Dunlop racing family

[mcfroyce44]

I watched a documentary 'Road' from 2012 on BBC1 that I'd recorded last week. In short, it was about the Dunlop family motorcycle racers. It was similar to others I've seen. It started with Joey Dunlop, his friend and his brother in law racing small 2 strokes just for the fun of it. Carried on with Joey's career and how it got serious when his friend and brother in law were both killed.
It gave the circumstances of Joey and then his brother Robert also being killed and Robert's two sons William and Michael racing. The postscript was that William died in practice in 2018.

I love riding bikes but have never wanted to race. The sheer obsession and dedication the Dunlop family have put into racing is something I admire but don't really understand.

I also found it poignant that Joey was killed in a race he only entered to get away from the spotlight after his friend's suicide. Robert was killed when he was believed to be about to retire. Lastly, William had told family, I believe, that he wanted to stop racing but felt he owed it to his sponsors to finish the season first.

[O.C.]

I watched that documentary too, I have to say it was outstanding and very poignant

The Dunlop family have been dedicated to the sport all their lives, what Joey and Roberts mother May and extended family have gone through all these years in support of the sport defies belief, their dedication is remarkable   .