Many records expected at Mahagastota Hill Climb today

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Correspondent at Mahagastota

Records should roll on a highly upgraded racing track when the 79th version of the prestigious Mahagastota Speed Hill Climb organised by the Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC) and sponsored by Mobil Lubricants, McFoil (both coming under McLarens Holdings), Avon Tyres and Wurth Sports gets off to a flying start at the picturesque tea garden of Mahagastota at Blackpool, Nanu Oya today Sunday April 7 at 8 a.m.

The President of the CMSC Niroshan Pereira told the Sunday Observer that the racing track developed to the best possible condition and safety railings installed at the risky sections for the competitors drive at top speed with hardly any risks involved. Hill Climb is race against time and the best could be witnessed today he said.

The present course record holder is maestro Rohan de Silva who clocked 3.57 seconds in his Modified Mobil Formula Ford 1600cc in the year 2004 and this record had stood for nearly 9 years with only Nishan Weerasooriya in a Mitsubishi Evolution getting very close to it in 2010 when he clocked 35.573 seconds.

But to the credit of Rohan de Silva and Nishan Weerasooriya it must be mentioned that they achieved these feats on a very difficult track with a little bit uneven surface with a hump formation in the middle as a result of the track tapering towards edge on both sides. But all this is gone now and the opportunity is there now for the drivers and riders to have a go and eclipse the class records and perhaps the overall course record too.

This meet will also see the re-appearance of Modified Formula cars at the hill climbs after a lapse of three years which augurs well for the future of motor sports in Sri Lanka. There will be three competitors in the formula expert Rohan de Silva in the twilight of his career, Dilan Senaviratne and new comer Ashan de Silva who as excelled in stock cars and is one of the promising racing drivers in the local scene at present having clocked the fastest timing in 2011 at Mahagastota.

Another event which should be a big attraction is the Super Cars or the SLGT 3500cc which should feature top racing drivers like Darin Weerasinghe, Ashan de Silva, Aravinda Premadasa, Dinesh Jayawardena, Romani de Silva and Risvi Farouk. A total of 9 drivers will vie for top honours in this event. If at all the overall course record in lowered it will be in either of these two events with the other class of events having an outside chance.

To the credit of Ceylon Motor Sports Club it must be mentioned that they have been organising this hill climb every year since 1934 except in 1954 when the scene shifted to St. James Estate in Hali Ela but came back in a big way in 1955. This hill climb also forms a part of the Nuwara Eliya Festivities season and one of the most looked forward event by crowds.

Mahagastota hill climb is the cradle of motor racing in Sri Lanka which had its birth in 1934 when a group of expatriate planters resident in tea estates in the hill country decided to have race to get away the boredom on Sundays and the fastest timing registered at the first hill climb by Bill Fowkes was a little over 68 seconds on a track which would have been a virtually 'cart road' at that time. Over a period of time this record has been chipped off and now maestro Rohan de Silva has 'sliced to less than half'. This is expected to be further sliced today and Rohan de Silva who has clocked over 30 years of motor racing and a grand father now is one of the top contenders and if he does it what a sign off will it be him.

According to Niroshan Pereira 75 entries for motor cars and 60 for motor cycles have been received. Depending on the weather each competitor will be given two runs to better his own timing which means a full day's programme is in store for the motor racing fans.

Saffraz Junaid is the course record holder for motor cycles and he is raring to have a go at his own record or perhaps the overall course record itself.