Editorial: The fabulous North West 200 road race travels on towards its centenary

​The biggest crowds in years flocked in their tens of thousands to the sun-drenched north coast on Saturday for the famous North West 200 motorcycle races.

A confident weather forecast of unbroken sunshine did not disappoint, showcasing the seaside towns of Portrush and Portstewart with their picture-postcard coastal backdrops.

The weather Gods, for once, smiled on the Event Director Mervyn Whyte and his organisational team, granting them a fine day for the country’s premier road race.

There was a buzz of anticipation in the thronged paddock in Portrush, growing in intensity in the moments before the opening race.

Many of the world’s top motorcycle road racing exponents, among them Michael Dunlop – part of Ulster’s revered motorcycling dynasty – donned their leathers, gloves and helmets.

After the flag dropped, there was an explosion of sound and kaleidoscope of colours amid the phenomenal speeds is an experience that can only be truly appreciated first-hand.

Danger is always lurking around the next corner, but that is part of the unscripted drama – a high-octane mix of race and setting, making it is easy to understand why fans return year after year.

The North West 200 – edging ever closer to its centenary in 2029 – is a jewel in the crown of Northern Ireland sport.

We should be proud to have such top-level road racing on our doorstep in Northern Ireland – a spectacle to be enjoyed while it lasts.

It is an event that usually coincides with another annual Ulster favourite, the Balmoral Show, that gets under way on Wednesday.

The News Letter always carries pages of reports from the NW200, as we do today, and pages on Balmoral, as we will from Thursday’s edition.