The Isle of Man TT is one of the most iconic and notorious motorsports events in the world. For two weeks, the otherwise sleepy and quiet British Crown dependency springs to life and hosts high-adrenaline racing that sees thousands of fans and spectators make their way to the island.
Throughout the years, lots of riders have made their marks in the TT, but few of them are as legendary as the Dunlop name.
This year, Michael Dunlop, one of the most successful living Isle of Man TT racers, has just matched the current record of race wins set in the TT course. With 26 race wins under his belt, Michael Dunlop sits alongside his late uncle, Joey Dunlop, who previously set the record in 2000, just weeks before his untimely demise.
Joey Dunlop is widely considered as one of the greatest TT racers in history. And for 24 years now, riders have been trying to match his record, all to no avail. That is, until now. The fact that Michael Dunlop, who is Joey’s nephew, was the only person able to match the record so far, makes it even more amazing.
Following his 26th win, Michael Dunlop said that it was an honor to share a record with his uncle, Joey Dunlop. “Obviously, it’s a huge monkey. It's been on my back for 365 days now and just to be here and to be in the same conversation as Joey is incredible,” he said.
It goes without saying that Michael Dunlop’s off to a great start in the 2024 IOMTT. But as of this writing, he still has six more races to compete in this season, so it’s more than likely he’ll come home with a new race-win record in tow.
Speaking of records, Dunlop managed to break the superbike average speed lap record with an astonishing 135.970-mile-per-hour pace during the sixth and final lap of the RST Superbike race on Sunday. He did, however, have an issue with his visor, causing him to miss out on a 27th TT win, with Peter Hickman taking the victory.
In case you didn’t know, Michael Dunlop comes from a family of die-hard racers, with not just his uncle Joey, but his father, Robert Dunlop and younger brother William Dunlop both racing in the TT. Tragically, however, both Robert and William are no longer with us, as the former lost his life at the North West 200 in 2008, and the latter, at Skerries in 2018.
So yes, Michael is the last of the Dunlop racing dynasty.
