Mighty atom Robert Dunlop - one of a kind - Sport

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Robert Dunlop has died following a high speed crash during practice for the North West 200

Robert Dunlop on the starting grid moments before the practice session that claimed his life
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Robert Dunlop on the starting grid moments before the practice session that claimed his life

Robert Dunlop on the starting grid moments before the practice session that claimed his life

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VIDEO
• Course Clerk, Mervyn Whyte
• Tributes from fans [1] [2] [3]
• Robert's last interview with BTTV

He looked on the bright side and never seemed to take seriously the risks which he was involved in

Mighty atom Robert Dunlop - one of a kind

Friday, May 16, 2008

By Jimmy Walker

The death of Robert Dunlop, the "mighty atom" of motorcycle road racing has thrown a dark curtain, not only over the sport that Robert loved and thrived on, but the Northern Ireland psyche as a whole.

THE tragic death of Robert Dunlop, the "mighty atom" of motorcycle road racing has thrown a dark curtain, not only over the sport that Robert loved and thrived on, but the Northern Ireland psyche as a whole.

To say that Dunlop was a household name is to state the obvious for he was well known and well loved not only throughout Northern Ireland, but the rest of the world. He had a manner which endeared himself to everyone and often Dunlop was called upon to produce quick fire quotes when nobody else could fill the gap.

He was in many ways unique, but especially in his road racing career which in fact was two careers in one.

Back in the early 1990s, Dunlop was on his way to becoming not only the best road racer in Ireland but, arguably, in Europe.

I was proud to call him one of my closest friends and in fact had just been commissioned to write Robert's life story only days before his death.

Robert was always one you could work with. He looked on the bright side and never seemed to take seriously the risks which he was involved in. He always came back with a sharp answer and had an endearing way of making you feel good even if you knew you should be feeling bad!

He was fond of life and loved travelling. No road race was too distant for Robert and his two sons Michael and William to travel to.

One minute they were in Germany, the next Spain and then off to distant parts like Macau where Robert won a special reputation as the man who knew all about winning in this far eastern country.

It's unbelievable, as far as I am concerned, to come to terms with the fact that he is no more.

Robert appeared to be indestructible and after the death of his brother Joey in Estonia in 2000 — Ulster's greatest road racing legend — it was left to Robert to carry on the 'family business'.

It seemed, with Michael and William in tow, Robert would now take a back seat and at 46 years of age had deserved it.

But racing was his life and I know he would never retire unnecessarily.

Not even the worst type of injury held him back and in 1994 it looked very much like his career had come to an end.

This was when he was smashed like a rag doll in the Isle of Man TT when riding a superbike.

He came home wrecked and I remember visiting in hospital when he looked as though racing would be the last thing on his mind.

But he had the whimsical look that told you differently.

And when I put the point to him one day he said: "Hand me another cigarette, (in those days you could smoke) and I'll tell you what I feel.

"There is no point in me saying I am going to pack it in lying here in this bed and feeling wretched. I know I will be back as soon as I am fit, should it take years."

Well Robert was as good as his word. He came back two years later when the top motorcycling officials refused to let him race at the North West 200. This was his home race, he felt bad about it and Patsy O'Kane came into my house one evening and told me: "Robert's got to race again, or else he will just wither away."

Well Robert did come back and incredibly won the TT. He even had a modified machine with a special thumb break on the left handlebar.

He also had one leg shorter than the other and when he raced he looked like a man struggling for air in the water, such was the shape of him.

But Robert was not downhearted by his physical problems, he not only raced again but won at the Ulster Grand Prix as well at the TT and incredibly ran up a series of Irish Championships in the 125cc Class to which he was restricted.

Robert in fact was the current 125cc Irish champion and the irony is that he moved on to the 250cc class at this year's North West for the first time since the year of the big accident in 1994.

The stories about Robert Dunlop are legion. I particularly like the one which happened in 1998 in the North West when after a spill took him back to the start, he then discovered something he wanted to adjust on his bike.

Everyone else had brand new kits which looked expensively turned out, but Robert opened an old tin box, threw the contents out into the middle of the road, then dived in and lifted out a spanner.

"That's what I was looking for," he said and proceeded to work on his bike within seconds of the restart.

That's the sort of man Robert Dunlop was.

You couldn't knock him down and it is unbelievable that someone like him will no longer adorn motorcycle sport.

To his wife, Louise and two sons Michael and William, I extend my deepest sympathy.