Vintage Joey Dunlop

Bikes

Stumbled across this lovely two-part ‘tube of Joey Dunlop preparing for the 1977 Cookstown 200.

Obviously, Yer Maun ragged it around public roads clobbered only in jeans and T-shirt to get the feel of the Ulster asphalt. You could do that in the seventes. Check out the gawping kids in their polyester and the girls with their flicked purdie wedges, spray on jeans and colourful vests. Classic bygones provoke instant nostalgia.

There’s a lovely understated style to the documentary – proper film making pieced together in beautiful composed takes and shot, remember, without the advantage of video and minicam technology.
Let’s have some more of this uninflected style of TV please, aunty Beeb…

via Motorsport Retro

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19 Responses to “Vintage Joey Dunlop”

  1. Laury Curran

    Ah yes, what a classic! Scenes taken from “The Road Racers”. Love the contrast between the relaxed, laid back nature of the people with the intense and dangerous racing of two stroke grand prix motorcycles on country roads. The great thing is that it is still going on to this day! For how long though? Its a cruel sport that regularly kills its best but the men and women involved know well the risks.

  2. Nice to see you guys finally crediting the source of your stories. You know its good manners to do it on each post that you have found elsewhere. The etiquette is to also actually say Via: MotorsportRetro. We love your site. Keep up the good work.

  3. Johnwaller

    Bloody fantastic racing as it was friends family and fans all together helping and ejoying superb skills. No electonlc gurus giving only good riders the false apperance of being legends. Joey was a special person who never forgot his roots

  4. Katana

    Excellent film/documentary “Road Racers”, shows what we accepted as normal back then. Irish road racing is some of the best racing you will ever see. It also has to be the most dangerous, real heroes. Joey may be gone but will never be forgotten.

  5. Alan Popplewell2

    Makes Me want to go to Joey's Bar.Brill Guy.Alan

  6. Brian Henderson

    brilliant no premadonas there unfotunately technoligy has taken over its now more about the electronics than the rider Joey was the best I was honoured to see him race and to meet him on the island. Hendy

  7. Garylinstead42

    Many thanks very interesting – great stuff. More bikes say I. Gary

  8. Tdm850

    Joey was and is the greatest road racer ever. No one rode so many different bikes across 3 different decades, added to which he was the mildest most self effacing guy with a huge heart and worked tirelessly for charities. A genuine hero for the 20th Century

  9. Fantastic bit of film. So far removed from our Moto GP Gods.
    That is real racing that is probobly gone forever.

  10. Bernard sture

    Great stuff very interesting no technoligy in days gone by. May GOD be with Joey.

  11. Hey Rich

    Apologies for the oversight. Corrected. Thanks for the kind words.

    MikeF

  12. Cairnspj

    I'm reading Joey's biography at the moment and to see this footage was brilliant. thanks and where can I see the rest?

  13. Fantastic vintage, I actually hav the full length version of this.

  14. Bobberbry

    I remember watching “The Road Racers” on the Isle of Man at the TT in 1980, it struck a chord then, probably even more so now, with the passing of time. I,ve got to get the dvd,i,m sure it will astonish my son and some friends.
    Thanks for showing something i,d lost in time