Inaugural Colombo Supercross to flag off today at SLN Welisara
Chief of Staff of Navy, Rear Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe stressing a point to the media at the press briefing. Also in the picture are (from left): Gayan Sandaruwan (Race Coordinator), Rodney Mason (First President SLARDAR), Kiyaz Deen (Race Director Colombo Supercross), Sunanda Kaluarachchi (Chairman Motor Sport Navy) and Captain Pradeep Ratnayake (Director Sports Navy).
The Navy Racing Club (NRC) is the latest to enter the moto racing fraternity as they have finalised all arrangements to conduct the inaugural Colombo Supercross scheduled to be held at the newly laid motor racing track in Welisara today.
Joining hands with them to make this event a success is the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR) a proven club with vast experience in having conducted motor racing events in the past and the Asian Motor Racing Club (AMRC).
This was revealed by the Chief of Staff of Navy Rear Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe who is also the Event Chairman of the Colombo Supercross at a press briefing held at the Navy Headquarters, A. D. M. Somatilaka Dissanayake Auditorium in Colombo.
The inaugural meet will see 22 events being conducted with 11 each in the motorcar and motorcycle categories where the best of the drivers and riders of Sri Lanka comprising of over 150 in both the categories are billed to in action.
The car track has a length of 1.2 kilometres with more up and down hills and drifting corners which will be a challenge to the drivers participating.
The motorbike track is of 1.8 kilometres in length with jumps and bends which according to the officials it includes the longest jump in any track in Sri Lanka.
According to the organisers the newly laid racing track is such that the spectators could witness the races at a higher ground level which will be a thrilling experience in motocross which no other racing tracks in Sri Lanka could offer.
The Colombo Supercross is conducted with the aim of utilising the profits made for the welfare of the families of Navy war heroes killed in action during the ethnic war and also to offer facilities and scholarships to their children.
“The track work began in the year 2012 which was designed, prepared and done by motocross champion Gayan Sandaruwan and Hans Ralf Karpenski a synonymous name in the field of building racing tracks in Sri Lanka and the designer of the now famous Foxhill, Gajaba and several other racing tracks around the island” said Rear Admiral Ranasinghe.
Speaking further he stated that: “The track was built within the space of two years in 2014 but initially it was made use of for the Navy riders to practice at the tracks.”
He further added that apart from this track “We don’t intend to build more racing tracks but we will focus on this track to make improvements all the time with the ultimate aim to provide a state-of-the-art track to international standards for the local drivers and riders to improve their talent.”
In addition, he said “We have drawn up plans to make this venue a platform for international events and we are looking forward to extending an invitation to the FIM the world controlling body for motorcycle events, to conduct a world championship event at this venue.”
“We also intend to extend an invitation to the Asian Motocross championship and also to conduct the South Asian Motocross championship,” he said.