Motorsport

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.Michael Dunlop has become the record holder for most wins at the Isle of Man TTJoey 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
Michael Dunlop in action on the Isle of ManCredit: PACEMAKER PRESSWhat 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.” More

THE Isle of Man TT is back THIS WEEKEND as hundreds of riders descend on the Irish Sea with plenty of riches on offer.The race – considered one of the world’s most dangerous and deadly – offers thrilling twists and turns at over 120mph on public roads.The Isle of Man is back with riders battling for glory and richesCredit: PACEMAKER PRESSWhat is the prize money for the Isle of Man TT?The overall prize pot comes in at £243,400 between the six races.The Senior TT is the big race with £25,000 going to the winner from an overall prize pot of £84,500.The Superbike TT has an overall prize pot of £62k and the Supersport TT offers £30,400 to be shared.Both the Superstock TT and Sidecar TT offer £23,500 to be shared, while the Supertwin TT has the smallest prize fund with £19,500.The overall breakdown can be found below:Senior TT prize money1) £25,0002) £15,0003) £10,0004) £7,0005) £5,0006) £4,0007) £3,0008) £2,5009) £2,00010) £1,50011) £1,40012) £1,30013) £1,20014) £1,10015) £1,00016) £90017) £80018) £70019) £60020) £500Superbike TT prize money1) £20,0002) £12,0003) £7,5004) £5,0005) £4,0006) £3,0007) £2,5008) £2,0009) £1,50010) £1,00011) £90012) £80013) £70014) £60015) £500Supersport TT prize money1) £10,0002) £6,0003) £3.0004) £2,5005) £2,0006) £1,5007) £1,0008) £9009) £80010) £70011) £60012) £50013) £40014) £30015) £200Superstock TT prize money1) £8,0002) £6,0003) £3.0004) £2,0005) £1,0006) £9007) £8008) £7009) £60010) £500Sidecar TT prize money1) £8,0002) £6,0003) £3.0004) £2,0005) £1,0006) £9007) £8008) £7009) £60010) £500Supertwin TT prize money1) £6,0002) £4,0003) £3.0004) £2,0005) £1,0006) £9007) £8008) £7009) £60010) £500When is the Isle of Man TT?Qualifying for the Isle of Man TT started on May 27 with the first race to take place on Saturday, June 1.The event then runs until Saturday, June 8, where the showpiece Senior TT is decided. Roads close from 10am on the Isle of Man with different races taking place throughout the day.Read our full schedule for the Isle of Man TT.How can I watch the Isle of Man TT?Every race from the Isle of Man TT 2024 can be watched live via the TT+ Live Pass, which also has interviews, behind-the-scenes action and other features.It costs £19.99 to purchase and can then be live streamed through a TV and other devices.There will be no live TV coverage of the event but ITV4 has a nightly highlights show at 9pm from Friday, May 31 until the final race day on June 8. More

THE Isle of Man TT is once again set to take the nation by storm.Motorsport fans converge on the tiny Island between England and Ireland as the world’s most daring road racers gather to take on the “Mountain Course”.The Isle of Man TT has claimed the lives of many racersCredit: PacemakerIt has been run 102 times since the inaugural event in 1907 before moving to the Mountain Course in 1911.However, the 37.73 mile course – carved out of the Island’s public roads – is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. It has claimed the lives of many drivers since the event’s beginnings back in 1907.But who was the first and how many have there been?How many deaths have there been at the Isle of Man TT?In total, there have been 269 rider fatalities across all the events, including the TT’s sister event, the Manx Grand Prix usually held in August.A staggering 156 of these have come during the June TT event.As many as 207 riders and non-racers from the UK have lost their lives at the Isle of Man TT.The first recorded rider ever killed at the event was Englishman Victor Surridge at Glen Helen during practice for the in 1911 race.It was an omen of things to come, as Englishman Frank R Bateman was the first racer killed during the Senior TT event in 1913 at Creg-ny-Baa.Fred Walker at St Ninian’s Crossroads was the first Irish rider to die in the event in 1914.Following the First World War, the race returned with a new name: “Isle of Man Tourist Trophy” and new safety regulations making it compulsory for riders to wear helmets.Ned Brew was the first Isle of Man native to be killed in 1923.In 1939, German national Karl Gall became the first rider outside of the United Kingdom to be killed.The deadliest year for the event came in 2005, when 11 people died.Three drivers and one marshall had been killed during the June race, before six riders and one course bystander died during the Manx Grand Prix in August/September of that year.Even more people have died since 2020, with nine racers losing their lives in the 2022 and 2023 events.In fact, 2023 was the joint-deadliest year for the main event, with six deaths – the highest number since 1970.Riders from as far away as Japan, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi), Australia and New Zealand have been killed.Ian Bainbridge was the most recent driver to be killed at the Isle of Man after crashing into a garden wall at the Manx Grand Prix last August.There have also been another 16 fatalities involving officials and spectators, the most recent of which came in 2007 when two men died after a rider, Marc Ramsbotham, crashed. More