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Stephen Robert Dunlop (25 November 1960 – 15 May 2008) was a Northern Irish motorcycle racer, the younger brother of fellow road racer, the late Joey Dunlop, and like Joey he died after a crash while racing. ==Biography== After an apprenticeship on short circuits, the teenage Dunlop made his road race debut at the 1979 Temple 100. His first appearance at the Cookstown 100 came in 1980, riding a 347cc Yamaha. His first professional race, where he was fully sponsored was at Aghadowey in 1981. Dunlop then began a record breaking run at the Cookstown 100, where his first win came in the 1985 250cc race. Riding an ECM, he averaged 88.57 mph to take the chequered flag ahead of Gary Cowan (EMC) and Noel Hudson (Rotax). His most successful year was 1987 when he scooped the prestigious ''“Man of the Meeting”'', winning 125cc, 350cc and 1000cc races. Four more 125cc victories followed in 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1993; a total of eight victories in the event. He won the Macau Grand Prix in 1989 on a Honda 500, beating Phillip McCallen and Steve Hislop, both on Honda 750's.〔(Motorcycle Racing Online - Recent race winners in the Macau Grand Prix )〕 In 1990 he joined the JPS Norton racing team on the RCW588, which was powered by a Wankel engine. On short circuits Dunlop notched one of the three MCN Supercup wins, the other two by Terry Rymer. Dunlop notched a double in Ireland's North West 200 and finished third in the F1 Isle of Man TT.〔(John Player Special Norton - Robert Dunlop ) JPS Norton Website Retrieved 2010-02-03〕 In 1994, Dunlop suffered a major accident on the Isle of Man Formula One TT, when the back wheel of his 750cc Honda RC45 collapsed in a long left turn, just after he took the jump over Ballaugh Bridge. Dunlop suffered multiple injuries and was extremely lucky to have survived the high-speed crash. A long stay in hospital, followed by protracted recuperation, meant Dunlop was out of action for the remainder of 1994 and all of 1995. Many believed that Dunlop's racing career was over, and he was left with severe tendon damage which restricted movement, and a shortened leg from the accident. Afterwards accepting his injuries and resultantly restricting his competition entries from then on to the 125cc class, Dunlop was determined to return. Dunlop chose the Cookstown 100 on 20 April 1996, and although still not fully fit, took ninth place in the 125cc race won by brother Joey. He was never to win Cookstown 100 again, but returned every year in the 125cc class: 3rd in 1997, 4th in 1998, 3rd in 2002 and 2nd in 2004. Subject to severe insurance restrictions and costs due to his continual pain and deteriorating condition of his leg, and even questions in the Northern Ireland Assembly,〔(The Northern Ireland Assembly - Written Answers to Questions )〕 on 16 December 2003 Dunlop announced that he would quit motorcycle racing after the 2004 season. Dunlop announced that he was hoping to win the Isle of Man TT and North West 200 before he quit, and that he intended to focus on his sons, William and Michael, and pass his motorcycling experience to them. Robert continued racing until his retirement at the 2004 Isle of Man TT races. On 8 February 2005 he was the first person to be elected to the ''"Irish Motorcycle Hall of Fame"''. At the event, Dunlop announced that he was shortly to enter hospital to have his injured leg broken and lengthened, an inevitable conclusion to his 1994 Isle of Man TT accident. He also announced if all went well, he would love to return to motorcycle racing in 2006, sponsored by Patsy O'Kane in a last hurrah. Dunlop actually came back out of retirement during the 2005 road racing season. Dunlop took his record breaking 15th win at the 2006 North West 200 meeting.〔(Robert Dunlop Story DVD - Duke Video )〕 The Dunlop brothers between them have also won a record number of races at the North West 200. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Robert Dunlop」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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