Sappers 4X4 on September 20

The fifth successive Sappers 4X4 Gympo organised by the Corps of Engineers of the Army in collaboration with the Four Wheel Drive Club of Sri Lanka will get underway on September 20 at the Sapper Off Road Arena in Embilipitiya.

Sappers 4x4 Gympo 2015 is the Grand Finale of the four Wheel Drive Club Championship. It was preceded by three qualifying rounds where drivers and their vehicles were tested for skill and endurance in Nuwara Eliya in April, Meerigama in June and Kaluaggala in August as a championship series enhancing overall event value.

The Corps of Engineers partnered the Four Wheel Drive Club of Sri Lanka to stage the inaugural Sappers 4X4 Gympo in 2011.

This unique collaboration propelled the inherent capability of the Corps of Engineers to deliver unhindered mobility in battle to regenerate the skill and enthusiasm of Sri Lanka's four wheel drive community to greater heights.

The key feature is the "over and under track" where a two lane track in the shape of number eight crosses at the centre via a Compact 200 extra - wide bridge that will only accommodate the width of the vehicles. Each team will get a run on both lanes back to back which will go through the obstacles, mostly uneven articulation testing the teams coping ability with the forces of gravity.

The event will have five categories, the Standard Vehicles, Standard Modified, Under 3000 cc, Over 3000 cc and Extreme Class which will be battled out among the 14 Top Teams from Sri Lanka and four foreign teams, two from Malaysia and a team each from Australia and India.

The Sapper Off Road Arena can accommodate in excess of 15,000 spectators where the entire track can be viewed from any seat.