Race deaths 'hit you for six' - NW200 organiser Whyte

North West 200 Event Director Mervyn Whyte has spoken of how the sometimes tragic side of the sport has "taken its toll" on him over the years. The event has grown into a huge week-long spectacle but five competitors - Robert Dunlop, Mark Young, Mark Buckley, Simon Andrews and Malachi Mitchell-Thomas - have lost their lives at the race meeting during the period from 2001 when Whyte has been at the helm in succession to Billy Nutt. While the international road race provides high-speed thrills for those who compete at and attend the event, the inherent dangers of racing on public roads, albeit with significant safety measures in place, mean deaths or serious injuries remain an ever-present possibility.

"Every race has its difficulties, especially if you have a red flag situation. I'm leaving the start and I don't know what the scene is going to be like when I get there," Whyte told BBC Sport NI's Stephen Watson on The BBC Bikes Podcast. "I've had a few of those and I've had five fatalities during my time at the helm.

"It hits you for six and for a two or three week period I don't want to go anywhere, I feel lost. It takes its toll on you. " Whyte explains on the podcast how he first became involved with the event as a marshal in the early 1970s and how plans are being put in place to mark the race's centenary in 2029.

He also outlines how the future of the meeting was in peril in 2023 as it faced an insurance bill of £140,000 for that year, but was saved thanks to the intervention of businessman David Keys. Whyte pays tribute to the massive organisational team who make the event happen and explains some of the challenges they face, along with the numerous setbacks which have caused delays to the races. "There's a massive amount of work to do in preparation and you're just going from one thing to another on a daily basis.