Road Racing: Exclusive-Michael Dunlop chats to BikeRaceNews.com
April 2, 2010 by Darren Healy
Filed under Featured, Road Racing
After a brilliant 2009 season in which he scored his maiden victory at the Isle of Man TT, Michael Dunlop talks to BikeRaceNews.com’s Darren Healy about that famous victory, his 2009 season and what he will be doing for the 2010 Road Racing season.
Having grown up surrounded by motorcycle racing and given his exposure to the sport thanks to his father Robert and uncle Joey’s exploits in the field, it was almost inevitable that Michael Dunlop would end up racing. One thing that he was always going to have to put up with if he did decide go racing however, was people constantly comparing him to Robert and Joey and whether or not he could live up to the standards they set during their prestigious careers.
In 2009, he silenced all the sceptics when at the age of 21 he followed in Robert and Joey’s footsteps by winning at the Isle of Man TT when he was victorious in the second Supersport 600 race by over 31 seconds from Bruce Anstey. This was an unbelievable achievement for one so young. All of this came just one month after he took his very first win on a 4-stroke machine when he was victorious in an epic race against Ryan Farquhar and Keith Amor in the 600 race at the Tandragee 100.
The season was very much rounded off with victory in the 125cc and 250cc Irish National Road Race Championships. With the 2010 Road Racing season drawing ever closer, I caught up with Michael to discuss that momentous victory, his 2009 season as a whole and how he plans to top his achievements of 2009.
BikeRaceNews.com: Michael, 2009 was a massive season for you with your first win at the Isle of Man TT in the second Supersport 600 race. How did it feel crossing the line to win?
Michael Dunlop: To tell you the truth, I honestly didn’t think I had won until I got in. I knew I was leading by a big amount of seconds but I didn’t know until I came in and seen my pit crew. Only at that stage did I know I had won the race. To win around there is something special, especially for me so it was like winning the lottery.
BRN: What was going through your head on the last lap, knowing that you were so far ahead and had the win in your grasp?
MD: I knew I was leading but I never paid much attention to how much I was leading by or who I was leading from. My main priority was to focus and just keep doing what I was doing because it was paying off and it seemed to be right. Fuel load and mechanical breakdowns were in the back of my mind because my other 600 broke down after a mile and a half in the first 600 race. I knew my other 600 was steady and faithful to me but I was still a bit scared of a breakdown or something else I couldn’t prevent. The TT is a serious bike breaker and it would break a good going man!
BRN: Were you happy with how 2009 went as a whole?
MD: There were a few obvious disappointments, the 250 (in which he was taken out by Christian Elkin) and the 600 race (qualified on Pole but still finished on the podium in 3rd position) at the North West 200 and I was a bit disappointed with the Ulster Grand Prix but all in all it was a good season. I won a TT and a few National races on the 600 so I can’t really complain.
BRN: You have signed up to ride the Robinson Concrete Honda Fireblade Superbike for the 2010 season. You must be delighted to have such a strong and well proven superbike to challenge the likes of Ryan Farquhar and Keith Amor on?
MD: I sat down with Gary Ryan who sort of runs my team, he’s the boss man and the chief financial backer. We said we need a good superbike and Robinson Concrete have supplied the bike. I know how good the bike is, its a proven bike and I got on well with it last year, as you know, when I rode it at Skerries so I’m feeling confident about it.
BRN: Is Uel Duncan involved in the team? We all know of Uel’s association with Robinson Concrete and their bikes so will he be involved again this year?
MD: Well, it’s Gareth Robinson’s bike but Uel runs the team with his lads. The way it will work is Uel will bring his lads to take care of the superbike but I’ll be keeping my lads for the rest of the bikes, the 600 and the superstock bike. It’ll be a joint venture and we’ll be helping each other out if there’s a problem.
BRN: You’re going to be running a Yamaha R6 again this year with the support of Gary Ryan and Street Sweep. It must be great to have them back on board again this season?
MD: Gary has been great support to me since 2008, he has been a very good sponsor and I’m delighted to have him on board again this season, especially with everyone crying about this credit crunch. I’m glad to have someone who I know will stick behind me and give me all the support he can. And it’s not only him, I’ve had a few new people pull behind me this season too, not to mention the people that have been there since day one. I must be doing something right to have them still behind me!
BRN: Team Hardship Racing will also be supporting you this season. What role will they be playing for you this season?
MD: They are mainly a supporters club who have come behind me and they are going to be giving me help to run the 600 bike throughout the season.
BRN: You will also be running a Superstock Honda Fireblade which has been supplied by Hunt Motorcycles. How did that deal come about? Did you approach them or did they come to you with the offer?
MD: I approached a couple of people about setting up something and nothing came of it, they just weren’t offering a good enough deal. So I approached Hunt Motorcycles about maybe setting up a deal, I didn’t have the superbike deal set up at the time. I was going to buy the bikes but when I sent him over my CV, he came back to me and said he’d do me a deal so that’s how that came about.
BRN: What way are you going to use the bikes this year? Some people seem to think that a full power Superbike is too much for the tighter National road races and they prefer to run a Superstock for those races. What are you going to do?
MD: No, I’m running the Superbike everywhere!!
BRN: How has pre-season preparation gone and what has it involved?
MD: My first outing on the bikes was last Saturday (March 27th) where I spoke to you first before this interview, before then I hadn’t ridden the bikes or gotten them set up. We had planned to go to Kirkistown this week but the weather has just been so bad that we haven’t been able to go over and get anything done unfortunately.
BRN: What races are you going to be doing this season and what are your main hopes and aims for the year?
MD: I’ll be doing all of the International races, some of the National races and I’ll be heading over to England to do a few of the Superstock races and some of the European Cup races. The main aim is to win a few more nationals and another win at the TT is on the cards! I’d love to get a win at the Ulster because I haven’t won around there before so that would be good.
Darren Healy: I think it is fairly obvious from reading the interview that winning the TT last season has not had the same effect on Michael as it would have had on so many other 22 year olds. He remains very grounded and all the victory has done is make him even more hungry for more success this year. Given the support behind him, the strength of the machinery at his disposal and his immense natural talent, more TT victories this season is a very distinct possibility. As long as he can avoid the mechanical gremlins that hampered him so much last season, nothing will stand in his way.
Upon finishing the interview, Michael wished to thank the following people for their support: Gary Ryan and Street Sweep, Gareth Robinson and Robinson Concrete, Martin of Marlow Construction, Dromad Hire, Around a Pound, D&G W Racing and Team Hardship.
We here at BikeRaceNews.com wish Michael a safe and successful 2010 season.
Photo Courtesy of Aidan Lynam
