Ashan and Shehan – top stars
Versatile driver Ashan Silva and young riding prodigy Shehan C. Adikari became the top stars while CEAT and Honda clinched the team championships at the CEAT-SLADA Championship Awards 2015.
Silva, however, was not present to receive his championship title, which he won for his performances in the SLGT 3500cc category to become the best driver of 2015.
Adikari, still in his teenage, has produced some impressive performances this season to clinch the award for the best rider of 2015, in a repeat to win his second successive award.
Team CEAT, represented by Janaka Dias and Upulwan Serasinghe bagged the championship for cars while the motorcycle team award went to Team Honda, ridden to the top by the budding stars in MX Shanuka Sandaruwan and Imal Manchanayake.
From a total of nine awards lined up two each were grabbed by Sajaad Zuhair and Kushan Peiris. Zuhair won the SLH 1618cc and SLS 1500cc categories while Peiris went on to win a double in SLN 1300cc and SLN 1500cc categories for Ford Laser and Mazda cars.
The five awards in the Motorbike category went to Imal Manchanayake, Mithuna Sigera, Rugvid Babujee, Ishan Dasanayake and Ivon B. Gurusinghe.
Ivon B. Gurusinghe won his award for his performances in the M 250cc Standard and Modified Street Trials while Manchanayake was the best among riders to compete under the SM 1100cc Super Motard class.
Sigera, who competed in the MX 125cc Armed Forces category became the best in his class. Indian rider Babujee was adjudged the best in the MX 85cc Under-16 Motocross Bikes.
Hansika Abeysinghe, the 13-year-old lass who won the 160cc Four Stroke event at the Katukurunda Circuit Meet was awarded the Up and Coming Rider of 2015 for her spontaneous performance.
Performances at the five major race meets of 2015 namely Fox Hill Super Cross, Sigiriya Rally Cross, Gunners Super Cross, Gajaba Super Cross and Rotherham Katukurunda Circuit Meet were considered for this year’s CEAT-SLADA Championship Awards.
A total of 17 awards including the four top awards for best driver, best rider, the team championship for cars and motorbikes were presented at this glamorous awards gala, at which Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera graced the occasion as chief guest.
This year’s event saw the presentation of awards to nine individual supporting champions and four awards to the best drivers and riders at team events, as well as the presentation of awards of appreciation to the regiments that organised the race meets in the year’s calendar and the sponsors of the events.
The meet schedule for the 2016 CEAT-SLADA Championship comprises of Sigiriya Rally Cross (March 19 and 20), Fox Hill Super Cross (April 23 and 24), Rotherham Katukurunda Circuit Meet 1 (May 27 and 28), Gunners Super Cross (July 9 and 10) and Rotherham Katukurunda Circuit Meet 2 (October 15 and 16).