Driver Silva and Rider Dassanayake aim to retain top titles
Text and pix by Shanuka Aravinda
Ashan Silva (74) and Ishan Dassanayake (45) will be eying to retain their titles at Fox Hill 2019
Sri Lanka’s most celebrated and top rated motorsports event to be held annually, the Fox Hill Supercross 2019, will rev up with a fleet of 28 events at the Military Academy Track in Diyatalawa today. Sri Lanka’s only motorsport event to go uninterrupted for years with a large spectator turnout, will be hosted for the 27th occasion this year by the Sri Lanka Military Academy and organised by the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports and Sri Lanka Motorcycle Federation.
Out of the 28 combined car and motorcycle events, the highlight will be on the events to pick the Best Driver and Best Rider as over 250 drivers and riders are expected showcase their skills on the Fox Hill track.
A total of 14 Car events has been lined up for the day, out of which the SLGT Super Cars where Ashan Silva will be eyeing a hat-trick in the main title. Silva became the Best Driver in 2013 and 2015 and he sits on a hat-trick after claiming the title in the previous two years. Silva will be keen to secure the title as well as to claim a hat-trick. But he is likely to receive challenge from a contenders Ushan Perera and Kushan Peiris, who will be aiming for the first title shot.
Rider Ishan Dassanayake has completed a hat-trick, becoming the Best Rider in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and he will be eager to secure his title for the fourth year running. But Dassanayake is likely to receive threats from fellow riders Buddhika Kasun Silva, Ivon B. Gurusinghe and Jacques Gunawardene, who are among the top skilled riders in the island. In 2018, Buddhika Kasun Silva missed the National Motorcross Champion by a whisker and this year he is likely to make redemptions by challenging Dassanayake for the top title. Besides the two events of Group MX Racing, 12 more motorbike events will be held today.
The event is organised by the Sri Lanka Military Academy annually to raise funds to maintain the infrastructure and training facilities of the institute. The increase of events to 28 this year is an addition of four events from last year while the organisers have decided to increase the amount of prize money. In addition there will be more prizes for the winners from the sponsors as well.
The championship races are grouped as Group SLGT up to 3500cc and Group SLH up to 1600 cc in the motor car category and Group MXRacing Motorcross bikes up to 125cc 2 Stroke, up to 250cc 4stroke Group MX Racing Motorcross up to 85cc for Under-16 in the motorcycle category.
Truck and Jeep Diesel up to 5500cc and Super Motord Open including 250cc up to 1100cc (2 stroke and 4 stroke) and Cars up to 1500cc in the special motor category are among other notable races lined up for the day.