Fox Hill Supercross in Diyatalawa:

Gayan and Pasindu Best Rider and Driver

By Chintana WASALA in Diyatalawa

Gayan Sandaruwan equalled the number of Rider’s Awards at Fox Hill with weteran rider Ananda Wedisinghe while Pasindu Peiris won the award for the best driver at the 20th edition of the Fox Hill Supercross which conluded at the at Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa yesterday.

Sandaruwan now stands equal with Wedisinghe, winning the best rider’s award on six occasions in the 20 year Fox Hill Supercross history. But Wedisinghe is still regarded as the best rider in the Fox Hill history, winning the award in six consecutive years, without being a joint champion in any of those occasions.

Sandaruwan easily won the second race of the Group MX – Motorcross Bikes upto 250 cc category yesterday, but had to face stiff opposion from the young riding sensation who represents Team Exide, seventeen-year-old Shehan C Adhikari. Adhikari was in front of Sandaruwan for almost four laps in their first race, but superstar Sandaruwan was too smart, taking the advantage of a loose corner to overtake Adhikari. Then he went into win the two races comfortably to win the award.

Peiris was behind Dinesh Deheragoda who won the first of the SLGT Cars upto 3500 CC event but managed to win the second race with Deheragoda finishing second. There was a keen tussle between them in both races and both collected five points each at the end. But the award for the best driver was handed over to Peiris according to the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS) rules and regulations.

Team Daredevills –Whites, consist of two dynamic riders, Upulwan Serasinghe and Dinesh Deheragoda bagged the team championship. Upulwan showed his experience and excellence as he got on to the podium in two occasions out of four participated events, winning the SLN Ford Laser/Mazda 1300CC and SLN Ford Laser/Mazda 1500CC events.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, former S. Thomas’ College rugby skipper and SL Navy ruggerite Rohitha Rajapaksa won the SL-N Standard cars upto -1000cc event quite comfortably maintaining a comprehensive lead from start to finish. The First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa was present at the venue and gave away the awards to her son, Rohitha and the other podium finishers, Kushan Peiris and Gayan Ranathunga.

Rizvi Farouk and Dinesh Senanayake who competed in the SL-N cars upto 1500cc event at the very first Fox Hill Supercross in 1992, secured podium finishes after 20 years too. They have taken part in the same event at Fox Hill Supercross without a break.

Dinesh Senanayake was placed second in the SL-N cars upto 1500cc event which Sajaad Zuhair emerged winner. Farouk was placed third in the event. Senanayake won the Trucks and Jeeps open event to secure his second podium finish.

The Fox Hill Supercross was organized by Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR) under the able leadership of its new President Mahesh Gammanpila and the Military Academy. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon was the print media sponsor of the event.