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by our Kandy Sports correspondent

Kotmale Speed Hill Climb organised by the Upcountry Motor Sports Club (UMSC) will herald the April motor racing up in the hills when it gets under way at Mawathura in Kotmale in close proximity to the Kotmale Dam site on Sunday April 7 commencing at 8 a.m.

UMSC's Kotmale will give the lead and this will followed by the Mahagastota Hill Climb, Radella Hill Climb, Caltex Fox Hill Supercross, Nuwara Road Races and the Nuwara Eliya Autocross and all within a space of 15 days and it will be motor racing extravaganza.

At a press briefing held at Maurice Travels, the President of the UMSC Maurice Perera said that this hill climb has been revived after a lapse of two years and there has been very good response from the competitors who despite the heavy racing schedule ahead have entered the meet, perhaps with a view of warming up and getting all their cylinders firing.

The Chairman of the Organising Committee Dhammika Swarnasinghe said that the track is in very good condition and it could provide both the competitors and the spectators of a racing, a kind which they would have never experienced before up at Kotmale. The track itself which is a project road constructed by the Swedish Engineers who constructed the Kotmale Dam and the reservoir which has been now named after the late Gamini Dissanayake is the best in Sri Lanka having the best of both worlds - while being safe with the roads being broad with a fine surface and at the same has sharp corners, 14 in all and has a very steep incline and with plenty of room for the spectators to watch.

The tussel for supremacy will be between course record holder Rohan de Silva, Dinesh Deheragoda, Nishan Weerasooriya, Romani de Silva, Rizvi Farouk, Nalin Dilpriya Perera, Dinesh Senanayake, Dan Dissanayake, Bri Ponnambalam, Tissa Wijesinghe and veteran Cassim Wahab who is staging a comeback. These racing drivers are among the best exponents in hill climbing and they should provide the sparks at Kotmale which should set it on fire.

Maestro Rohan de Silva was seen this week up at Kotmale inspecting the track in the company of Romani de Silva and expert Bri Ponnambalam and so did Dinesh Deheragoda which gives some indication on the seriousness they will be giving this race perhaps they will be now armed with the knowledge they could be on better terms with the track and manouvre their vehicles to success.

Rohan de Silva hods the course record at Kotmale with a timing of 55.01 seconds which he did in his Formula Ford Mobil McLarens Special in 2000 erasing the earlier record of 56.48 seconds held by Dinesh Deheragoda since 1999. It will be left to be seen whether Rohan de Silva will be able to successfully defend his course record or Dinesh Deheragoda will regain it. The other drivers who should have a tilt at the records are Nishan Weerasuriya, Nalin D. Perera, Romani de Silva, Dinesh Senanayake, Dan Dissnayake, Rizvi Farouk, and Dinesh Jayawardena. Also burning the tracks will be Janaka Pathirana, Henry Mudalige, Sandamal Mudalige, Mangala Jayasiriwardena, Dhammika Peiris, E.M. Dissanayake, Upul Perera, Shalutha Adasuriya, Bri Ponnambalam, Mahen Hurulle, Rohan De Silva (stock cars), Jawidh Wahab, Israq Wahab, Zackie Ismail, Nihal Premasiri, Mario Dias, Thejasiri Gunatillake, Rajitha Cooke, Devaka Amarasuriya.

Suresh Fernando with several class records to his credit in other hill climbs should be a top contender for the records in the events for the two wheelers. Others who should call the tune are Shafraz Junaid, Azad Ziaffudin, veteran Kumar Rajapriya (35th year in competitive racing), Indika Gurusinghe, Dinesh Rajapriya, Champika Samaranayake, Rohana Jayaratne, Ramani Pathirana.

With the weather keeping fine at Kotmale, an interesting day's racing is in store for the spectators and in records should tumble. 

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