Michael Dunlop (born 10 April 1989) is a Northern Irish professional motorcycle road racer. Dunlop holds the record for number of wins and podiums at the Isle of Man TT, having amassed a total of 33 victories and having stood on the podium 51 times. These results make him the most accomplished rider of all time in the event. In 2025, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to motorcycle racing. Dunlop is widely considered to be one of the greatest road racers of all time.
Forming part of a motorcycle road racing dynasty, Michael is the brother of the late William Dunlop, son of the late Robert Dunlop and nephew of the late Joey Dunlop, whose all time record of 26 TT wins he surpassed in 2024.
Dunlop is a former individual lap record holder for the Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain Course set during the 2016 Senior TT in a time of 16 minutes 53.929 seconds at an average speed of 133.962mph (215.591km/h). This result made him the first rider in the history of the Isle of Man TT to achieve a lap of the course in under 17 minutes.
Nicknamed "The Raging Bull,"[1] Dunlop is widely considered as one of the most combative competitors in motorcycle racing[2] having been described in 2015 as possessing of: "an aggressive style which was spectacular to watch."[3] This pugnacious attitude has led to numerous confrontations with race teams,[4] rival competitors[5] and on occasion, his late brother.[6] In addition he has often refused to acknowledge the names of his fellow competitors.[7]
Career
North West 200
Dunlop secured his first North West 200 victory in 2008, winning the 250cc race on a Honda. The win came two days after the death of his father, Robert Dunlop, during practice for the event, and the day before his funeral.[8]
In 2013, Dunlop claimed his second North West 200 victory by winning the Superstock race on a Honda, finishing ahead of Bruce Anstey and Lee Johnston.[9]
In 2014, Dunlop added two further victories to his North West 200 record, winning both the Superstock and Superbike Race 2 events on a BMW. The wins marked his third and fourth career victories at the meeting and his first with the German manufacturer. He was also named the first recipient of the Robert Dunlop Man of the Meeting award, introduced to honour his father's legacy at the event.[10]
In 2016, Dunlop added a fifth North West 200 victory by winning the Superbike race on a BMW. During the race, he set a new Superbike lap record of 4 minutes 22.095 seconds at an average speed of 123.207 mph.[11][12]
In 2025, Dunlop returned to winning form at the North West 200, claiming victories in the Supersport, Superstock, and Superbike races. The wins marked his first on Ducati machinery and brought his career total at the event to eight, ending a nine-year spell without a victory there. His Superbike win was initially disputed due to a 10-second penalty for missing the Mather’s Cross chicane, but the penalty was later rescinded, and Dunlop was officially declared the winner.[13][14]
Isle of Man TT
Dunlop made his Isle of Man TT debut in 2007 and claimed his first victory two years later, winning the second Supersport race in 2009 on a Yamaha.[15] Over the following decade, he established himself as one of the most successful riders in the event’s history, securing wins across multiple classes including Superbike, Supersport, Superstock, and Supertwin.[16] In 2016, he became the first rider to complete a lap of the Mountain Course in under 17 minutes, setting a new outright lap record with a time of 16 minutes 53.929 seconds at an average speed of 133.962 mph during the Senior TT.[17][18] His record stood until 2018, when Peter Hickman posted a lap of 135.452 mph during the Senior TT, becoming the first rider to surpass Dunlop’s benchmark.[19]
In 2024, Dunlop surpassed his uncle Joey Dunlop’s long-standing record of 26 TT wins, becoming the most successful rider in the event’s history.[20] He continued his winning form in 2025, claiming his 33rd TT victory in the second Supertwin race and extending his podium tally to 51.[21] During that race, he also set a new class lap record with an average speed of 123.056 mph on the final lap.[22] That same year, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to motorcycle racing.[23][24]
Armoy road races
Dunlop has had a long-standing association with the Armoy Road Races, where he has been a consistent front-runner across multiple classes. In 2022, he withdrew from the meeting, stating that his team was "not being treated on an equal and fair basis" compared with other entrants.[25] He returned in 2023, claiming his tenth victory in the Race of Legends, the event’s headline race. This brought his total number of wins at Armoy to 29, spanning various categories including Superbike, Supersport, Supertwin, and others.[26] In July 2024, Dunlop said he would not return to the event, citing budget limitations and dissatisfaction with club support.[27]
Dunlop has been a consistent front-runner at the Southern 100 for over a decade, with victories across Superbike and Supersport classes. He claimed the Solo Championship title in 2011, having won both Superbike races aboard a PBM Kawasaki,[28] and set a new lap record of 112.541 mph in the feature race.[29] By 2019, he had reached 21 career wins,[30] although that year’s campaign ended prematurely after he crashed out of the Senior race while chasing Dean Harrison, sustaining a broken pelvis and multiple other injuries that ruled him out of the feature event.[31] In 2025, he claimed his 26th Southern 100 victory in a record-breaking Supersport race aboard a Milwaukee Ducati, narrowly defeating Davey Todd and becoming the first rider to win a 600cc race at over 112 mph.[32][33]
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