A PHOTOGRAPHIC exhibition celebrating 90 years of the North West 200 has opened to coincide with the return of the road racing event.
Photographs charting nine decades of history are on show at the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady, alongside a display of classic bikes and memorabilia.
It comes as this week marks the return of the popular road racing event following a three-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thousands of racing fans are set to flock to the Triangle circuit to watch all the action, including the practice and race sessions.
And for those who want to reflect on the history of the road race, an exhibition is open consisting of historic NW 200 race photos, from 1929 to 2019, taken from Ian Foster’s book - 'NW200 90th Road & Race'.
Photo donations were made by enthusiasts who attended the races throughout the years, as well as professional photographers.
The charitable book was a labour of love, taking three years to research, compile, write and self-publish, with all proceeds going to the NW 200 team.
As part of the exhibition, children will be encouraged to create their own tile with road racing designs inspired by the display. The tiles will be added to the new art wall within the permanent road racing gallery space at Ballymoney Museum.
Helping to officially launch the exhibition were some well-known Northern Irish road racers from the past including two-time NW 200 winner Dick Creith, Len Ireland and Bill Kennedy.
Richard Holmes, Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens borough council, said:
"This is a must-see exhibition for any road racing fan and I would encourage people to drop in to the arts centre to view the photographic display for themselves."
The NW 200 exhibition runs until August 20.
