Nishan and Sampath keen to revive their supremacy
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Thriling action expected at Mahagastota where speed and adrenaline reins supreme
The Mahagastota Hill Climb, Sri Lanka’s oldest motorsports event, will herald the Nuwara Eliya season when it comes alive for the 82nd occasion on April 9 and 10. Title holders for the fastest timings at Mahagastota — Nishan Weerasooriya in cars and Ananda Sampath in motorcycles, will be keen to display their skills among over 100 drivers and riders in contention. Conducted by the Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC), this year’s climb – competed for the fastest timing on the picturesque 617-metre circuit – has been renamed the ‘CEAT Mahagastota Festival of Speed’.
Participation at Mahagastota is limited to 100 entries as the fickle weather in the hills means that the event has to be concluded by early afternoon. As the oldest event in the Sri Lankan Motoring calendar, the event always attracts the cream of the local driving and riding community. The serious racing happens on Sunday, April 10, but as has become the practice, the CMSC partners with a number of other clubs such as the Classic Car Club of Ceylon, the Italian Car Club, the Mighty Mini Club, VW Owners’ Club and the Retro Car Club to conduct the Saturday Parade of classic and historic cars.
A number of these cars have been run competitively up the hill in years gone by and are now lovingly restored and cared for by various enthusiasts around the country. The timed events on April 10 will see the CMSC’s latest timekeeping equipment in action. The advent of technology has helped the event hugely from the days of stringing a copper telephone wire between the start and the finish. Year on year, we witness many a driver take up the challenge and race against the clock, to establish not only a Win, but also, to better a personal best set by themselves or members of their own families.
This takes us down the trails once more, where many a family were involved in the sport, spent many a Sunday morning at Maha, trying to establish a better timing. CMSC President Niroshan Pereira said: “It is with much delight, that we are being partnered by CEAT, Mobil Lubricants, McFoil, Mahindra, Ideal Motors, The Blackpool Nuwara Eliya, Spencer Wadduwa and Mahagastotta Estate Nuwara Eliya. All leading brands in Sri Lanka and their continued commitment to the sport is encouraging. It is due to their assistance the track upgrades have been possible and I thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart.
The Classic Car Parade will take place on April 9, while the National Status Event will take place the next day. This year see’s the CEAT Mahagastotta Festival of Speed being added to the SLAS National Championship, which is bound to attract the cream of riders and drivers. Defending course record holders Nishan Weerasooriya and Ananda Sampath are bound to 
take part to protect the presitgous title, while others in the fray namely Rohan de Silva, Darin Weerasinghe, Aravinda Premadsa to name a few, would take the wheel behind their machines to get the fastest time for the day”.
The Mahagastota Hill Climb goes back to 1934 when the newly formed CMSC conducted its inaugural event there on September 28, 1934. With the exception of the war years, the event has been held annually by the CMSC at this historic venue. For the CMSC’s 75th anniversary the club held a second event that year in September exclusively for classic cars, to tie in with the inaugural date. Entries for the 2016 CEAT Mahagastota Festival of Speed are now open at the Club office. Entries will be accepted till April 4 at the CMSC office at 2A, Hunupitiya Road, Colombo 2. More information could be obtained by writing to info@cmsc.lk.