It might be hard to believe, but the 2026 Isle of Man TT is fast approaching. Qualifying week kicks off on Monday, May 25, which is conveniently also a bank holiday in the UK. After a week of qualifying runs across all classes, Race Week will follow hot on its heels on Saturday, May 30, and run through Saturday, June 6 (although there is also a contingency date of Sunday, June 7, should circumstances require extra time to complete the event).
If you've even the most passing of interests in the IOMTT, chances are excellent that you're already familiar with the man, the myth, and the legend that is Michael Dunlop, MBE. Even though he's already racked up 33 separate TT wins in the time he's been running it, it seems like he keeps finding new records to knock down and put his stamp on as time goes on.
Passing his uncle Joey in the record books was, of course, no mean feat; after all, there's a reason that record stood for as long as it did. But hitting a new record 130-mile-per-hour lap (!!! what even) back in 2023? Some records are kind of completely insane, and that's probably got to count as one of them.
In any case, the video we're sharing here may very soon be rendered obsolete. Don't get me wrong; they will still undoubtedly rank among Dunlop's top TT moments. But will they still be THE top 10? That's decidedly unclear, given a couple of important factors.
First, serious competitor Davey Todd has just been declared unfit to compete in this year's TT, which knocks him out of the running for any wins. And second, well, the fact that Michael Dunlop will be lining up to potentially grow his legend even further. That's of course not to say that there aren't plenty of other seasoned competitors (and proven TT winners) who will be lining up on the grid, but winning 33 TTs seems like whatever the opposite of a fluke is.
Will you be watching the 2026 IOMTT? What are you most looking forward to? Share your favorite TT stories in the comments below.
