Michael Dunlop is unstoppable and equals John McGuinness' record with 23 wins at the Isle of Man TT.

Published by Stree Missile on 09/06/202309/06/2023

Michael Dunlop has left his mark on the history of the Isle of Man TT by equaling the record of 23 victories set by racing legend John McGuinness. In an impressive performance on Sunday, Dunlop dominated the Superbike race and secured the top spot on the winners' board.

From the first sector of Glen Helen on the opening lap, Dunlop took the lead and never gave his competitors a chance to challenge him. His advantage steadily increased to over 20 seconds, securing an undisputed victory. Now, he is just three wins away from equaling the historic record set by his late uncle, Joey Dunlop, in the year 2000.

Starting from the sixth position on the grid, Dunlop led the race with his Honda from the Hawk Racing team, maintaining a 145-millisecond advantage over Dean Harrison, the Kawasaki rider from the DAO Racing team. This lead expanded to 3.1 seconds at the Ballaugh sector and reached 6.2 seconds by the end of the lap, setting a new standing-start lap record of 134.519 miles per hour. Meanwhile, Peter Hickman with his BMW was battling for the third position against Davey Todd from Padgetts Honda.

Hickman eventually managed to overtake Todd at the end of the first lap, opening up a 5.4-second gap at Glen Helen during the second lap. Dunlop, on the other hand, recorded an even faster lap on the second circuit, reaching 135.046 miles per hour, closing in on the outright lap record set by Hickman in 2018. By the first pit stop, Hickman's lead stood at 14.6 seconds.

In the third lap, Dunlop maintained a lead of 18.8 seconds at the end, while the battle for third place intensified between Harrison and Hickman. After his second and final pit stop in the fifth lap, Dunlop started to slow down as his lead at the front decreased from 19.4 seconds at the start of the final lap to just over 10 seconds midway through the course.

With this victory in the Superbike category, Michael Dunlop once again demonstrates his dominance in the Isle of Man TT and stands alongside a legend like John McGuinness. The excitement and anticipation for his next performance only continue to grow as he gets closer to the historic record. Undoubtedly, Dunlop is a name that will be engraved in the history of motorcycling.