The tragic death of Joey Dunlop at a race in Tallinn, Estonia, yesterday has robbed international motorcycling of one of its greatest exponents. A man of few words, Dunlop let his skill on the track do the talking. And what skill he possessed. During this year's Isle of Man racing festival in early June, he won three more TTs to bring his total to an unassailable record of 26 victories.
At 48 years of age, Joey showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, at the recent TT he went faster than he had ever gone, lapping his Honda at 123.87 m.p.h. on the way to third place behind English stars David Jefferies and Michael Rutter in the senior event. William Joseph Dunlop was born in Armoy, Co Antrim, on February 25th, 1952. He started short circuit racing at age 17 in 1969.
Through the 1970s, riding 250cc and 350cc Yamahas, he emerged as a skilful and determined rider, winning countless road races, short circuit events and national championships. Whether it was at Mondello Park, the Skerries 100, the North-West 200 or the Ulster Grand Prix, Dunlop never gave less than 100 per cent, though in those early years he raced on a shoestring budget. He made his Isle of Man TT debut in 1976, finishing 16th in the junior and 18th in the senior races. His first win on the island came in 1977 when he won the Jubilee Classic TT at 108.86 m.p.h. on a 750cc Yamaha.
In 1982 he became a Honda Britain Team rider, and so began the most successful period of his career.
He won the Formula One Motorcycle World Championship five times (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986), and was second in 1987 and 1988. In 1984 he became the first Irishman to win the prestigious Motor Cycle News Man of the Year award.
In 1986, he received the MBE for his services to motorcycle sport, and 10 years later, in 1996, he got an OBE for his outstanding humanitarian work for children in Romanian orphanages.
On more than one occasion he loaded up his race transporter with food and clothing and drove alone from his home in Ballymoney to Romania to deliver the aid.
Always ready to sign an autograph or pose for a photograph, Joey Dunlop was not alone the most successful racing motorcyclist Ireland ever produced, he was also the most popular. He was married to Linda and the father of five children. He was proprietor of the Railway Inn pub in Ballymoney, Co Antrim.
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