Team Maxxis Bike Victorious over Time Attack Impreza
Modified Live, an event held on the weekend of 25 April, 2009 at Oulton Park witnessed saw the Team Maxxis Yamaha YZF-R1 superbike pitched against a modified Subaru Impreza to answer an eternal question: which is faster, four wheels or two. Following an early downpour and a last minute change to the programme, which saw the original car – a Norris Design SWB Mitsubishi Evo – replaced by a Subaru Impreza, driven by 2009 Time Attack Pro Class Champion, Olly Clark, from Roger Clark Motorsport.
Under official timed trials, provided by Timing Solutions Limited, Clark was the first to take to the track. He drove his 2009 RCM 850bhp Impreza around three laps of the shorter Island circuit, recording 1:27:588 on his second. Unperturbed by the Impreza’s time, Team Maxxis rider Dave Johnson took to the circuit, and by the start of lap two, felt comfortable enough to open the throttle of the 185 bhp Superbike, finishing his second lap in a time of 1:25:566, 2.022 seconds faster than the RCM Impreza.