I agree with you clivem, in that DJ would've went on to be regarded as 'King of the Mountain', and surely would of been in the conversation as one of the true all-time great road racers. As race fans, I think we not only lost the great man himself 17 years ago, but also what could have been one of the greatest sporting rivalries ever. McPint's progression at the T.T in the mid 2000's would have been pushing DJ to raise the bar higher. I'm sure they would've remained best mates no matter how close they ran each other on the track, though I feel that had DJ been around, this truly could've have been a golden era, as Sam Pato mentions, DJ had already started.

I try not to have regrets, though having never seen DJ race in the flesh, I am envious of all who did. RIP DJ