How do motorcycle road racers deal with death in their sport?

"You can't actually think about the ''what ifs' and the doubts and everything else in your mind. It helps you continue, but as soon as the helmet comes back off then the memories come back."

Todd explained he is in his "happy place" when on the circuit and says that "for most of us it is all we know".

"When the visor comes down, it is more relaxing and the doubts and the fears, and everything else in your whole life actually, they go away when the visor goes down and it's just you."

English rider Todd, who will be part of BBC Sport NI's coverage of the racing on Saturday, said that while it is "really tough" when a rider passes away, the road racing "community really comes together".

"Everybody stands together and it's not the nice side of racing, but it is a part of it nonetheless," Todd said.

"Everybody supports each other and tries to be there for each other in the times of need.

"At the end of the day, as the family did on this occasion, all of us would want the racing to continue nonetheless.

"We love it, we love the sport. We love almost everything about it and try and continue and remember this rider for as long as possible."

'The highs are high, but the lows are low'

Road racing is a dangerous sport, as riders can reach speeds of more than 200mph on the long run to University Corner at the North West 200, but there are measures in place to make it as safe as it can possibly be.

Protectors and bales are placed in front of trees, lamp posts, walls and kerbs that line the circuit, while certain street signs and other obstacles are removed for the duration of the event.

The circuit used to be a fast and flowing triangle, but as the speeds of bikes have increased four chicanes have been introduced to lower the average speed of the lap.

The latest of these was introduced at Mather's Cross in 2010, which was previously a high-speed curve with little run-off, after the deaths of Robert Dunlop in 2008 and Mark Young the following year.

When Mitchell-Thomas died in 2016, additional protectors were introduced along the coast road, and safety measures are reviewed before the event each year.

If there are any concerns about track conditions, such as oil spills or debris, experienced former racers are among those who head to the scene along with officials to help decide if it is safe for bikes to head back out on track, and if any action needs to be taken.

However, as Holan's accident tragically highlighted, the sport will never be 100% safe, and those who race on Saturday will do so in his memory.

"When it's good, it's the best thing in the world," Todd said.

"There's nothing that compares to the feeling of it. The highs are highs, but the lows are really low."