SMSC's drive through the wilderness

TUNE up your engines and get ready to traverse through the "Wilderness of The South" - the Southern Night Rally 2005.

The popular Southern Rally, organized by the Southern Motor Sports Club, which is well known to motor sportsmen as a "Journey through the Wilderness of the South" is now around the corner.

Despite severe losses experienced by its members following the Tsunami disaster of 26th of December 2004, the SMSC has taken great efforts towards organizing its most popular, event - the Southern Rally, which is now scheduled today.

The conducting of this event in the troubled Tsunami-affected areas in the south has become a reality thanks to the generous sponsorship package provided by the two major sponsors of this event - the CIC Auto Finish and the National Lotteries Board.

This is not the first time these sponsors have expressed their willingness to help the SMSC in conducting nationally competitive motor sports events in the south of the country.

All arrangements have now been made by the organizers to make this event as competitive as ever. It will be conducted to the TSD rally format and will definitely attract the attention of both competitors and spectators alike.

Since its inception, the Southern Motor Sports Club (SMSC) has conducted a number of challenging motor sports events, such as the Southern Rally and the Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb, which have become the club's annual events.

The Southern Rally 2001 was considered by nearly 60 of the country's best motor sportsmen as the best TSD motor rally ever held in Sri Lanka in respect of both technical and organizational aspects.

The inaugural Rathnapura Speed 2000 Road Race was also conducted by the SMSC with a record participation of a large gathering of spectators.

In 2004, SMSC stepped into the international motor sports arena by organizing and conducting a speed rally at Kantale, according to the rules and regulations of the Federation of International Automobiles (FIA), which is the world governing board for automobile sports.

This is the 05th National Motor Rally organized by the SMSC since, its inception in 1997. Unlike the previously held meets, this will be a Night Rally. The Ceremonial Start and the Grand Finish would be at Sanath Jayasooriya Grounds, Matara.

The first car will be flagged off at 8.00 p.m. on the 10th of December and the first competitor is expected to finish around 6.00 a.m. on the 11th of December 2005.

The rally is expected to cover a distance of 400 km across the beautiful wilderness of the districts of Matara, Galle and Hambantota.

The plotters of the rally have taken all efforts to provide maximum driving experience to the competitors by taking them across diverse terrains, consisting of both gravel and tar surfaced roads.

There would be three categories of vehicles; Rally prepared cars, Non-rally prepared standard cars and, rally-prepared and non-rally prepared jeeps & trucks. Trophies and certificates would be awarded drivers and navigators winning first to tenth places overall.

Drivers and navigators winning 1st to 3rd places in non-rally prepared cars and, jeeps & trucks, will also be awarded trophies and certificates separately. Stage winners (first to third places) will also be awarded with trophies and certificates.