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Tune up your machines and get ready for the Southern Rally 2003 organised by the Southern Motor Sports Club, which is scheduled to be held on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of May in Matara. The 630 km "Southern Rally" organised by the Southern Motor Sports Club in 2001 was a tremendous success, participated by more than 50 leading drivers and riders.

The participants had no hesitation to call this rally, 'one of the most challenging, superbly organised and a memorable event in motor rallying history of Sri Lanka'.

Southern Rally 2003 is also a step towards 'International Motor Rallying' because, for the first time in Sri Lanka, a Speed Leg has been introduced into the Rally, which was earlier conducted to the TSD format - the only format used in Sri Lankan Motor Rallies in the past. The introduction of this Speed Leg, will uplift the Rally into the category of FIA (the World Motor Sports Authority) recognised, WRC (World Rally Championship) events.

This new format will make the Southern Rally 2003 a highly exciting, superb motor sports event for the rally-hungry motor sportsmen in the country.

Known for its expert skills in motor rallying, the Southern Sports Club has made tremendous efforts to take the competitors through a very exciting, challenging and a memorable route.

The organisers say that the plotters of the route have worked day and night for months to provide the competitors with something that they will remember for years to come.

Due to the fact that the rally route falls across the most beautiful and wild locations in the South of the country, the organisers have renamed the rally as a "Journey through the wilderness of the South". That rally traverses not only through the beautiful wilderness of the South, but also through major cities in the Matara, Galle, Rathnapura, Moneragala and Hambantota districts covering a route of approximately 700 km (including the Speed Legs. It consists of three stages with a two-hour stop-over between stages and three special Speed Legs.

The Southern Motor Sports Club believes that, it is the proper combination of the skills of the driver, navigator (co-driver) and the machine (competing vehicle) that decides the success in motor rallying. Therefore, unlike in many other motor rallies held elsewhere in the past, where the role of the navigator has been comparatively undermined, the navigators participating in the Southern Rally 2003, will have a more challenging task, equally important with that of the driver.

The organisers will be awarding about 100 trophies to the winners, consisting of winners at stages, special Speed Legs and finally the overall winners. The awards distribution will take place at a grand musical evening. The organisers expect a massive crowd to witness the Rally and have made arrangements to invite very distinguished guests at the start/finish and the awards ceremony to add more colour and glamour to this motor sports event.

Entry forms for the Southern Rally 2003 could now be obtained from the following addresses. Entries close on Saturday the 12th of April, 2003 at 117, Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Matara (041-22655; 041-22385; fax. 041-23244), Marble Decor nd., 126/1, Nawala Road, Nugegoda (01-821861, 01-817955), Premadasa Group of Companies, 179, Jayantha Weerasekera Mw., Col. 10 Tel. 01-436994. Fax. 01-449950.

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