Sri Lanka’s champion driver Ashan Silva was the star at the SLT Mobitel Mahagastota Speed Hill Climb last Sunday (4) when he was declared as the fastest driver of the day. Ashan who held the record for the Hill Climb in Nuwara Eliya did well to lower his own record when he clocked the best time for the day with 31.699 seconds for the run.
Ashan who also set a new record at the Eliyakanda Hill Climb last February in Matara, maintained his supremacy as the best hill climber driving his Mitsubishi Evo 3500cc vehicle in grand style.
He is expected to make another landmark today competing at the Kukuleganga Hill Climb that will conduct its first Hill Climb organized by the Sri Lanka Army Motor Sports Committee.
Ashan has been winning tarmac events for nearly a decade and became the National Champion in SL-GT class continuously for five years. After the Covid-19 pandemic brought all motor racing events to a standstill, all riders and drivers are making a comeback to the sport with a few events planned out for the year.
The Gunawardena brothers Jaden and Aaron were unbeatable riders at Mahagastota winning their respective events establishing the best times in two classes, the 600cc and 1000cc with 34.166 seconds and 34.156 seconds, while his brother Aaron had a time of 35.048 seconds in the 250cc class.
Other drivers who came up with good performances on that day are Viren Boteju winning two events and Dammika Peiris too winning twice, showing that they have still not lost their enthusiasm in motor sports though they were out for nearly one and a half years.
All drivers and riders praised the organizers, Ceylon Motor Sports Club for a job well done.
Results: (Motor Cycles):
Class O 125cc 4/T: 1. Supun Dhanushka (45.454), 2. Anusha Eranga (46.510), 3. Dilan Ratnayake (47.150)
Class SM Tracker 250cc: 1. RM Mimshad (38.943) 2. Mohamed Rizwi (40.524), 3. ADSA Suraj (40.726)
Class M Street Trail Bikes 250cc 4/T: 1. Sarath Kumarasinghe (38 507), 2. S. Vasudevan (42.187), 3. Shane de Silva (42.913)
Class M Street Trail Bikes 250cc: 1. Sarath Kumarasinghe (39.695), 2. Sivalingam Gnanapragash (40.295), 3. Shane de Silva (41.609)
Racing Bikes 100cc up to 125cc: 1. Gihan Sanjeewa (38.919), 2. Sudara Deshal (38.996), 3. Dilan Hettiarachchi (41.290)
Racing Bikes 85cc: 1. Henry Roshan (40.449), 2. Gihan Sanjeewa (40.946), 3. WM Gunasinghe (41.612)
Class SM Super Motard 250cc: 1, Nimesh Sandaruwan (336.485), 2. Sivagnanam Harris (37.006), 3. Henry Roshan (38.958)
Class SM Super Motard 250cc Open: 1. Jaden Gunawardena (34.156), 2. Aaron Gunewardena 34.957), 3. Raguraja Palaniyandi (39.656)
Class O 125cc up to 160cc $/T: 1. Derrick Gananasegar (43.322), 2. WMSS Weerasinghe (43.399), 3. Dhammika Nishantha (44.790)
Class M 100cc up to 125cc 2/T: 1. S. Vasudevan (44.626), 2. Sivalingam Gnanapragash (44.742), 3. Dhammika Nishantha (47.202)
Class M Sport 250cc: 1. Sivalingam Gnanapragash (49.681), 2. Tharanga Madhushanka (52.624), 3. Shehan de Silva (53.183)
Class M Super Sport 600cc: 1. Heshan Pasindu (38.997), 2. Gihan Sanjeewa (42.369), 3. Supun Dhanushka (43.994)
MS Sport 250cc: 1. Heshan Pasindu (39.043), 2. Janka Dinesh (39.104), 3. Gimhan Perera (42.715)
MS Sport 600cc: 1. Jaden Guneaardena (34.166), 2. Aaron Gunawardena (34.204), 3. Sudara Deshal (41.951)
MS Sport 1000cc: 1. Aaron Gunawardena (35.048), 2. Jaden Gunawardena (37.259), 3. Insaf Basheer (39.375)
MS Touring 600cc: 1. Supun Suraj (38.794) 2. Navindu Silva (42.173), 3. KDS Sandaruwan (42.795)
Motor Cars:
Group E 1000cc: 1. Adeesha Kithwith (44.852), 2. Thenuka Liyanaarachchi (45.327), 3. Daham Jayanath (45.460)
Group H Mini 1275cc: 1. Sandaru Weerasinghe (43.751), 2. Chanaka Ratnayake (44.035), 3. Nishath de Alwis (45.644)
Group Sl- GT 3500cc: 1. Ashan Silva (31.699), 2. Dinesh Jayawardena (34.013), 3. Darin Weerasinghe (34. 762)
Group Y&J: 1. Ushan Perera (37.699), 2. Darin Weeerasinghe (37.852), 3. Sanjaya Senarath (41.639)
Formula Mc 1300cc: 1. Viren Boteju (39.015), 2. Chandima Guneratne (39. 493), 3. Kevin Perera (39.688)
MC Formula 1665cc: 1. Nadeera Jinasena (34.015), 3. Dilan Seneviratne (34.421), Rohan de Silva (35.918)
Group E up to 1300cc: 1. Thanuka Liyanaarachchi (44.458), 2. Rasitha Pasan (45.543), 3. Thushan Jayasooriya
Group N up to 1300cc: 1. Dammika Peiris (43.374), 2. Susantha Gunewardena (44.502), 3. Shenal Gunewardena
Group N up to 1500cc: 1. Dammika Peiris ( 43.070), 2. Tharindu Dharmaratne (43,272), 3. Shenal Gunewardena (43.377)
Group A Mini 7 1000cc: 1. Sandaru Weerasinghe (43.056), 2. Lakmal Wijayaratne (43.232), 3. Neil Weerasinghe (45.386)
Group A up to 1050cc: 1. Dilupa Palliyaguru (41.417), 2. Charitha Ranatunga ( 42.767), 3. Avishka Premadasa (41.959)
Group S up to 1500cc: 1. Samantha Tissera (46.699), 2. Hafiz Wahab (46.781), 3. Michael Muthumani (48.035)
Group S up to 1500cc: 1. Chaminda Mannapperuma (38.987), 2. Zakir Wahab (39.196), 3. Kushan Peiris (39.533)
Group HS-HL 1600cc: 1. Viren Boteju (37.934), 2. Irshad Fahan (38.156), 3. Irfan Fuard (38.405)
Group HS-LH 2000cc: 1. Shiran Doole (41.162), 2. Menaka Sandaruwan (41.973), 3. Asanka Bandara (42.605)