The UK distributor for Carless Racing Fuels and ENI Lubricants, Vital Equipment, will provide the fuel for a new record attempt at this year's Isle of Man TT races. It will supply Carless Racing Fuel as former British Rally Champion and islander David Higgins attempts to set a new lap record for a car on the closed road course, in a production-based Subaru Impreza.
The standing lap record for a car on the closed-road course was set in 1990, as rally legend Tony Pond drove a Rover 825 Vitesse around the TT island course, averaging 100mph over the 37.75 mile circuit. The record has stood for 21 years but this year, Higgins and Subaru aim to break that record.
Vital Equipment and Carless Racing Fuels can already legitimately lay claim to one lap record - in 2009, John McGuinness used Carless Hiperflo Moto 4T, distributed by Vital Equipment, to set the standing lap record on two wheels, at almost 132mph average.
This year's attempt, dubbed the 'TT Challenge' just like Pond's achievement, will see Higgins, who drives for Subaru Rally Team USA and is double USA Rally Champion, take to what the organisers are calling a demonstration lap. However, even a single lap will result in a record, since no four wheel-drive car has set a time under closed road conditions. Furthermore, should he break Pond's 100mph barrier, then he will take the outright four-wheel lap record.
There will be three attempts during the second week of racing, with slots on Monday 6th June after racing has finished as a sighting lap, Wednesday 8th June between the morning and afternoon races and the official demonstration slot before racing begins for the final Seniors race, on Friday 10th June.
The Subaru will be run in near-showroom conditions, with basic modifications carried out for safety, including fitting a roll cage, motorsport seats and harnesses. It will also be re-mapped to run on the Carless Turbo Ultimate fuel, widely regarded as the best fuel for turbocharged race, rally and high performance turbo cars.
Commenting, Managing Director of Vital Equipment Alistair Roberts Said: "I am delighted that we will be distributing the fuel for this year's TT Challenge. It was quite an achievement to help John [McGuinness] to the two-wheel record two years ago and I hope that we will be able to play our part in the realisation of a new four-wheel record.
"The island circuit is an incredible experience - 37.75 miles of twisty country and urban roads combined with bleak and extremely fast sections over the mountain. To come close to achieving an average speed of more than 100mph over the lap will mean that the Subaru will be at full speed for considerable time.
"This puts incredible strain on a turbocharged engine and this is one of the reasons that the Carless Turbo Ultimate is a perfect fuel - it resists the tendency for the engine to detonate at high internal temperatures and helps the output to remain consistent under all conditions."
Driver David Higgins said: "Having grown up on the Isle of Man I understand that the TT Races has a mythical status and an incredible heritage and I am looking forward to adding another chapter to its history.
"The Mountain Course represents a stunning drive, but for once I'm not going to have much chance to take in the views."
