Only a few weeks ago, we reported that William Dunlop would not be racing at the Isle of Man TT. Due to an injury and a health scare involving his unborn child, Dunlop skipped the TT. Now, upon his return to the Northern Ireland Road Racing Championship, tragedy has struck.
Losing Another Member of the Dunlop Family
Michael Dunlop won his 18th Isle of Man TT this year, making him the 3rd winningest rider in that race’s history. His brother William was still fighting for his first Isle of Man TT win. Since he started racing in 2000, William Dunlop has won 108 races.
Winning Northern Irish road races is a tradition for the Dunlop family. William’s father, Robert, was a renowned racer in the series and his uncle Joey was known for having more race wins at the Isle of Man TT than anyone else. However, both racers lost their lives to the sport. Robert passed after a crash during practice for the North West 200 in 2008, and Joey passed after a 2000 crash in Tallin, Estonia.
On July 7th, while practicing for the Skerries 100, William was riding just ahead of his brother when he encountered trouble near Sam’s Tunnel. The resulting crash caused severe injuries that the racer was unable to recover from.
The Loughshinny Motorcycle Supporters Club—organizers of the Skerries 100—would later decide to continue the race after consulting with the Dunlop family. The prize purse for this year’s event was donated to the family in honor of William.
Racing motorcycles can be a dangerous sport, requiring a commitment that some people cannot understand. However, this passion and courage are familiar to family, friends and fellow motorcyclists. That’s one of the reasons you will be missed, William.
—From the motorcycling attorneys at Metier Law Firm.