Michael Dunlop joins the all-time motorcycling greats by becoming the most successful Isle of Man TT rider of all time, perpetuating the famous family dynasty.
The nature of the challenge posed by the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course and the level of adversity faced by Michael Dunlop make it difficult to quantify the scale of his achievement in becoming the most successful rider ever at the event.
Joey Dunlop was a legendary figure in motorsport, racking up 26 wins over close on a quarter of a century and drawing the affection of thousands of fans the world over. His victory roll culminated in a treble at the 2000 TT, one month before his death as a result of an accident at a road race in Estonia.
He also had to familiarise himself with a new Honda Fireblade as he set out to achieve more glory but when history was made he was quick to pay tribute to his uncle, saying it was an honour to be mentioned in the same breath and explaining that the pressure of the weight of expectation had been lifted off his shoulders.The Northern Ireland rider made his TT debut in 2007 and 12 months later opted to compete a few weeks after his dad was killed as a result of a crash at the North West 200.
The wins continued to stack up thereafter, including joining an elite band of riders who had won four races in a week thanks to quadruple triumphs in both 2013 and 2014, a feat he would repeat in 2023. Dunlop has revelled in his 'maverick' image, insisting he is prepared to push the boundaries further than his rivals, and his abundant talent and will to win are undoubted.
A remarkable feature of his success is that his victories have been accumulated on such a diverse variety of machinery across such a wide range of different classes as Dunlop sought to prove it was at least as much about the rider as the machine he was on. While Dunlop has excelled at other meetings, including five wins at the North West 200, six Ulster Grand Prix triumphs, three Southern 100 Solo championships and 10 wins in the feature 'Race of Legends' event at the Armoy national road races staged near his hometown, he has made no secret of the fact that his primary focus every year is the Isle of Man TT.
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