'An honour to share TT record with Joey' - Dunlop

History-making Isle of Man TT rider Michael Dunlop says "it is an honour" to subordinate his uncle Joey arsenic nan astir successful rider ever astatine nan celebrated world nationalist roads racing event.

Michael won Saturday's opening Supersport title to lucifer Joey connected 26 profession wins complete nan daunting Mountain Course.

The 35-year-old will compete successful a further 7 races astatine this year's TT, affording him respective opportunities to create a caller landmark.

Joey, wide considered 1 of nan top motorcycle racers, died successful 2000 aged 48 erstwhile competing successful Estonia.

"It takes a spot of nan unit disconnected now. It's thing that has been looming now for a afloat twelvemonth truthful it's bully to get it," Michael told BBC Sport NI aft winning nan four-lap title by 8.5 seconds from runner-up Davey Todd.

"Everyone wants to strive to beryllium Joey information present and to beryllium location now, to beryllium 1 of nan astir successful astir nan TT circuit, to stock it pinch Joey, is an honour.

"Regarding what happens for nan remainder of nan week now, I don't care."

Dunlop has been suffering from nan effects of a wrist wounded sustained successful a clang astatine nan Cookstown 100 Irish nationalist roadworthy races successful precocious April, but shrugged disconnected nan problem to romp location to a grounds 12th Supersport title triumph and a 5th successful succession successful nan class, riding nan R6 Yamaha tally by his ain MD Racing team.

"I'm carrying an wounded and I thought that decidedly astatine nan TT it was going to beryllium difficult work, and it was, there's nary uncertainty astir it," explained nan Northern Irishman.

"These boys are doing BSB [British Superbikes] pinch their mill rides and sometimes you wonderment 'are you doing it alright yourself, is what you're doing correct aliases wrong', but now I person nan grounds machine, it's mine, I ain it, and it's going to beryllium successful my house.

"I whitethorn not person put successful nan miles beforehand that I should person but I'm happy."

Dunlop could surpass his uncle's tally successful Sunday's six-lap Superbike race, and will besides return successful some Superstock events, nan 2 Supertwins outings, Supersport title 2 and nan bluish riband Senior TT.

"I will springiness nan adjacent 7 races 110 per cent, we've sewage to support pushing. Winning races is what I'm present to do, whether it beryllium 1 aliases eight.

"There is ever unit to triumph information nan Isle of Man and to do it each ourselves and activity really difficult astatine it, I deliberation we do a bully job."

Michael dedicated his record-equalling triumph to his precocious grandma May, who passed distant successful December.

"I've sewage different emotions," he added. "One of my biggest supporters was my granny and it's a pity I didn't do it past twelvemonth for her to spot it."

Writing connected X, formerly Twitter, Joey Dunlop's family conveyed their congratulations to Michael connected his achievement.

"Huge congratulations to Michael connected equalling Joey's grounds of 26 TT wins from Linda [Joey's wife] and family," they said.