Leading drivers and riders for Fox Hill supremacy

Bernard Perera

MOTOR RACING: The 15th Annual Fox Hill Super Cross 2007 is due to be held today at Diyatalawa Army Cantonment circuit commencing 9.0. The event organised by Sri Lanka Army Motor Racing Committee will be conducted by Sri Lanka Association for Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR).

The championship event too will be worked off on this day. The points accumulated will be considered for the SLARDAR championship.

The organisers have made arrangements to conduct a total of 29 events on this day for cars and motor cycles of different classifications approved by the sports governing body. According to an official 172 drivers and riders have sent in their entries to compete at this meet, which is considered as the most beautiful and toughest circuit for drivers and riders.

With the toughness of the course the many thrills and spills can be witnessed by the spectators who come to watch Sri Lankans best Super Cross which has being in existnace for one and a half decades.

Its toughness also has helped local drivers and riders to improve skills to higher levels. Which also has help them to reach internal standards. Many riders who made use this track to its maximum has won accolades competing in international meets.

This year all leading drivers in the country will be seen competing here for supremacy in their different classes. The most interesting and fastest event for the day will be the two races for 3500 cc GT cars.

Sunday will see few leading drivers in this class, Aravinda Premadasa Champion for three consecutive years and last years champion on this course Dinesh Deheragoda in action. Deheragoda is sure to go all collect the maximum points which will be of vital importance if he is to retain the championship trophy which he won last year.

Meanwhile Aravinda who failed to retain his championship title last year will make strong challenge to Deheragoda. While these two leaders concentrate on the battle, many other drivers in the calibre of Dinesh Jayawardene, Rayaz Farook, Rizvi Farook, Nalin D. Perera, Dan Dissanayake are gearing upto give big challenge to two leading drivers while they engage in a supremacy battle.

In the Mini category up to 1000 cc Yoga Perera, Parameshawaran, Balasingham and Rohith de Silva try their, to gain the points available. This will definitely be a race to watch.

Nishan Wasalanthantri, Upulwan Serasinghe, Shehan de Tissera, Dhammika Peiris, Samantha Gunewadena, Veteran Rohan de Silva and her daughter Sehara Jayawardene, young Pashindu Peiris who switched to driving only this and U.C. Perera are sure to battle their way to win on this track on different classes.

The most interesting for the fans will be the Motor cycle events that catches the eye of all. Gayan Sandaruwan who has won the first Fox Hill Super Cross title at the young age of 17 years has been the champion for three consecutive years.

Since his first appearance on this circuit has maintain a super class record. He achieve all these while competing against veteran on Super Cross Shane Gunewardena, Nalin Perera and Ananda Wedisinghe. None of them could beat young Gayan for three long years.

This year too Gayan in sure to face this opposition for the fourth successive year. The spectators once again are going to witness a top class Super Cross racing on two wheelers.

Gayan was given a stiff challenge by young Pasindu Peiris and Rohana Jayaratne in the previous outings. The fans will have to wait and see what Gayan's tactics will be on this day to keep his title for another year.

Fox Hill Super Cross 2007 is sponsored by Sri Lanka Insurance and Lanka Bell with ANCL (Lake House) as its print media sponsor with Diyatalawa experiencing evening showers these day the track in the morning could be a wet one and drivers and riders have to be a bit careful in controlling their machines specially when cornering.

The organisers should also take great care in running the events on scheduled which could also help avoid the expected evening showers.

According to Brigadier Bandara who is also the chief of the Sri Lanka Army Motor Sports Committee and that all arrangements are finalised, he further said that all proceeds from the event will be used to broad base the Military Academy, in Diyatalawa.

He requests all sports fans to contribute in any possible manner to make this event a success.