Champions — Ashan and Ishan burn Diyatalawa track
Champions Ishan Dassanayake (L) and Ashan Silva (R) with their trophies
Defending champions Ashan Silva and Ishan Dassanayake retained their respective Driver’s and Rider’s titles at the Fox Hill Supercross 2018, held at the Military Academy in Diyatalawa yesterday. Silva overcame obstacles to defend his ‘Champion Driver’ title while Dissanayake had to battle amongst a bunch of experienced and young riders to retain his ‘Champion Rider’ title for yet another year.
The Best Racing Team in Cars was won by Margni Racing represented by Silva and Missaka Naveen while Ceat and Sri Lanka Army shared the Best Racing Team in Motorbikes. Team Ceat included Ivon. B. Gurusinghe and Madhura Peiris while the SL Army team had riders Sameera Premaratne and Lahiru Jeevantha.
Silva won both races in the main event for cars, the SLGT 3500cc, as he won his fourth Fox Hill title after 2013, 2015 and 2017. On both occasions he dominated and did not allow other competitors overtake him from start to finish. On both races Kushan Peiris and Ushan Perera finished second and third behind Silva.
However due to a false start Peiris had to begin the second race from the fifth grid and the Course Marshall promoted Perera to second while Aravinda Premadasa was promoted to fourth..
Rider Dassanayake finished third in the first race of MX 125cc to 250cc but he managed to rectify all shortcomings to win the second race in style to claim the Champion Rider award. Buddhika Kasun Silva won the first race ahead of Sameera Premaratne and Dissanayake. But the winner of the first race Buddhika faced an accident in the second race, while Premaratne too failed to impress giving Dissanayake the opportunity to strike. Ivon B. Gurusinghe finished second followed by veteran rider Gayan Sandaruwan finished at third in his final race of the glittering career.
Veteran driver Upulwan Serasinghe claimed a double winning the SLN up to 1300cc Ford Laser/Mazda and SLN up to 1500cc Ford Laser/Mazda events. But Serasinghe had to finish second fiddle to Kushan Peiris in the SLH up to 1618cc event.
Imal Manchanayake claimed the win of the first race of SM 250cc to 750cc Super Motard event but he was outsmarted by Deshan Solanki in the second race. The first race of the M up to 250cc Standard and Modified event was won by Lahiru Jeevantha while Ivon B. Gurusinghe won the second race. The annual motorsport event was organised by the Sri Lanka Military Academy.
