Ashan drives to glory at Eliyakanda

Priyan de Silva, - Matara Sports Corr

Ashan Silva stamped his supremacy at Eliyakanada for the fourth consecutive year by a faster timing of four milli-seconds in the SL-GT Cars up to 3500 CC event. Shafraz Junaid was the fastest rider of the day. The Southern Motor Sports Club vibrated Matara with the sonorous roar of cars and motor cycles recently with the 17th Eliyakanda hill Climb and the inaugural Southern Drag Races.

Saffraz Junaid

Ashan silva

The festival of motor sports commenced with the Southern Drag Race 2013 on a 400 meter straight track along beach road Matara. New to the spectators in the south, the 'Drag' was a treat to watch. The drag races were sponsored by US Car Sales and attracted over 50 participants.

The Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb attracted a record 150 competitors and was jointly sponsored by Pan Asia Bank and CEAT. Etisalat and WURTH were co-sponsors. There were nine motor cycle events and 15 motor car events. Motor cycle events were dominated by the super runs of Shafraz Junaid who handled his machine beautifully to win both Super Motard up to 250 event and the Super Motard Open event in style.

At the end of the meet, Junaid was also adjudged the 'fastest rider of the day'.

Two other riders who thrilled the crowds were Sudath Weerasinghe and Maduranga Kaldera.

Of the motor car events, the Nissan March event (SL-N production cars up to & including 1000 CC), Ford Laser Events (both 1300 & 1500 CC) and the Honda VTEC event (SL-H cars up to 1600 CC) recorded the highest participation .The fastest event of the meet was the SL-GT cars up to 3500 CC event, where both Darin Weerasinghe and Ashan Silva showed how to handle these super-fast monstrous vehicles on winding and climbing terrain.

Ashan Silva made it 4 milliseconds faster than Darin and was able to bag the trophies-for fastest driver and the best timing for the day.