Automobile calendar set but, Fox Hill is still standing

Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), the main governing arm of motorsports in the country, released its event calendar for 2018, strangely undecided on who will play the conducting part of Sri Lanka's oldest gravel event, the Fox Hill Supercross.

The event organised annually since 1993 by the Military Academy of Sri Lanka in Diyatalawa, was a brainchild of Sri Lanka Army and the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR), before switching the responsibility of handling the show to Sri Lanka Autosports Drivers' Association (SLADA) from 2013 to 2016.

With the growing disrepute between SLARDAR and its breakaway faction, SLADA the organisers of Fox Hill, the Military Academy of Sri Lanka, had to turn towards SLAS for remedy. This resulted in the intervention of the Director General of the Ministry of Sports, Saman Bandara, who led a committee that included members from all SLAS affiliated organisations.

The joint committee included 13 members with Bandara as its chairman in addition to three officials from the governmental institutions, namely the Deputy General of Sports and two Project Officers from the Department of Sports Development. The incumbent Secretary of SLAS, Rizvi Farook, and nine officials from its affiliates formed the committee.

Others in the committee included Kalinga Samaraweera (Ceylon Motor Sports Club), Anil Jayakody ( Sri Lanka Motorcycle Club), P u budu Jay aw i c k re m a (SLARDAR), Nawaz Fawzy (Motor Racing Sports Club), Suranjith Premadasa ( Southern Motor Sports Club), Mahesh Gammanpila ( SLADA), T. G. N. Gamini (Negombo Sport Sports Club), Jaliya Jayasekara (Asian Motor Racing Club) and Ryan Cooray Colombo Motor Sports Club). Despite naming these officials, former member of Sri Lanka Army, Retired Major Dilhan Jayawardene was appointed an observer while the bulk of responsibilities were drafted to SLADA, creating a fresh dispute to the already woeful matter.

Considering the bygone facts, Fox Hill Supercross is likely to move ahead as it happened last year, through a joint organising Pelwatte Speed Rally at Ampara Hanthana Leopards Rock Hill Climb at Kandy Eliyakanda Hill Climb at Matara Colombo Supercross at Welisara Mahagastota Hill Climb at Nuwara Eliya Fox Hill Supercross at Diyatalwa Walawa Supercorss at Udawalawa Lions Top Speed at Katukurunda Sigiriya Rallycross at Sigiriya committee, according to reliable sources. Sources further reveal that the top hierarchy of Sri Lanka Army had advised the officials of its Military Academy and also SLAS, with the sole intention of evading a possible misunderstanding that may arise.

If matters fall in line accordingly, the Fox Hill Supercross 2018 slotted to take place on April 20 and 21, will one of the 18 earmarked events by the SLAS for this year. Out of the total list seven supercross events, motor racing events, three hill climbs, three TSD rally events and a rallycross event are on the cards.

Four of those events are conducted by SLADA, while Cavalry Supercross at Pangolla Gunners Supercross at Minneriya Commando Supercross at Kudaoya Gajaba Supercross at Saliyapura Rally Sri Lanka at TBC Pannala Night Races at Pannala Rotherham Championship at Katukurunda Sevanagala Speed Rally at Udawalawa Regional Championship at Katukurunda SLARDAR and Ceylon Motor Cycle Club will conduct three events each. Asian Motor Racing Club, Southern Motor Sports Club, Motor Sports Club will host two events each while Ceylon Motor Sports Club will conduct an event, leaving Fox Hill Supercorss to a joint organising committee.

The SLAS event calendar for 2018 will flag off with the Pelwatte Speed Rally to be held in Ampara on February 27 and 28 and will wind up with the Regional Championship at Katukurunda on November 17 and 18. However according to SLAS sources, the possibilities of adding up a few more events to the existing list are high.