MOTORCYCLING: Joey's the king of the roads

HE saw starving, poverty-stricken children in a war torn country on television news and had to help.

He's been honoured by the Queen, twice, and was this week made the equivalent of a knight by the Isle of Man government.

And Joey Dunlop is quite handy at racing motorcycles.

The man is a phenomenon, a hero to thousands of fans around the world. Yet beneath the star status he receives for two weeks every June, on an island in the middle of the Irish sea, Dunlop is a modest, quietly spoken, deep-thinking genuine Irishman.

He is the people's champion. He accepts the applause, honours and accolades with embarrassment, such is the make up of this focused and determined individual.

After this week's 24th, 25th and 26th TT wins, the plaudits joked about renaming the Isle of Man after Joey's nickname 'The Isle of Yer Maun.'

Yet Joey really does epitomise everything about the sleepy island which comes alive each year for the world's oldest motorcycle races.

The fairytale started in 1976, seven years after the illustrious racing career of one William Joseph Dunlop began. He set foot on the Isle of Man with intrigue -- having never seen the 37.73 mile TT course. He'd just heard about this annual festival of racing. "I didn't have a clue where I was going on my first lap of practice," admits Dunlop, who has since lapped the TT course 246 times at an average speed of more than 110mph in the races.

Dunlop's obsession with racing at the TT was soon realised. A year later, in the 1977 Jubilee Classic race, Dunlop, the little known racer from Ballmoney, Co Antrim, became Joey Dunlop -- TT winner. The TT love affair for the unassuming Ulsterman was underway.

Now at 48 years of age, Dunlop is as, if not more, passionate about his racing. He trains every day and spends five weeks preparing for the season by touring on a motorcycle in Australia. He gave up smoking five years ago and his drinking sessions are now reduced to post race-celebrations.

As for the future? Joey said in 1988 -- as he climbed off his 750 Honda after winning the Senior TT -- that he was finished with the big machines and would concentrate his future TT efforts on the smaller 125 and 250cc machines.

Twelve years on, Dunlop took Honda's new VTR 1000cc machine to victory in the prestigious Formula One race last Saturday although he could not repeat the success in yesterday's shortened Senior race, won by Dave Jefferies.

It was 10 years ago that the burning TT question was: "When will Joey retire." Now the question is hardly worth asking.

After collecting his Formula One first prize on Monday evening, Honda's race boss Bob McMillan -- on stage to collect the manufacturer's award -- asked the legions of Joey fans if they'd like him to be back to race next year -- naturally there was no deliberation in their reply. McMillan says: "Joey is a one off. Sometimes you wonder what's going through his mind but if he does anything that is predictable it is his determination when he leaves a startline. He just goes on and on amazing you."

What is often overlooked with Dunlop is his obvious talent on a motorcycle. He won the Formula One world championship five times but he is also a thinking man.

When the weather conditions are unpredictable, when he needs more from a machine or when he needs to increase his pace in a TT race, Dunlop will always come up with the goods.

His wins tally of 25 is nine more than second highest, Mile Hailwood. However, Dunlop's tally could easily be more than 30 but for a 1989 crash at Brands Hatch.

The injuries he sustained forced him out of that year's event -- even though he tried without success to pass a medical at the start of practice week.

It took him until 1992 to climb the top step of the podium once more. That was for victory number 14, it equalled Hailwood's record and was big news, now it is a very distant memory as Dunlop's rampant crusade to rewrite the record books continues. Away from the TT Dunlop will contest around 20 other events a year, mostly with three or four different machines. A doggedness for perfection with his machine set up keeps the ageless talent occupied -- a scenario it is difficult to ever imagine ceasing.

"I've always worked on the machines, especially the 125 and 250 which are really difficult to set up," explains Dunlop who has started 95 TT races, won 68 silver and seven bronze replicas. He holds records all over Ireland, he has more race wins than any other rider at a host of public roads circuits in a career which offers enough anecdotes to fill a book.

His tales of TT experiences include 1985 when the fishing boat taking him to the island sank. Joey was in the galley cooking when the drama unfolded. His quick thinking was enough to ensure the safety of all on board. Hero? "It was nothing, just the normal thing to do at the time," dismisses Dunlop.

His intelligence is not striking on first impresions but the father of five could blind anyone with TT knowledge. He reels off his career details as if it began yesterday. His intensity is the mark of one man's relentless will to succeed.

It was that same will which took him to the war torn Bosnia and Romania five years ago. Alone, he made five trips to the war ravaged countries, handing out food parcels and clothes from the back of his race transporter.

"One or two of the trips were a bit scary," recalls Dunlop. "Soldiers had me at gun point on one trip, locked me in my van all night and escorted me in and out of buildings when I wanted to wash."

It's that single mindedness in a 30 year career which has kept Dunlop at the top of his sport. Local government in Ballymoney, where he owns and runs his own public house, the Isle of Man dignitaries and even the Queen are running out of honours to award this shy, yet often distant character. His loyalty is totally in line with the keeping of this appreciative and gentle human being. Dunlop has been with Honda for 20 years and he's Aral helmet's longest serving rider, joining them in 1982 with never a hint of switching brands -- totally in keeping with the mystique of Dunlop.

His 25 wins are firmly logged in the record books but Dunlop is not finished. On Wednesday morning he races in the 125cc ultra lightweight race and in the afternoon rides in the 600cc junior TT.

His final race of the 2000 TT is in Friday's senior. In 1985 and 1988 he won three races in a week, in both years he took Formula One, 250cc and senior TT victories.

At TT 2000 he has already won the Formula One and the 250cc TTs. More of an omen? When he won his first TT in 1977 it was not with his familiar number three on the front of the machine but number six. Under recently introduced senior TT qualifying procedure riders' numbers change for the final race of he week.

On Friday Dunlop will start the senior TT with a number six on the front of his factory VTR 1000.

Fogarty's respect - see separate story