Leading from start to finish, Michael Dunlop edged out rivals and bagged his 21st Isle of Man TT win on Friday, making him the most successful rider ever in the Supersport class.
Hailing from Northern Ireland, Michael comes from a family of racers. The Dunlop name is well-entrenched in the world of motorsport with his father, brother, and uncle, Robert, William, and Joey, respectively, being figures in racing. Michael’s uncle, Joey, still holds the record for most race wins at the Isle of Man TT with a total of 26 victories. Joey’s nephew, however, isn’t too far behind.
Michael Dunlop appeared emotional during the awards ceremony on the podium. In an interview, he said that “someone said it was me [who won], but you don’t want to get too excited just in case someone says it wasn’t you. But I knew I had ridden fast enough on the last lap to give it a go.”
Up against experienced racers, Peter Hickman and Dean Harrison were both hot on Dunlop’s heels during the race with the former behind by 3.2 seconds. Dunlop managed to extend his lead on the final lap after Hickman tried to reel him in with less than a second between the two. Ultimately, the split was set at 3.2 seconds by the time Dunlop and Hickman crossed the line, making history for the 33-year-old.
"I knew it would be hard today. You're up against Pete and Dean and I knew it was going to be hard. And after the disappointment of Wednesday's Supertwin race where we had a few issues from the get-go.”
"The 600 was mint, everything was mint, and the 600 has been mint all week. And when the bike is good I am fast, and that's the main thing."
The 2022 Isle of Man TT was filled with tragedies and victories. As one of the most dangerous race events in the world, a few incidents happened, one in qualifying involving Mark Purslow, the Stockton father-and-son duo, and yet another sidecar racer, César Chanal.
