Mahagastota Speed Hill Climb today

S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

MOTOR RACING: The Ceylon Motor Sports Club, the oldest motor racing club founded in 1934 will celebrate its 75th Anniversary this year with many events. The first meet is the Mahagastota Speed Hill Climb which on April 12 at 8 a.m. from Mahagastota estate track. This event has its origins to the Colonial days and was started by the European planters and has grown in stature over the years.

According to the club records, the club was formed on 4th September, 1934, at the Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya. Cars were fairly new to the islands with the Austins and Fords dominating the roads. The young European planters mainly British who used to spend their Sundays driving their cars along the estate roads in friendly competition just for thrill of driving fast decide to regulate this sport which resulted in the birth of the 'Ceylon Motor Sports Club'. Mr. D. J. Maitland was the first President elect and Mr. Gordon Graham was the Secretary and Treasurer.

The Club wasted no time in organising their first meet on 28th September, 1934 - just 24 days after the formation of the club. This was the Hill Climb at the Mahagastota Estate in Blackpool, Nanu Oya - on your way to the famed Horton Plains. Since then Mahagastota Hill Climb has become a regular feature in the Motor Sports Calendar and included in the events for the Nuwara Eliya festivities season.

During the Colonial days, the clubs started by the Europeans were exclusively for the Europeans (like the Planters Clubs). The Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC) broke this tradition by enrolling Ceylonese members and allowed them to participate with the Europeans in equal terms.

The maiden Mahagastota Speed Hill Climb turned out to be a memorable event though there were only ten cars and two motor cycles. The fastest timing for motor cars registered at the inaugural meet was by Phil Fowke driving a Tourist Austin Trophy clocked 69.8 seconds and the fastest for motor cycles was by T. G. Dickson riding a Scott which timed 64.0 seconds.

2nd meet 1934

Brimming with enthusiasm, the Club conducted its second meet on 23rd December, 1934 and another hill climb was held at Leangahawella Estate in Bandarawela. There is also a record of a meet being conducted at St. James Estate, Hali-Ela.

The first lady competitor was Mrs. Gordon Graham who took part in the Mahagastota Hill Climb in 1935, and surprisingly she got the better of many male competitors. This Hill Climb which was held in October or December until the year 1938 and since then it has been traditionally held in April when the holiday crowds thrown the hill station to escape from the heat of Colombo and other towns.

With the break out of World War II, motor racing activities came to a standstill and the last meet was held on 25th March, 1940. The course records were - Motor cars by T. S. Jinasena 55.79 seconds and motor cycles. Alan Clark 55.89 seconds.

Over the years the Club introduced new events to add variety to the meets and to encourage more members to participate, Gymkhana Events, Concourse d'elegances, Mud Trials, Economy Trials, Treasure Hunts and Mid-Rallies were some of them. A significant addition to the calendar of events in 1958 was the Lotus Rally which was modelled on the lines of Tulip Rally and had two special stages. Serious racing was also continued with hill climbs and circuit meets.

CMSC affiliate of FIA

The high point in the clubs' history was when in 1958, the Ceylon Motor Sports Club became an affiliate of the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA) - the World governing body for motor sports. The Club also set out its General Competition Rules and Standing Regulations by which Motor Sports events would be conducted. These rules were the same as those of RAC in England.

Another turning point in its history was when the club classified the cars by the cubic capacity (CC) of the engines in 1958. The CMSC initiated a new system of classifying cars based on the weight and power of the car. The new method was called the weight/power ratio and was used for the first time in for Production cars at the Mahagastota Hill Climb in 1958. At this event, the fastest timing for Production cars was recorded by B. J. Sandy de Soysa by clocking 52.9 seconds in a Auto Union Austin.

This weight/power ratio formula proved to be a fairer method in classifying cars and this was extended to all cars in 1959.

In the 1960s with the restrictions imposed by the State led to the innovations and the re-appearance of home built Specials. In 1973 the then young Rodney Mason, driving the Jeff Special (a Modified MGA with the body work removed) equalled the record of 45.0 secs held by for a long time by A. E. Filby. The following year another youngster Nihal Jinasena driving a Lotus Elan also equalled the course record for cars. In 1975 the same Lotus Elan without the bodywork returned a timing of 44.1 secs.

1976 year of `Specials'

The year 1976 was the year of `specials'. The Arafath Special driven by Cassim and Ajmal Wahab, a Tr3 Special driven by Chandana and Ananda de Alwis, the JPO Sprint driven by Mana Jayawardena, The Rauff Special driven by Mike Rauff, the Bosco Special by Rodney Mason entered the fray but the course record of Nihal Jinasena stood firm. Nihal Jinasena bettered his own record by driving a Sinha RTII Special in 1978 and lowered his own course record to 43.1 secs. In 1981 the course record for motor cars and motor cycles were eclipsed. Sri Ponnambalam in his Renault Special with a time of 41.1 secs. broke Nihal Jinasena's record and Kingsley Smith's 20-year-old record fell to Ajith Chanmugam who timed 41.2 secs. on a Yamaha DT 400.

In the 1980s modern marvel formula cars were introduced for the first time to the Mahagastota Hill Club. Rohan de Silva, Jeff Mason, Rodney Mason and Suranjith Premadasa proved to be the best exponents in formula racing in Sri Lanka.

The current course record for cars is jointly held by Rohan de Silva (Modified Ford Formula) and Nishan Weerasooriya (Mitsubishi Evolution) which is 35.57 seconds.

The course record for motor cycles is held by Saffraz Junaid which is 37.66 secs.