THE name Dunlop has long been synonymous with time trial racing.
Joey Dunlop is the most famous Isle of Man TT rider of them all – with the overall winner of the event handed the Joey Dunlop Cup and the Northern Irishman having a statue built on the island.
Joey held the record for almost 25 years after his untimely death following a crash in 2000.
Now his record has been overtaken, with Michael Dunlop the man to take it.
Who is Michael Dunlop?
Michael Dunlop is an motorcycle rider most famous for his exploits in the Isle of Man TT.
He comes from that famous racing family as the son of Robert Dunlop, brother of William and nephew of Joey.
Michael made his Isle of Man TT debut in 2007, finishing 25th aged just 18.
Since then he has had one of the most spectacular careers in the sport.
His first win came in the Supersport TT in 2009, while he has won four races in a single event three times – in 2013, 2014, and 2023.
Since 2010, the only year he didn’t win a race was in 2015, when did not finish in four races and finished second in one other.
With two wins so far in 2024 he has now passed uncle Joey as the most successful rider in the history of the Isle of Man TT – as well as taking home a bit of prize money for his wins.
Who has won the most races at the Isle of Man TT?
Until this year, Joey Dunlop had held the record since 2000.
Joey won three races that year, aged 48, just weeks before his death in Estonia in another race.
John McGuinness had come closest to threatening Dunlop’s record, winning 23 races between 1999 and 2015.
But it was Michael who finally managed to overtake the great man.
His win in the Supertwins TT made it win No 27 and his eighth in just 17 races since 2022.
Most Isle of Man TT wins
- Michael Dunlop – 27
- Joey Dunlop – 26
- John McGuinness – 23
- Dave Molyneux – 17
- Ian Hutchinson – 16
- Mike Hailwood, Ben Birchall, Tom Birchall, Peter Hickman – 14
- Bruce Anstey – 12
- Steve Hislop, Phillip McCallen – 11
- Giacomo Agostini, Robert Fisher, Stanley Woods – 10
- Mick Boddice, David Jeffries, Ian Lougher, Siegfried Schauzu – 9
What did Michael Dunlop say about the record?
Michael Dunlop said that “everyone’s inspiration was to be a Joey Dunlop around the Isle of Man”.
He said: “I’m no better than Joey, never was.
“Joey’s record stood for 24 years and it’s an honour. Joey was a special talent.
“My record will be beaten one day but I don’t care.”
He also said he had to overcome some issues on the day to win.
“We had an issue in first practice and were struggling a wee bit but the boys worked hard on it and the bike was mint.
“We had to push on as I knew we would.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
