SLAS to flag off annual events with SLARDAR 100 Rally
Fox Hill was not in the SLAS event list last year, but it was held as planned. This year Fox Hill comes as one of the major motorsports events of SLAS
The Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS) will flag off their annual events for 2016 with the SLARDAR 100 Rally on February 19, 20 and 21, the first among 23 events to be held during this year. The planned 23 events include nine meets conducted by six different clubs which are considered for the SLAS National Championship 2016. The list of events, as confirmed by SLAS is an additional of four meets to its list of 2015, which had 19. Last season the SLAS events took off with the Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb conducted by the Southern Motor Sports Club (SMSC) but this year it has been moved as the second event. This season it will be Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR) that will inaugurate the calendar with the SLARDAR 1000 Rally on February 19, 20 and 21.
This will be one of the few additions to the SLAS calendar from this year in addition to a new leg of Walawe Supercross by Sri Lanka Motor Cycle Club SLMCC), MRA Speed Rally by Motor Racing Association (MRA), two legs of Track Race by Negombo Motor Sports Club (NMSC), two legs of Colombo Challenge Rally by Colombo Motor Sports Club (Colombo MSC), Lotus Rally by Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC), an additional leg of Pannala Circuit Meet by Asian Motor Racing Club (AMRC) and Champions Supercross by Sri Lanka Automobile Drivers’ Association (SLADA). In addition to these 11 events the SLAS has officially included the renowned Foxhill Supercross by SLADA. In its list of events for 2015, SLAS excluded the most followed motorsports event after it had clashed with dates of another event that took place in the vicinity of Diyatalawa. The SLAS had given the two involved clubs – SLADA and Nuwara Eliya Motor Racing Club — the liberty to chose and sort the matter out. However the Foxhill Supercross was held on the confirmed dates at Diyatalawa.
Interestingly eight events have been omitted from last year’s list. They are Karandupona Hill Climb by SLARDAR, a leg of Katukurunda Circuit Meet by SLARDAR, Kanway Autodrome Circuit Meet by SLMCC, Negombo Rally by NMSC, Circuit Meet by SMSC, Navy Supercross by Carlton SC and Rally Championship Round III by MRA.
The SLAS have retained Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb, Sigiriya Rallycross, Mahagastota Hill Climb, Nuwara Eliya Road Race, Walawe Supercross, Cavelry Supercross, two legs of Katukurunda Circuit Meet, Gunners Supercross, Gajaba Supercross, Pannala Circuit Meet and Rotherham Katukurunda in its list for 2016.
In 2015 SLAS slashed 10 of its events from a regular list of 29. This year it has increased the number from 19 to 23 with events conducted by nine affiliated clubs – Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR), Southern Motor Sports Club (SMSC), Sri Lanka Motor Cycle Club (SLMCC), Motor Racing Association (MRA), Sri Lanka Automobile Drivers’ Association (SLADA), Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC), Negombo Motor Sports Club (NMSC), Colombo Motor Sports Club (Colombo MSC) and Asian Motor Racing Club (AMRC).
In total six motor rally events, seven super cross events, two hill climbs, a road race, a rallycross, two track races and four circuit meets will take place this year. From last year’s list a hill climb, a supercross, two rallies and three circuit meets have been taken off. From last year Carlton SC and Nuwara Eliya Motor Racing Club have lost their slots in the SLAS calendar. Each club must conduct at least two events annually to earn its voting rights with SLAS.
SLAS event calendar for 2016
February 19, 20, 21: SLARDAR 1000 Rally (SLARDAR)
February 27, 28: Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb (SMSC)
March 5, 6: Walawe Supercross 1 (SLMCC)
March 12, 13: MRA Speed Rally (MRA)
March 19, 20: Sigiriya Rallycross (SLADA)
April 9, 10: Mahagastota Hill Climb (CMSC)
April 16, 17: Nuwara Eliya Road Race (SLMCC)
April 23, 24: Foxhill Supercross (SLADA)
May 7, 8: Track Race 1 (NMSC)
May 14, 15: Walawe Supercorss 2 (SLMCC)
May 28, 29: Cavelry Supercross (SLARAR)
June 4, 5: Katukurunda Circuit Meet 1 (SLADA)
June 18, 19: Colombo Challenge Rally 1 (Colombo MSC)
July 9, 10: Gunners Supercross (SLADA)
July 23, 24: Southern Monsoon Rally (SMSC)
August 5, 6, 7: Lotus Rally (CMSC)
August 27, 28: Gajaba Supercross (SLARDAR)
September 10, 11: Pannala Circuit Meet 1 (AMRC)
September 24, 25: Champions Supercross (SLADA)
October 8, 9: Colombo Challenge Rally 2 (Colombo MSC)
October 22, 23: Rotherham Katukurunda (SLADA)
November 12, 13: Pannala Circuit Meet 2 (AMRC)
November 26, 27: Track Race 2 (NMSC)