In a memorable achievement, Michael Dunlop from Northern Ireland made history at the Isle of Man TT by securing his 27th victory at the renowned Mountain Circuit. This surpasses the previous record set by his uncle Joey, making him the most successful rider in the 122-year history of the race.
Dunlop’s latest triumph came in the delayed first race of the Supertwin TT week, where he defeated Peter Hickman and Dom Herbertson. Earlier in the week, he had already equaled his uncle’s record in the opening Supersport TT race on Saturday.
Although Dunlop was denied a clear victory in the Superbike race on Sunday due to a loose visor after a pit stop, he did not have such misfortune in the lightweight race on Wednesday. Despite a 24-hour delay caused by rain, Dunlop quickly established a substantial lead in the three-lap race and successfully maintained it to secure his historic win, leaving Hickman behind.
The three riders with the most victories at the Isle of Man TT are now as follows:
1. Michael Dunlop – 27
2. Joey Dunlop – 26
3. John McGuinness – 23
Reflecting on his achievement, Dunlop acknowledged the challenges he faced with the Paton machine, stating: “The little girl was struggling a bit.” However, he praised his team for their hard work and expressed his satisfaction with the bike’s performance. He also expressed hope of being able to keep the bike, as it does not belong to his team, but to Paton.
Dunlop also commented on the delayed race, acknowledging that it was out of his control, but emphasizing that it didn’t matter anymore. He humbly stated that he didn’t consider himself better than his uncle Joey and had no intention of surpassing him. However, he highlighted the aspiration that many riders have always had to beat Joey Dunlop and expressed his gratitude for the honor of being mentioned in the same sentence as his legendary uncle.
In the battle for the last spot on the podium, Dom Herbertson and Jamie Coward fought closely, with Herbertson maintaining a five-second advantage to secure his first podium.
