Ashan Best Driver for third time
Champion rider Jacque Gunawardene (L) and Champion Driver Ashan Silva (R)
For the third time in his career, Ashan Silva won the award for the Best Driver at the Gajaba Supercross 2017, held at the Saliyapura track, which is considered the fastest gravel track in
Sri Lanka.
Young Jacque Gunawardene had the honour of winning the award for the Best Rider ahead of other top contenders as Team Honda, represented by former champion rider Gayan Sandaruwan and his young sibling Shanuka Sandaruwan, won the Best Team in Motorbikes. Despite Silva’s heroics, his team’s performances were overshadowed by Team Helibies, represented by Janaka Dias and Michael Wijesuriya, as the Best Team in Cars.
The main event of the day, the SLGT up to 3500cc Cars, where Silva emerged victorious, had to be conducted by three installments after it had 16 competitors. The organisers had to divide the total into eight cards each and conduct two semi-finals, from where the top four from each battled out in a final race, which had eight laps.
The eventual winner, Silva, however, received an early blow when he was penalised for false start in the qualifiers. He led the race for seven laps, but the officials held his car for five seconds at the starting point before the final lap, during which Ishraq Wahab overtook Silva and claimed the win of the qualifier. Silva had to settle down at second but he made sure to amend all what stood across him to win the grand final in style.
Wahab had to withdraw from the final after a collision, making Silva’s battle a lot easier. Ushan Perera, who was the Best Driver last year, had to face trouble during the second qualifier, where he finished fourth after technical issues. Eventually he too had to withdraw from the final, after failing to fix his machine on time. Sans two of the top contenders in action Silva dominated all the way to claim the main title, repeating his successes in 2013 and 2015. However the battle was intense for the remaining top positions but Kushan Peiris, pipped out Sajad Zuhair to claim the second spot, pushing his rival to third position.
The main motorbike event, the MX 125cc up to 250cc Motorcross, too had to stages, out from which the overall winner was named the Best Rider. Overall winner Jacque Gunawardene gave other riders the best challenge that could be seen in years from any rider, to win both races and win the Best Rider award for the second time, after 2015. Former champion rider Gayan Sandaruwan had to settle down at second place in both races while Ivon B. Gurusinghe and Buddhika Kasun Silva won the third places in the first and second races respectively.
Last year’s Best Rider, Ishan Dassanayake, could not come to his usual form after deciding to take part in another event, the Super Motard. Dassanayake was ruled out from the rest of the events after sustaining a shoulder injury from a collision in the Super Motard first event which was held prior to the two main races. But after recommendations from the medics he returned to compete in the in the MX up to 125cc Motorcross event, which he won in style. But a repeat of the similar fate in the second race of the Super Motard, completely put him out from the remaining races.
Jacque Gunewardene in action - Pix by Priyantha Wikramaarachchi
Imal Manchanayake outsmarted Deshan Solanki and Uddika Srimal Malavige, to win both races of Super Motard and claim the Ananda Wedisinghe Memorial Trophy, which was offered for the first time. Minuka Ratnayake, who won the Under-10 Class J up to 50cc Motorbikes event, was named the most outstanding junior rider of the day.
Kushan Peiris and Ivon B. Gurusinghe went on to claim double wins in cars and motorbikes respectively. Peiris won the SLN Ford Laser/Mazda up to 1300cc Cars and SLH up to 1618cc Cars events while Gurusinghe won both races of the SM up to 250cc Standard/Modified Motorbike event. While Ishraq Wahad went on to win the Truck and Jeep Open event, his brother Zakir Wahab won the SLS up to 1500cc Special Cars event. The most senior competitor of the day, Cassim Wahab, finished second in the Truck and Jeep Open event, behind his eldest son.
Veteran driver Upulwan Serasinghe managed to regain his usual form after a long time to win the SLN Ford Laser/Mazda up to 1500cc Cars event as his son Devin Serasinghe claimed the win of SLE up to 1000cc Cars event. The Under-13 Class J up to 85cc Motorcross event was won by Kesara Godage while Vinushka Silva won the Under-16 MX up to 85cc Motorcross event with ease.
The 16th annual Gajaba Supercross, which is the third event in the CEAT-SLADA Championship 2018 list, had 25 races in total with 12 Cars and 13 Motorbikes events. A total of 104 drivers and 134 riders took part in the event, organised by the Gajaba Regiment of Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Autosport Drivers’ Association or SLADA and with the main sponsorship by CEAT Tyres.