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| Sunday, 16 June 2002 |
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Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Rohan de Silva - the star at Karundapona Hill Climb by S.M. JIFFREY ABDEEN, Kandy Sports Correspondent reporting from Karundapona circuit Rohan de Silva of Team Mobil Auro Color was the undisputed King at the Karundapona Hill Climb when he timed the fastest in the history and also 'walked away' with several records at Hill Climb organised in connection with the Slardar National Championships by the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders and held at Karundapona last Sunday. This hill climb was the eclipsing of seven class records and also the overall course record despite the intermittent showers experienced which resulted in the hill climb being temporarily stopped mid way. But the drivers and riders showed plenty of guts and determination which resulted in new records being set up. This will give some indication of the fare which was being dished out by competitors. But the lions share of the honours was gobbled up maestro Rohan de Silva who is nearing his 25th year in motor racing and like wine seems to be getting better with age. His performance ranks among his best ever and it is rarely that a competitor walks away with so many records and awards. With a good performance by Rohan de Silva, Team Mobil Auto Color once again edged out their main rivals Team Caltex. Team Mobil Auto Color had 8 wins (4 cars, 4 mobikes) against 5 wins (4 cars, 1 mobike) by Team Caltex. Team Mobil Auto Color's performance was further glassooned by the bonus of four class records, the Course Record and the Fastest Times of the Day for Cars and also the Overall Timing of the Day. Rohan de Silva's best performance came in the event for Modified Formula Cars when he made a schorching run to time 45.03 seconds to break the course record of 45.07 seconds established by himself in 1997. But his second run was even better when he timed 44.50 seconds to become the fastest ever driver in the history of the Karundapona Hill Climb. Rohan de Silva did not end his exploits there as he won the event for Formula Cars - Standard with a timing of 47.70 seconds which erased his own class record of 49.13 seconds. Karundapona Hill Climb has always been a happy hunting ground for 'King" Rohan de Silva as he has walked away with the fastest timing of the day on almost all the meets he had participated in addition to having held the class records for Standard and Modified Cars for an unbroken spell since the revival of this hill climb in the mid eighties. The class record breakers were - Cars - Bri Ponnambalam 49.56 secs. (Group A 10 to 12 KG/HP. Rizvi Farook 48.01 (Modified & Turbo Cars 1350cc to 1865cc) and in the events for mobike Suresh Fernando 48.45 secs. (Std and upto 250cc), Nalin Perera 46.91 secs. (Racing upto 125cc), Udesh Wedisinghe 47.24 secs. (Four Stroke Upto 600cc). Others to excel was Team Caltex's Rizvi Farook driving his pet Caltex Honda in the event for Modified and Turbo Cars upto 1665 cc with a super run timed 48.07 seconds to lower his own record 48.60 seconds established last year. Dinesh Deheragoda of Team mobil further consolidated his chances of lifting the championship title for super cars by winning the event for Modified and Turbo Cars with a timing of 46.17 seconds which was a fraction of a second lower than the class record of 45.08 seconds held by Nishan Weerasuriya since 2001. Dinesh Deheragoda has now won this event this year at Katukurunda, Radellla, Fox Hill and Karudapona in the SLARDAR National Championship and also at local ranking him as the best in the event for year 2002 in his new Mitsubishi Evolution VII sponsored by United Motors Lanka Limited. Romani de Silva with almost at two second lead over Yoga Perera put up a brilliant display to win the event for Modified Cars upto 1350cc. But Yoga Perera though having a little problem with his machine put up a brave fight. Team Mobil Auto Color made a clean sweep of the Standard Formula Cars event by clinching the first three places with Rohan de Silva leading the way followed by Romani de Silva and Dinesh Jayawardena. Team Caltex's secured a win in team event cars 6 to 8Kg/HP through the efforts of Javidh Wahab who drove a Caltex Honda Civic out pacing veteran Sumanapala Mannapperuma who was behind a Honda V Tec. Team Caltex's Zakie Ismail romped clear winner in his Honda Civic. Veteran Bri Ponnambalam back in the motor racing scene since 2001 after a self exile displayed that old soldiers never die as he wounded his way to a class record in the event for cars 10 to 12 KG/HP in his Mobil Nissan March which has been written all over it with a timing of 49.56 seconds which lower Dinesh Senanayake's record of 50.98 secs. established in 1998. Dilshard Hamdoon of Team Class put up a gritty performance in his Caltex Laser to win the event for Troup A Cars over 12.0KG/HP with a timing of 52.23 seconds which was close to the class record of 51.91 seconds held by Shalutha Adattje who could not himself be among the winners this year. Finishing a close second was Dhammika Peiris also from Team Caltex with timing of 52.30 seconds. Hafiz Cader of Team BP Cars and turned out to be the only winner from that team when he powers his way in his Castrol Mini to win the event for modified and Turbo Cards upto 1050cc with a timing of 54.35 secs. but he was given a torried time by Nihal Premasiri from Kahawatte Gems who timed 54.55 secs. The new event for Mini Saloon Cars 998cc was won by Sujeewa Ajith Keerthi by clocking 57.31 seconds while Hafiz Cader and Ushada Abeysundera finishing second and third respectively in a fiercely contested battle with around a seconds separating the trio. Suresh Fernando of Team Mobil Auto Color showed much progress by establishing a new class record with a timing of 48.45 seconds which bettered his own record of 48.78 seconds in 2001 in the Standard/Modified Mobikes event upto 250cc. He also won the event for Racing Bikes over 125 cc, the second time he got the better of Shafraz Junaid whose departure from Team Mobil Auto Color turned out to be inauspicious as he also surrendered his class record of 53.07 seconds to Udesh Wedisinghe in the event for motor cycles Four Stroke Upto 600cc with the latter driving 47.24 secs. which was over six seconds faster. But the rider who stole the show was Super Fox of Fox Hill fame Nalin Perera who rode to glory by clocking 46.91 secs. which broke the existing record of 48.83 secs. held by Jeffrey Boultjens for Mobikes Racing upto 125cc and also walked away with the fastest timing for mobikes. Indika Gurusinghe of Team Mobil Auto Color won two events while veterans Kumar Rajapreyar won the event for bikes over 250cc. |
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