Journey through the wilderness driving down South
The Southern Monsoon Rally, dubbed the ‘journey through the wilderness of the south’ will dominate the rough terrains, covering a distance of 600 kilometres, next weekend. The two-day motor rally organsied by the Southern Motor Sports Club (SMSC) will merge with the Lakshman Yapa Foundation, with intention of making the event more vibrant and involved, despite earning a grand reputation among the public.
From this year the SMSC will retag the rally as the Lakshman Yapa Trophy – Southern Monsoon Rally 2013. The rally, which begins on November 2, consists of three road stages and three optional super special stages before reaching its end on November 3. The organisers have specifically categorized Non Rally Prepared Standard Vehicles (Group NRP), Rally Prepared Modified Vehicles (Group RP), Veterans (Group V), Novices (Group N) for members of SMSC and the Young SMSC, Rally Prepared and Non-Rally Prepared Trucks and Jeeps (Group T) and Team entries will be eligible to take part in the road sections.
In the special category, Standard and or Modified Petrol Motor Cars up to and including 1500cc (Non Turbo), Diesel Motor Cars Up and including 2000cc (Non Turbo), Motor Cars Open Truck and Jeeps Diesel Up to 3000cc (Non Turbo) and Truck and Jeeps Open will be eligible to compete.
“We will issue of time and distance charts and route instructions on Friday, November 1 at 5.00pm at the Football Pavilion of Uyanwatte Stadium in Matara and Marble Décor in Nugegoda. The competing vehicles will be scrutinized on November 2 at 8.00am at the Football Pavilion of Uyanwatte Stadium in Matara. A second scrutinizing will be done on the same day at 4.30pm at the entrance to Matara Fort before the rally starts off near the Kotuwegoda roundabout at 7.00pm,” Professor Amarasinghe further explained.
The first stage of the Southern Monsoon Rally will cover a distance of 180 kilometres from Matara to Akuressa. This stage is set to complete at 11.30pm covering 80 percent of tar and concrete terrain and 20 percent of gravel, running through Weligama, Kananke, Pitabeddara, Derangala, Neluwa, Morawaka, Rotumba and Urubokka before ending at Akuressa. After a two-hour intermission the second stage will set off at dusk hours of 1.30am on November 3, from Akuressa to Hambantota covering a distance of 220 kilometres. The first super special stage will begin after a break of four hours from Hambantota to at 9.30am on a two-kilometre stretch of tar terrain.
The first section of the third stage of the rally will set off at 10.00am from Hambantota, covering a distance of 60 kilometres before it reaches the end at Udawalawe. On its way, the rally will pass through Sooriyawewa, Meegahajandura, Kiri-ibbanara and Sevanagala on a total gravel terrain. Udawalawe will be the second point where the super special stage will be held on a fully gravel track of 1.5 kilometres.
The second section of the third stage will run from Udawalawe to Hakmana, running past the cities of Padalangala, Embilipitiya, Thunkama, Debokkawa, Weeraketiya and Walasmulla, covering a distance of 100 kilometres, on a half gravel half tar terrain. At the Hakmana town the third super special stage will rev up covering a distance of 800 metres on gravel.
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