William Joseph Dunlop OBE (25 February 1952 – 2 July 2000) was a Northern Irish motorcyclist from Ballymoney. He married on 22 September 1972 at Ballymoney register office. He won his third hat trick at the Isle Of Man TT in 2000 and set his fastest lap on the course of 123.87 mph in the Senior race, which he finished third. The bend at 26th milestone on the Isle Of Man was named in his honour. In 2016 he was voted through Motorcycle News as the fifth greatest motorcycling icon ever, behind Valentino Rossi. His achievements include three hat-tricks at the Isle of Man TT meeting (1985, 1988 and 2000), where he won a record 26 races in total. Dunlop's name is amongst the most revered by fans of motorcycle racing. This iconic stature, coupled to Dunlop's somewhat shy and unassuming persona, has led to him being seen as a true working class hero. Such attributes deeply endeared him to fans of motorcycling across the world.
Born |
25 February 1952 Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
|
Died |
2 July 2000 (aged 48) Tallinn, Estonia
|
Zodiac | Pisces |
Tags | Add tag |