Michael Dublop now has the most wins of any person in history at the legendary Isle of Man TT race. Mike Dunlop just crossed the line to net his 27th victory, breaking the previous record of 26 wins. However, the record stays with the Dunlop family — without changing hands. You see, the previous record was held by Dunlop's uncle, Joey Dunlop, who set the record back in the year 2000. The record stood for 24 years, but now little Mike Dunlop is all grown up, and he's taken the record away from his uncle. Dunlop is from Northern Ireland, and is 35 years old. His record-breaking 27th win came on Wednesday in the Superstock race where he led the entire 3-lap race. The course is 37.7 miles long and winds through mountains on the Isle of Man. However, Dunlop's path to the new record was not easy. A problem arose in a race just a few days earlier, when Dunlop was leading the Superbike race by 20 seconds. But then his visor started malfunctioning, which caused him to retire from the race early. If not for that issue, Dunlop likely would have broken the record last weekend instead of Wednesday. The visor problem cost him a chance to make history sooner — but all's well that ends well. But Dunlop did not let that setback stop him. He regrouped and qualified first for Wednesday's Superstock race. From the pole position, he controlled the pace of the entire 3-lap race. Dunlop's focus and determination paid off. He crossed the finish line first to claim his 27th career TT win. With that victory, Dunlop surpassed his uncle Joey's record. He now stands alone as the most successful racer in the history of the event. The next closest active riders are far behind Dunlop's 27 wins. John McGuinness, from Scotland, has 23 career TT victories. Dave Molyneux has 17 wins. Ian Hutchinson has won 16 times at the event. And, to add to that, at just 35 years old, Dunlop may have several more seasons left to extend his new record even further. The Isle of Man TT is regarded as the most famous and dangerous road race in the world. Riders reach extremely high speeds while navigating public roads with stone walls, houses and other obstacles lining the course. It takes immense skill and bravery to win even once at the iconic event, let alone multiple victories, which makes Dunlop's two-and-odd dozen victories all the more impressive. By capturing an unprecedented 27 victories, Michael Dunlop has cemented his place among the greatest TT racers in history. Some fans may even regard him as the best ever after this latest achievement. One thing is certain - Dunlop's insatiable hunger to keep winning shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. As long as he keeps competing, fans can likely expect to see Dunlop's TT record totals continuing to climb higher and higher in the years ahead. Source: The Isle of Man Pressbook
