The name comes first, but Michael Dunlop carved his own groove into IoM TT folklore during 2024. A 26th career win around the Island equaled his late, great uncle Joey and further cemented the Dunlop family lineage with the race, established all the way back in 1907. Michael achieved a slice of road racing immortality just after his 35th birthday but didn’t stop at 26 victories. He showed his intimate knowledge of the 37.7-mile course as well as his feeling for the roads and typical unwavering commitment and aggression to win another three times and push up to 29 (all from only 16 attempts at the week-long fixture) to rank as the TT’s ultimate conqueror. The first had come in 2009, and he also ruled other meetings around his native Northern Ireland like the NW200. Michael has mixed trauma with triumph in his professional and personal life and commands absolute respect for making this dangerous but thrilling sport a reason-for-being. He has been a four-time (in one edition) TT winner on four separate occasions; one of the very few to earn the distinction and with a range of different bikes and brands. It’s all about the racing for Michael, and he’s not finished yet.