by Rob Wilkins
TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH DAVID HIGGINS: CLICK HERE
David Higgins launched his new rally team, TQ / FX Motor Sports, at the Autosport International Show recently. The outfit will consist of a three-car line up, all of which will compete in the 2008 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship. Higgins will lead the squad, while Hugh Evans will drive a sister Subaru Impreza N14 and new signing, 18-year-old Nick Rowland, will contest the inaugural Suzuki Swift Sport Cup.
Crash.net spoke to David to find out all about it...
Crash.net:
David, you confirmed you are going to be competing in the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship at the Autosport Show, with your new team, TQ / FX Motor Sports. How big a challenge is this going to be?
David Higgins:
It is going to be a huge challenge at the end of the day. The British championship is always a very, very difficult one to try and do well in. Running our own team though is also very exciting - it is something new for me and it adds a whole new motivation to the challenge.
Crash.net:
Will it be difficult combining competing as a rally driver and actually looking after the team as well?
DH:
I hope not because what we have got planned at the moment with the British championship, it is obviously only six events away from the base. We are well prepared and we have got some good guys on board to help with the running of the team. So when I leave to go and do a recce my job just becomes being a driver. The rest can be left in the capable hands of the other guys.
Crash.net:
You switched from using a Toyota S2000 to an Impreza towards the end of last season, are you happy to stay with an Impreza for 2008?
DH:
Yeah, I am. Obviously the Toyota worked very well for us but it was a new type of car and a new formula. It was very exciting. OK the results didn't quite go the way we wanted them and we had quite a few problems. But the Subaru is a great package to run your own team with especially when you have got Prodrive behind you. If you have got a big drama you know you can pick up the phone and talk to them and it is sorted. Whereas, running something different, would become a bigger challenge. But with the engineering facility at Prodrive and the parts supply at Prodrive, it was an easy choice. Obviously it is a new car by all accounts. I haven’t got my hands on one yet but from what we gather there is a big improvement over what there was with last year’s car. That can only be good news really.
Crash.net:
You said it is a newer car, is that a different spec to the one you drove in 2007 then? I assume so...
DH:
It is completely different. With the new N14 there is very, very little that actually carries over from the other cars. It is a new shape - it is a hatchback, longer-wheel based, wider track, less overhang, different engine, different gear ratios and god knows what else. It really is a very different car from what we have had before and the reports from people that have tested the car are all very positive. I am just looking forward to getting ours now and getting out there and getting the car ready.
