Michael Dunlop
BMW Motorrad and Michael Dunlop, from Northern Ireland, have repeated history, echoing Georg “Schorsch” Meier’s legendary Senior TT victory of 1939 on the Isle of Man. Now, 75 years later, a BMW has once again been triumphant at the most prestigious of all races on the Isle of Man. Dunlop was victorious at the Senior TT 2014. This was his third victory with a BMW motorcycle this week. Before that, Dunlop had already won the Isle of Man TT Superbike and Superstock races on the BMW S 1000 RR. In an exciting and thrilling Senior TT, the triumph now also went to Dunlop.
Interview with Michael Dunlop
BMW Motorrad: It’s your first time at BMW Motorrad Days. What do you think of the event?
BMW Motorrad: It’s been a great year for you so far. How important was it to give this special present to BMW Motorrad and become part of its sporting history – 75 years after the last Senior TT victory for BMW?
BMW Motorrad: You must have felt the pressure going into those races?
BMW Motorrad: Do you think there were many doubters out there, before the first victory came at the North West 200 in May?
Dunlop: I knew straight away that we had something. We went to the North West 200, having never ridden the bike. I stuck it on pole and won the main Superbike race – even though I had made a mistake in the first race. Just straightaway, we were on it you know. Then we went to the TT and it was hard work but we made it happen. We did everything we needed to and I just clicked with the bike straightaway and thought yes, this is good. In the actual races at the TT, you seemed to be in complete control, reading your pit boards and controlling your speed according to what was happening around you?
BMW Motorrad: In the actual races at the TT, you seemed to be in complete control, reading your pit boards and controlling your speed according to what was happening around you?
Dunlop: The whole weekend, every race I started, I just upped the pace and then backed off, upped it and backed off again. I only rode a fast lap when I really had to. After that I held back. This worked really well this year.
Udo Mark
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Marketing
BMW Motorrad: You have ridden many sports motorcycles. For the thousands of RR and HP4 owners, just how good is the stock bike that they have bought from their local BMW Motorrad dealership?
BMW Motorrad in street racing
BMW Motorrad UK entered into road racing in 2014 to celebrate Meier’s famous victory of 75 years ago, in which he rode his factory Type 255 Kompressor and took BMW Motorrad’s first ever TT win. To celebrate this anniversary, BMW Motorrad UK joined road racing in 2014. Joining forces with Hawk Racing, the team behind the Buildbase BMW Motorrad British Superbike entry, and supported by BMW Motorrad Motorsport, BMW Motorrad / Hawk Racing was formed. The experts from Munich helped with their expertise, but also with technical support.
For example, BMW Motorrad Motorsport supplied the Superbike engine for Dunlop’s RR. Beginning with the North West 200 in May, Dunlop and the team took victories in both the Superstock and Superbike classes as part of their build up to the Isle of Man TT. At the Isle of Man TT, the BMW Motorrad / Hawk Racing team has now added three more TT triumphs to their collection. In doing so, the team has clearly shown what the BMW S 1000 RR can do in road racing. 25-year-old Dunlop has secured his own place in history. He now has an impressive 11 TT wins. Three of which atop the BMW S 1000 RR. He also became the first rider in history to win four TT races in two consecutive years.
BMW Motorrad: You are an ambitious rider. What have you got planned after the Ulster GP in August?
