Ushan Perera

I am pleased to state that I have already won over five Super Car Championships in Sri Lanka. I am also currently the number one driver in this category. I started my career in 2000 by competing in motorcycle events. But I shifted to Super Car in 2012. There is a history of nearly 40 years for motor sports in Sri Lanka. But sadly what I feel is that the sport is still in its infancy. There are three popular sports currently in Sri Lanka. The number one is cricket, number two is rugby and the number three is motor sports. But unfortunately motor sports does not receive the same treatment from the state sector. I think if this sport is given more priority there is a big chance that it will reach international standards. I see only the private sector supporting motor sports in the country. Even the private sector sponsorship is handed only to a selected number of individuals. I need at least Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 400,000 to compete in one Super Car event. I have to change the entire set of tyres after the completion of one event. These Super Car tyres are imported from Japan and Malaysia. The Indian manufactured tyes are of low quality. One tyre will cost me approximately Rs. 75,000 (tax only). In addition I need to pump high top ten petrol for my Super Car. One litre will cost me Rs. 397. I need about 75-100 litres to complete one race. As a Super Car driver I am requesting from the government to lift the duty on the import of Super Car tyres. Most of the Super Car drivers do have their own sponsors. But the drivers who compete in the low category car events do not have that many sponsors. The main reason is because the focus is less on these events. Also the drivers who compete in these events are virtually newcomers to the scene. They are forced to utilise their own funds to participate in these events. We have three Super Car drivers who are involved in international events. They are Ashan Silva, Dinesh Deheragoda and Dilantha Malagamuwa. I am hoping to compete in some of the Asian meets from next year. We have about 10-15 motor sports events in Sri Lanka. This is a very good sign. This is because the involvement of Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Air Force in conducting a number of motor sports events. As a result motor sports has become a popular sport in the country. We see a lot of motor sports fans participating in these events. Even the events conducted out of Colombo does attract a large number of spectators. The significant feature is that even the common man uses to make it to the venue. There is a strong feeling among the general public that motor sports is damaging the Sri Lankan culture. But I totally disagree with this.