Someone sent me a video clip of bike racer Bruce Anstey’s record-breaking lap of the Isle of Man TT course – see the bottom of this story – and then asked me: would it be possible for a car to go quicker over the same piece of road, in the same conditions?
And my initial reaction was to say: yes, of course it’s possible. In fact, it’s not just possible but probable.
Formula 1 cars can lap the same circuits used by the MotoGP brigade tens of seconds faster. And around corners and under brakes everyone knows that four contact patches are always going to generate more grip – and therefore more speed – if accompanied by sufficient horsepower.
The Isle of Man TT on four wheels – read Matt Saunders' blog here.
But then I watched the clip. And then I changed my mind. Completely.
I don’t care how much extra horsepower or how much more grip – aerodynamic or mechanical – a fast car might have up its sleeve; under no circumstances on this earth can I imagine how any car could be made to go anywhere as quick as this, on a road like this, in conditions like these.
So sit back, make yourself a cup of tea, maybe even get some tissues ready to wipe away the tears, and enjoy – because however tasty you might think you are when you’re out there, howling across the B6795 in your souped up turbo-nutter-whatnot, you will never, ever, travel anything like as fast as this.
I salute you Bruce Anstey, even though you do appear to be 100 per cent stark raving mad.
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