Robert Dunlop
Robert Dunlop ( born November 25, 1960 in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, † May 15, 2008 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland ) was a British motorcycle racer.
Dunlop was one of the most successful motorcycle racers of Northern Ireland and launched mainly for the numerous dangerous road race of his native England. In his career he scored five victories and a total of 14 podium finishes in the Tourist Trophy and 15 race wins at the North West 200
Robert Dunlop was the brother of the 26- times TT winner and five-time Formula TT World Champion Joey Dunlop, who died in an accident in Estonia in 2000. His sons William and Michael are also motorcycle racer.
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- 2.2 Notes and references
Career
Robert Dunlop denied in 1979 his first motorcycle road race in the following years he started regularly at many of his Northern Ireland home and was very successful. In 1989 he won on a 500 cc Honda the Macau Grand Prix, defeating Phillip McCallen and Steve Hislop here, both were on 750 - cc machines. In the same year he celebrated in the 125 cc class his first victory in the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man.
From 1990 saw Robert Dunlop for Norton on the Wankel engine machine RCW588 and won in the first year to third place in the F1 class at the Tourist Trophy. The TT victory last year in the 125cc class he could repeat. 1991 Dunlop won both the 125 and in the 250cc class for the heaviest motorcycle race in the world.
In 1994, Dunlop at the TT F1 race a serious accident in which he incurred numerous injuries and he only survived with good luck. Despite some permanent damage - among other things had to be shortened because of numerous broken bones a leg - was Robert Dunlop again since 1996 motorcycle racing at the start, but was limited from then on the 125 - cc class. 1998 Dunlop won the Ultra - Lightweight class of the Tourist Trophy.
In 2004, Robert Dunlop, abruptly ended his career. After his leg was again extended operative, he returned for the 2005 season but returned. In 2006 he celebrated his 15th victory in Northern Ireland North West 200 race.
Fatal Accident
On 15 May 2008 Robert Dunlop was killed in qualifying the 250 cc class at the North West 200 His Honda had a piston seizure, by the Northern Irishman was thrown from the motorcycle at about 160 mph. The following drivers Darren Burns could not avoid and rolled over him. Dunlop was taken to the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, where he died shortly after 22 clock on his heavy chest injuries.
Two days later, on May 17, won Dunlop's son Michael, the 250 cc race of the NW200 and dedicated the victory to his father, who was buried the following day in the cemetery of Garryduff Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney, alongside his brother Joey.