This year’s Touring Cup race on the Isle of Man was a remarkable event in many respects. Some details are worth looking back on at the end of the year.
Just a few weeks before his fatal fall during the race in Tallinn (Estonia), Joey Dunlop showed that, despite his 48 years, he has not yet been forgotten. He won three times in the Touring Trophy race on the Isle of Man in June 2000 and extended his record to an incredible 26 TT victories. It was thought that this would be an eternal record.
At the time, no other racing driver seemed capable of greater success in the world’s most important road racing competition.
But an old saying goes: “Records are ready to be broken.” John McGuinness, who had only two TT wins to his name at the time of Dunlop’s death, followed in his example’s footsteps and began an unprecedented winning streak. By 2015, he had climbed to the top of the podium at the world’s most important road race 23 times, including 7 times at the prestigious TT. Moving to the top of the all-time great list seemed to be a matter of just a few years.
But the Brit’s winning streak ended, not least because a serious injury slowed him down and a new generation took over.
And one of these pilots, who is ready to take any risk, pushes the limit on the Snaefell Mountain Course with a length of more than 60 kilometers, which has killed more than 200 people since 1911 – including Leslie Graham, Tom Phillis, Santiago Herrero , Gilberto Parlotti, Mac Hobson, Phil Mellor, David Jefferies and Ian Bell – also world champions, Grand Prix and TT winners – demanded that they continue their efforts, but failed to break a record Tourist Award this year. just stop, but set new standards.
Of all people, a member of Northern Ireland’s Dunlop racing family has ensured that 2024 ushers in a new era.
In 2007, Michael Dunlop entered the TT stage at the age of 19, having attracted attention at the Manx Grand Prix the previous year not only through his victory in the new race, but above all through what many observers saw as his dangerous driving style . which made the leaders get heated and even threatened to remove him from the competition. Just two years later, in the second Supersport race, he left all the favorites for the first time.
From 2009 onwards there was no stopping Dunlop, who had become a crowd favourite. No matter what class, he won with passion. In 2014, on the 75th anniversary of Georg Meier’s victory, he gave BMW victory in the Top TT. While other riders often remain loyal to one motorcycle brand, the exceptional rider from Ballymoney always chose a machine from the manufacturer that, in his opinion, was the most promising. That is why his name can be found in the lists of winners along with Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Paton.
With his victory in the first Supersport race, the 35-year-old road racing specialist equaled his famous uncle’s record this year. But not only that, Dunlop also finished second in the Supersport race and first in the Supertwin race. And as the “King of the Mountain” he would not have the misfortune of having a visor in the Superbike race as the clear leader, which meant that he had to stop at the side of the track, take off his helmet and adjust it. The new record is most likely 30 TT wins.
The Tourist Cup was also known for other details. 1,775 managers agreed to volunteer their free time to make the event a success, 1,128 of them did their part during the course. During the training sessions, participants completed 1,574 laps and 1,084 laps were recorded during the race. With a lap length of 60.725 km, this corresponds to four times the Earth’s orbit or more than a third of the Moon’s distance from Earth!
Despite this incredible distance and an average speed of more than 200 kilometers per hour on a route that passes stone walls, telegraph poles and house corners through villages and where driver mistakes or technical errors can cause serious damage, there are no deaths in the year This compared to previous years to complain.
TT 2025 schedule
May 26 to 30
Training
Saturday May 31
Supersport Race 1
Side run 1
Sunday, June 1
Superbike racing
Tuesday, June 3
Superstock Race 1
Twin race 1
Wednesday June 4
Supersport Racing 2
Side run 2
Friday June 6
Superstock Race 2
Twin race 2
Saturday June 7
Senior TT
