JOEY’S INCREDIBLE TREBLE
2000
At the ripe old age of 48, no-one thought that Joey Dunlop could win another F1 TT – especially on the fickle Honda SP-1 against the V&M Yamaha R1s ridden by Dave Jefferies. The year previously, Jefferies had dealt a crushing blow to Honda, taking the F1 TT title and ending an 18-year winning streak in the class (see separate story, left). But ‘Yer Maun’ wasn’t one for backing away from a challenge, especially at the TT, although the signs weren’t promising.
At the North-West 200 the SP-1s were outclassed by the R1s, so much so that Joey had declared: “It doesn’t stand a chance against the R1s on the Island.” But after Honda’s British race boss Bob McMillan pleaded with the factory and one of Aaron Slight’s WSB-spec engines arrived, things started to look up. Even the weather was playing into Joey’s hands.
With rain wrecking practice week, Dunlop’s experience around the course counted and the F1 race started under cloudy skies with damp patches reported in some areas. Riding with incredible determination, Joey took the lead and even after stalling the bike in the pit (thankfully the WSB-spec SP-1 motor retained its starter!) he managed to see off Jefferies’ mid-race challenge and victory was assured when the V&M R1 broke down on lap five. Joey won by nearly a minute, reducing grown men to tears of joy. “I’m glad I could repay the faith Honda have shown in me,” the ever-understated Joey said afterwards. Later that week he went on to take his 25th and 26th TT victories but tragically was killed in a race in Estonia just a few weeks after the TT. The word legend doesn’t come close to doing Joey justice.