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Switch of Higgins Bros for TT Lap Record Attempt

Sat, 28 May 2011

As TT2011 gets underway Energy FM can confirm a last minute change to one of the events key attractions.

The Subaru USA demonstration laps will not now be driven by Subaru contracted driver David Higgins. Instead brother Mark will take the wheel for the race-week laps.

Mark is a two-time British Rally Champion, and a record holding five time winner of Rally Isle of Man, however when Energy FM’s Chris Boyde caught up with him in Kelso yesterday afternoon at the Jim Clark Rally, Mark was far from confident of his course knowledge.

The car will be run by the TEG Sport rally team for whom Mark has driven in recent years. Team owner Stuart Newby advised that the final elements of the drive were still being put into place, and may hamper the bid to emulate Tony Pond’s famous 100 mile per hour lap from 1991.

David Higgins currently leads the USA Rally Championship and is bidding to extend that advantage at the next round next weekend. It would always therefore have been a tough schedule for him to make it back to the island for the first of the laps on raceday next Monday.

Mark meanwhile is fresh from storming to a brilliant victory in Australia two weekends ago on the second round of the high profile FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.

Further laps are due to take place on Wednesday and Senior racedays. 

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Media

• Mark Higgions talks to Chris Boyde