hand and has even won the British rally championship three times.

And this was the ‘biggest moment' of his life.

Once you've picked up your jaw, Mark managed to set a new lap record around the TT in his modified Subaru WRX STI of 19m 56.67secs. Modifications by way of a rollcage, uprated springs and dampers, Mintex competition brake pads, a set of street-legal but highly sticky Pirellis and the removal of the speed limiter and catalytic converter, making it rather loud indeed.

He clocked an average speed of 113mph along the famous circuit, and smashed the previous four-wheeler record set by Tony Pond in a Rover 827 Vitesse in 1990. All this, along a course consisting mostly of unmodified public streets and mountain roads, hence the unexpected bump and subsequent panic-attack while Higgins was sailing through at 150mph in sixth gear.

And while we're on all things Isle of Man, we do recommend you watch TT legend John McGuinness' press conference from last week. It's funny.