TT 2024: For me, that's the only record I wanted to break says Mountain maestro Michael Dunlop after 27th win

The Ballymoney man’s 27th success on the biggest road racing stage in the world has elevated him to the pinnacle of road racing, 17 years after he made his TT debut at the age of 18.

Fastest in qualifying on his MD Racing Paton, Dunlop took the postponed three-lap race by the scruff of the neck, opening a lead of 10.2s over Peter Hickman (Swan Yamaha) after the first lap following a standing-start speed of 121.044mph.

He extended his advantage to 12 seconds after the second lap and put the race to bed in conclusive fashion, recording the quickest lap of the race on the third and final lap at 122.434mph – not far off his 124.7mph lap record – to wrap up a history-making success by 20.4s from Hickman.

Dominic Herbertson sealed his first TT podium in third for Dungannon team Burrows Engineering/RK Racing, also riding an Italian Paton.

After equalling Joey’s tally of 26 wins in Saturday’s Supersport opener, Dunlop said the pressure had been lifted from his shoulders and he had the air of a man who knew it was only a matter of time before he finally secured the victory required to become the new King of the Mountain.

The 35-year-old said he had realised his ambition of becoming the TT’s most successful racer as Dunlop again showed the utmost respect for his legendary uncle, who was tragically killed in a racing incident in Tallinn in Estonia weeks after his final TT treble in 2000.

“It’s not that we’re any better than Joey, it’s just different times, different eras, but to have the most victories at the biggest road race in the world… somebody will probably overtake me in time but should it be in two years or ten years, it makes no difference – the whole world of road racing always revolved around Joey Dunlop’s record and for me that was the only record to break,” he said.

“Breaking mine won’t mean much to anybody but breaking Joey’s which has stood for 24 years, that’s the feather in the cap.

“To be at the top of the game here as someone from such a small town to be battling against the biggest budgets in the world at the biggest road race in the world and be succeeding is obviously a fantastic thing; it’s an honour and also for where I come from.

“For Northern Ireland I think it brings some pedigree and to be classified by people over the years as one of the best road racers in the world, this has put the cap on it really.

“It will be interesting, maybe when I get home you never know what will happen for me – maybe I’ll be recognised.

“Regardless of what happens the rest of the week when I get home from here the newspapers will be full of the 27 victories and hopefully more, so we’ll keep pushing on and try and try and keep breaking records.”

Reflecting on the race, he added: “We had an issue at the start of the week and the boys worked very hard, fair play to them I can’t say anything more to them.

“The wee bike has been good and we struggled today a bit with the wind but we took it by the scruff of the neck and got my head down and started pushing into it.”

Dunlop is set to compete in five more races before the 2024 TT concludes with the Senior finale on Saturday and the Ulsterman is confident of adding to his newly established benchmark of 27 wins.

“I would like to think so; I’m quick on the Paton, quick on the 600 and quick on the big bike,” he said.

“There’s five more races and putting the same into all five as I did in the first three.”

Wednesday’s RL360 Superstock race, already postponed from Tuesday, was called off after heavy rain showers developed in the afternoon.

A contingency day is being utilised on Thursday with three races scheduled, including the second Sidecar race (11:20am) – reduced to two laps – the delayed Superstock race (13:00 BST) and the second Monster Energy Supersport race (15:30 BST), which has been cut to three laps instead of four.

On Friday, the second Superstock race is scheduled for 11:45am with the second Supertwin race at 2pm.