Racing kings clash at Sigiriya
Chinthana WASALA
The absence of last year's Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers
and Riders (SLARDAR) champion KP Aravindh will be felt, but the sport
light will be on Indian champion C S Santhosh, Lankan superstar Gayan
Sandaruwan and young riding sensation Shehan C Adhikari at the fourth
Sigiriya Rallycross tomorrow. The dusty track at the Air Force Base in
Sigiriya will be the venue for the first chapter of the CEAT - SLARDAR
championship this year.
Lankan stars will have to face stiff opposition from the two visiting
riders, Santhosh and his TVS team partner Harith Noah who will ride on
Lankan soil for the first time in the Group MX upto 125cc and 250cc
event. When the two Indian riders battling out for supremacy along with
Sandaruwan and Adhikari, who is expected to ride his new 250cc machine,
it will definitely be one of the most entertaining events on two wheels.
(From left) Sri Lanka Air Force Motor racing chairman Air
Commodore JSI Wijemanne,SLARDAR president Mahesh Gammanpila
breifing the media at the SLAF Headquarters. Picture by Sudath
Nishantha |
In the modified Street Trail category, 125 cc champion Lahiru
Jeewantha and 250 cc champion Sampath Kumara will be challenged by
seasoned campaigners Haren Yatawaka and Dinesh Anurudda. Shamika
Wickramarachchi who won several events last year will also participate
this year. Ananda Wedisinghe, former undisputed Motorcross champion will
be in action in the Super Motard 450 cc event. National champion on
Suraj Perera and SLARDAR champion Ramal Patiratne will have to fight
hard to keep pace with Ananda Wedisinghe. A host of youngsters, Binula
Kithalagama and 50 cc champion Abhishek Wanaguru, will be the main
contenders for the under 13 MX event. Jacques Gunawardena, on his newly
acquired KTM will be the front runner for the Under 16 championship
with Evon Gurusinghe and Kasun Wickramarachchi on Hondas are also
close runners.
For the first time in Sri Lanka, a team championship has been
introduced by SLARDAR. Team EZY Racing has entered three teams which
will consist of two drivers per team while Team Exide has entered two
teams. The energy drink "Carabao" has also entered a team.
On the four-wheelers, champion driver Pasindu Peiris will team up
with Sajaad Zuhair in the team championship for EZY Racing. Aravinda
Premadasa who will run under EXIDE colours is sure to bounce back.
Dinesh Deheragoda who is the owner of a new EVO 10, Janaka Dias, Rizvie
Farouk, Missaka Naveen and Gamini Nelson are all top runners who will
compete at the Sigiriya Rallycross. In the SL - H class, this year too
it will be a battle between Ashan Silva, Fasindu Peiris, Sajaad Zuhair,
Upulwan Serasinghe and highly talented Lakmal Wijayaratne. Other leading
drivers who will be in battle at Sigiriya include Chaminda Weerasuriya,
Rohan Wijayaratne, Duminda Jayasinghe, Lalin Kirinde and champion
Upulwan Serasinghe.
The 2.2 km Sigiriya track is a mix of tarmac and gravel which
includes 800 metres of tarmac, a straight line which is on the Sigiriya
Air Force runway.
It is also a wide track which will help drivers immensely with ample
width for overtaking. This opportunity will give riders and drivers a
chance to touch high speed and put their machines to test. The track
consisting of 10 corners will add more colour to the event while the
drivers will have to work hard to control their vehicles going through
these corners.
The Air Force will use proceeds of this event for the welfare of the
in-service Airmen and women and also for families of Airmen who lost
their breadwinners and disabled airmen.
Sri Lanka Air Force is organizing the event in association with the
Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders.
Associated Newspapers of Ceylon (Lake House) is the print media
partner of the event. |