Motorsports: Kaushal and Jacque emerge the best at Cavalry Super Cross 2019

Driver Kaushal Samarasinghe stole the limelight to clinch the 'Best Driver' award while Jacque Gunawardena continued his supremacy to emerge 'Best Rider' at the Cavalry Super Cross 2019, held at the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps Headquarters in Pangolla, Kurunegala on Sunday (20). 

Samarasinghe, who reemerged in local motor-racing after a brief lapse, had very little challenge in both races of the SL GT up to 3500cc Cars, to claim easy wins, on his way to become the best among the drivers. 

This was the first occasion Samarasinghe won the top award presented for the drivers at a Cavalry Super Cross. 

Samarasinghe thwarted challenge from in-form driver Ushan Perera during the first race, while Kushan Peiris became his nemesis for a short period in the second race, before winning on both occasions. 

Perera had to slide down to second place in the first race and further declined a position in the second race, while Peiris was placed third the second outing. 

Ashan Silva, who flagged off from the pole position in the first race, failed to maintain his regular dominance due to a technical fault, but managed to finish at third in the first race. 

He had to retire premature in the second race, as Samarasinghe reigned supreme for the first time in Pangolla. 
    
Gunawardena, who is on song with a tremendous season so far, won both races of Class MX 125cc up to 150cc Motorcross event, to become the best rider among the lot. 

Though this was the first occasion of a top win at Cavalry Super Cross, this was Gunawardena's fourth race to clinch the 'Best Rider' award this ongoing season. 

Sri Lanka Army's very own Sameera Premaratne led all the way from the flag-off to the end of the fifth lap in the first race, but Gunawardena, shrewd and tactical as always, displayed his maturity by taking the lead and remaining there from the sixth lap onwards. 

The second race was a virtual recurrence of the first race, and no sooner Gunawardena took the lead in the fourth lap Premaratne lost control and crashed down, forcing a retirement. 

Ivon B. Gurusinghe, gave Gunawardena a close call during the initial stage of the first race, and finished third. 

However in the second race Gurusinghe secured the second position after Premaratne's exit. With two straight wins at both races of the Class SM Super Motard 250cc up to 750cc event, Imal Manchanayake steered Honda to the Team Award in motorbikes.  
 
The torrential weather condition that prevailed almost throughout the race event, caused more accidents on the track than usual, but none of the competitors were among the seriously injured, besides a few incidents that occurred mainly of heavy competition. 

Cavalry Super Cross was organised and conducted by the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps in collaboration with Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR) and Asian Motor Racing Club (AMRC).