18th Gajaba Supercross flags off on September 1

By M. Shamil Amit

The much looked forward to motor racing event in the North Central Province, the Gajaba Super Cross, conducted by the Gajaba Regiment with support from the Sri Lanka Auto Sport Drivers Association (SLADA) is scheduled to speed off on September 1 at the Saliyapura motor racing track in Anuradhapura.

This was revealed by Major General Nirmal Dharmaratne at a press briefing held at the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME) Regimental Officers’ mess in Colombo.

The inaugural Gajaba Supercross was held in 1999 and this will be the 18th in the series where the top notch drivers and riders will showcase their talent and this time out will see over 200 competitors in the fray taking part in 24 events.

The brainchild of laying the track was initiated by the then Commandant of Sri Lanka Military Academy the late Major General Gamini Gunasekera with the assistance of track expert Hans Ralf Karpinsky who designed the track in 1993.

Along with Karpinsky, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva (the present Army Commander), and Major General Charguie Gallage laid the foundation for the organizers to conduct the Gajaba Super Cross in 1999 which today has become a much looked forward racing event in the motor race calendar.

The Gajaba Supercross is not only entertainment to the competitors and the spectators but is regarded as a worthy project for the upliftment of the infrastructure and facilities, and to generate much needed funds to improve welfare facilities of differently-abled soldiers and the families of soldiers killed in action.

This time out the competition is going to be fierce due to the fact that young and talented drivers and riders have sprouted in the recent past. But all eyes will be on driver Ashan Silva who is in top form having bagged all the major racing events this year.

Air Voice International (Pvt) Ltd will be the main sponsor of the Gajaba Super Cross and joining them as co-sponsors will be Hutch Telecom (Pvt) Ltd, Singer Sri Lanka, CEAT Kelani Holdings, Lanka Hospital PLC and a host of others.

The event will be telecast live on Channel Eye with Wijeya Newspapers Ltd among the media sponsors.