Pasindu stamps his authority
While the experienced Pasindu Peiris stamped his authority as the champion driver Ishan Dasanayake clinched his maiden major title becoming the champion rider for the first time at the 24th Fox Hill Supercross Motorsports Championship held in Diyatalawa.
By virtue Peiris won the Major General Gamini Gunasekara Memorial Challenge Trophy while Dasanayake took the Hans Ralf Challenge Trophy — the two challenge titles named after the pioneers of the Fox Hill Supercross.
CEAT went on to clinch a twin title by winning the team championships for cars and bikes with Peiris and W.A.G. Rangana forming the cars team while Ivon B. Gurusinghe and Deshan Solanki representing them in bikes.
In the main event of the day, the SLGT 3500cc Supercars had 14 competitors and two preliminary races were held with seven each contesting for the grand final, which had ten berths. Peiris won the first qualifier with ease while Janaka Dias won the second qualifier. However Peiris dominated the grand final brushing aside the challenges of Dias and other prominent drivers namely Aravinda Premadasa, Ushan Perera, Ishraq Wahab and Tyrone Hendawitharana, to clinch the main title for a third time. He had earlier won the champion driver title in 2011 and 2012.
Last year’s title holder Ashan Silva was not among the competitors this year but the main event had many title contenders. Aravinda Premadasa, who had won the champion driver’s title on ten occasions had to content with the third place as Dias went on to finish at second in the final fight.
In the fight for the crown among riders in the Class MX Motorcross Bikes, two races were held. The first race was won by Jacques Gunawardene as Shehan C. Adikari finished at second. The eventual champion, Dasanayake managed to stand tall and finish at third after battling it out with former champion rider Gayan Sandaruwan, giving the spectators the anticipated thrill. Knowing the fact that only a first place finish in the second race could give Dasanayake the title, he executed a plan which was neatly implemented in the 8-lap battle.
Dasanayake’s close rival was 2013 champion rider, Shehan C. Adikari, who led all the way till the halfway mark of the second and final race. But Dasanayake kept his cool and waited for the correct time to strike, then take the lead and the checked flag ahead of Adikari and Gunawardene to win the main title for the first time. Six-time champion rider Sandaruwan, who made his return to competitions after a long time, finished at fourth. Dasanayake earlier won the Class MX up to 125cc Motorcross event too.
Kushan Peiris won a double by claiming the wins of Class SLN Ford Maser/Mazda up to 1300cc Cars event and went on to clinch the 1500cc event of the same class where 17 competitors, the most in a race, battled for supremacy. Veteran driver Upulwan Serasinghe won the second and third places respectively and went on to win the Class SLH up to 1618cc event comprehensively.
Besides champion rider Dasanayake, Ivon B. Gurusinghe won a double when he clinched both races of the Class M up to 250cc Standard/Modified event. Shanuka Sandaruwan and Lahiru Jeevantha won the second and third places respectively in both occasions.
Dinesh Senanayake, who became the only driver to compete in all 24 Fox Hill Supercross editions, kept his form intact for yet another year by winning the Class T and J up to 5500cc Open event. Deshan Solanki claimed major honours in the Class SM 250cc up to 750cc. He was placed second in the first race and went on to win in the second outing pushing back experienced contenders viz. Udesh Wedisinghe, Indika Srimal, Ananda Sampath, Sachira Rajakaruna and Ananda Wedisinghe, who won the first race.
The much anticipated motorsports event in the hills was organised by the Sri Lanka Military Academy and conducted by the Sri Lanka Automobile Drivers’ Association. CEAT took the centre-stage as the main sponsor of the event while Exide, Honda, John Keells, Coca Cola and Elephant House came in as co-sponsors. Commander of Sri Lanka Army, Lieutenant General Krishan de Silva was the chief guest at the awards ceremony.