SMSC celebrates its 15-years incessant roar in the South

The Southern Motor Sports Club (SMSC), well known motor sports giant in the South and one of the pioneer motor sports club in Sri Lanka, will celebrate its 15th anniversary of innumerable successes in the field of motor sports, on March 25 in Matara.

The history of the Southern Motors Sports Club dates back to February 1997 when it was established with great efforts made by some pioneering motor sportsmen from the south; Suranjith Premadasa, late Preethi Palliyaguru, Ashhar Hameem and Andrew Silva. One of the major objectives of forming the club was to take motor sports from the capital of Colombo to under-privileged areas of the south.

Since its inception, the SMSC excelled by conducting a number of challenging motor sports events in the country.

Some of the well known annual events of the club include the Southern Rally, Southern Super Cross and the Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb. The Southern Rally 2001 was considered to be the best TSD motor rally ever held in Sri Lanka in respect of both technical and organizational aspects. Another important juncture in motor sports history of the club was marked with organizing and conducting the inaugural Rathnapura Speed 2000 Road Race with a record participation of approximately 300,000 spectators.

In year 2000, the club introduced Beach Horse Racing to South Asia for the first time and this event was held continuously for two consecutive years.

The dream of the club in conducting a motor rally to International FIA standards became a reality in 2004, when the club organized a Safari Rally at Kanthale, with the generous sponsorship package provided by the John Keells Hotels. This could be considered as the most significant achievement of the club as it enabled to raise the standard of motor racing in Sri Lanka to the international levels.

With its superb motor sports record the club has formed an alliance with a Malaysian based Canadian professional motor sports company and hope to conduct a 'round' of the South East Asian Rally Championship here in Sri Lanka in near future. The club's strength lies in its excellent organizational ability, technical superiority, safety concerns, human resources and mileage provided to sponsors.

And also SMSC is consist of Businessmen, Academics, Lawyers, Doctors, Bankers and other professionals. The success of the SMSC is evident from the fact that it is the only outstation club, that remained affiliated to SLAS unremittingly since its inception. The club has produced an array of motor sportsmen and women, who have come out with flying colours at a number of national motor sports events. Another important juncture of the club was the establishment of the Young Southern Motor Sports Club (YSMSC), with a strong membership of young motor sports men and women, with a diversity of talents, who can cater to the needs of the contemporary motoring world.

SMSC will conduct a Members' Day Rally on March 25, at 10.00 a.m., followed by anniversary celebrations in the evening. The motor rally will be a TSD type rally, with a distance of 80km. Knowing the strength of the membership, the SMSC is planning to organize the rally to high standards, providing an opportunity for its members to participate in a challenging motor sports event.

The prize distribution of the rally, appreciation of past office bearers / committee members, media personals and anniversary gala dinner with fun and entertainments will be held at Pearl Cliff Hotel, Browns Hill, Matara with the participation of families of the club members, providing an opportunity for the membership to share the experiences of the glorious past of the club in style.

This gathering will include few distinguished invitees including our Patrons Chief Minister of Uva Province Shasheendra Rajapakse, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and many more. The club is also planning to hold its AGM on the same day.

Next President of the SMSC will be a Professor who was one period a good rally driver.