Foreign participants expected at Cavalry Super Cross at Pangolla on June 3

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN- Kandy Sports Corr.

CAVALRY SUPERCROSS: Nearly 80 racing drivers and 100 riders including foreign participants are expected to participate at the third round of the SLARDAR - CEAT Sri Lanka Championship the Cavalry Super Cross organised by the Sri Lanka Racing Drivers and Riders Association (SLARDAR) and the Sri Lanka Army which will be worked off at the Super Cross Track of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corp Training Centre at Pangolla off Kurunegala next Sunday (June 3) commencing at 9 a.m.

The President of the SLARDAR Mahesh Gammanpila said that Ethugalpura (Kurunegala) has been in the forefront of the motor racing in the past producing champion riders in the calibre of late Siri Wedisinghe and this is being continued by his sons Ananda, Udesh and Sajitha.

There is that legendary rider cum racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa whose expertise in the international motor racing has put our country in the world motor racing map. The others who have excelled are Upali Dassanayake, Indika Gurusinghe, the Buultjen brothers and many others.

He said that the Army Engineers hard at work with the assistance of the SLARDAR track experts under the guidance of Col. Indunil Silva who is the Centre Commandant to make the track ready on time. On May 27th today, there will be a free practice session and a lot of improvements have been done to the motor cross track under the guidance of Haren Yatawaka and Gayan Sandaruwan.

The defending SLGT 3500 cc champion for 2011 Pasindu Peiris who thrilled the motor racing fans at Foxhill Super Cross and with his excellent driving skills got the better of top driver Dinesh Deheragoda will endeavour to maintain the same form in bis EZY Racing Sponsored Mitsubishi Evolution IX. But Dinesh Deheragoda who heads the table of points will strive hard to maintain this position.

Last year's motorcycle champion rider Tomoyo Suzuki is expected to participate at this year's Cavalry Super Cross together with other foreign participants from India. Ken Wedisinghe will ride for the TVS team. Young riding sensation Shehan C. Adhikari who will be backed up Exide will be a major threat to season riders like Gayan Sandaruwan who will be riding for the CEAT team and all other riders.

In the event for Standard/Modified Street Trail Motorcycles Sampath Kumara, Lahiru Jeewantha and Roshan Wickremarachchi are the top favourites.

Veteran rider Haren Yatawaka, and Dinesh Anuruddha cannot be ignored for top honours. Young Jacques Gunawardena riding a KTM has not lost a single race this season in the under 16 events.

Super Motard veteran Udesh Wedisinghe is being challenged to the 250 cc Super Motard event by newcomer Ishan Dassanayake and SLARDAR champion Udika Srimal, Suraj Perera, Kamal Pathiratne, who all will be riding highly modified Honda CRF 450 cc machines in the open event.

CEAT Sri Lanka are the main sponsors of this Cavalry Super Cross and the co-sponsors are Exide, Singer, Litro Gas, Bank of Ceylon and ATTO-BOCK.

Mahesh Gammanpila said that all arrangements have been finalised to make this a memorable event.