Motorsports: 85th Mobitel-Mahagastota Festival of Speed 2019 on April 6-7

Mobitel is partnering Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC) to sponsor the 85th Mahagastota Hill Climb Race at Mahagastota Hill, which has become an annual feature on the Motor Sports calendar. The races will be held on April 6 and 7 in Mahagastota, Nuwara Eliya. 

Looking back, one can recall several stalwarts who established themselves in Motor Sports, namely, Phil Fowke, T.S. Jinasena, Alan Clark, Rodney Mason, Nihal Jinasena, Bri Ponnambalam, Mike Rauff, Ananda de Alwis, Kingsley Smith, Ajith Chanmugam, Mana Jayawardana, Cassim Wahab, Shanaka Ambrose, Bandula Weerasinghe, Suren Cooke, Suranjith Premadasa, Shafraz Junaid, Nishan Weerasooriya and Rohan de Silva to name a few. 

Current course record holder for Bikes is Ananda Sampath Weerasignhe, riding an RM 250 in 2017, while the course record holder for Cars is Ashan Silva, achieved in 2018, driving a Mitsubishi Evo, set a very high bench mark to beat, in 2019. 

In 2019, it would be one of the most interesting years to witness Mahagastota, as the CMSC celebrates '85 years of Mahagastota', which is also 85 years of Motor Sports in Sri Lanka. 

The CMSC, over time, has invested much time and effort into upgrading the track. 

The resurfaced Mahagastota will also see track-side curbing, and additional safety fences installed to ensure competitors' safety, while TAG Hauer Timing equipment too has been upgraded for greater accuracy. 

Marshals trained by CAMS of Australia, will be on hand to conduct the meet, ensuring it would run to clockwork precision. 

National Mobile Service Provider Mobitel has maintained a high profile by partnering various Sports events. Especially, Motor Sports, mirror the high speed Mobitel broadband enjoyed by customers across the country. 

This meet will be the season opener, and will see the Bikes competing on April 6, while the modern Race cars will race on the following day. 

Partnering the CMSC is another name synonymous with motoring, MOTORMAG, which will coordinate the presence of an array of vintage cars at Mahagastota, to join in the celebrations. 

The parade of vintage cars will commence from Colombo on Friday (5) morning and arrive in Nuwara Eliya, where an exhibition will take place. 

Then, on Saturday (6), Morning Run from the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club and drive down to Mahagastota. 

The Meet for the timed sessions for positions will commence at 8.30am on Saturday (6) and Sunday (7). 

The CMSC President said, "I personally think that 2019 is going to be a historic 85th year, since its inauguration, with so many changes taking place at Mahagastota. We are proud to announce that CMSC has partnered Mobitel, the premier Telecommunication provider in Sri Lanka, and MOTORMAG to forge an alliance that will be groundbreaking. I expect records to tumble and I am certain, competitors are eager to break their own class records, and go for the course record as well,"