The streets of the hill capital of Sri Lanka will come alive once again as Night racing swoopes down the avenues of Kandy on the 27th and 28th of June with Kandy Speed @ Night 2014. A press conference was held at the Sports Ministry auditorium in this regard as a launch of the event and to make aware to the media of the proceedings to flag off on the 27th.
Organized for the 3rd consecutive year the Kandy edition of the popular night races is organized by the Carlton Motor Sports Club in conjunction with the Kandy Off-Road & Adventure Club (KORAC), Asian Motor Racing Club (AMRC), and the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers & Riders (SLARDAR).
“Kandy Speed @ Night 2014” commenced in the year 2011, and is a much looked forward to annual event by racing drivers and followers alike, where some of Sri Lanka’s leading racing talent take it to the tarmac in various events to prove their abilities over their machines.
The races are to begin on the 27th of June from 8.00 p.m. onwards as qualification rounds and the final event to race off on the following day; the 28th commencing at 7.00 p.m. With many races to be on display in both categories of motorcars as well as motorcycles, racing enthusiasts can only expect the best talent in the Island in the misty city on the hills.
This 1.1 km racing circuit is said to be a newly laid out one and is to be used for the first time in the Kandy edition which is to start off opposite the Kandy Police Station and will run past the Police quarters, the Bogambara Prison and the Kandy Fire Brigade before coming past the Central Market, Torrington and the Park back to the finish line, consisting of the 1.1.km distance.
With the sudden outburst of popularity of motor sports in Sri Lanka mostly due to the Colombo Night races which even goes to the extent of offering the public world class racers in the likes of Daniel Riccado who graced the shores with his F1 machine, the crowds at the Kandy Street races is also expected to be a high. The general public will be able to witness the talent and skills of these competitors first-hand, from the safety of the 3- 4 spectator viewing areas that will be erected at locations around the track.
In terms of the safety of the spectators and the competitors Wg. Cmdr Jaliya Jayasekera the Secretary of Carlton Motor sports said “Utmost safety precautions have been taken in ensuring that the Racers, officials and spectators are well looked after and all safety precautions are strictly followed”. The organizers also went on to say that measures such as fire trucks, Ambulances, Tire walls and many other safety steps have been taken to make sure that it will be a safe atmosphere for all stakeholder of this competition.
When interviewed, respected and popular racer Ishraq Wahab said “Street racing requires a lot of skill and it usually separates the good drivers from the great drivers but, Night racing involves a lot of glamour and it is always a pleasure to take part in events such as the Kandy night racers” showing that this event is definitely a look forward to event by the racing fraternity of the country.
This year’s “Kandy Speed @ Night” will feature several Motor Car and Motorcycle events. The Motor Car events will include the following;
SL-GT up to 3500cc, SL-S up to 1500cc, Formula 1300, SL-H up to 1600cc, SL-A Mini 7, SL-N Ford Lazer / Mazda 323 1300cc, SL-N Ford Lazer / Mazda 323 1500cc, SL-N up to 1000cc, SL – S up 1350 cc, Subaru Legacy up to 2200cc and SL-A up to 1050cc.
The Motorcycle events will include;
Group ‘O’ Standard Motorcycles over 100cc up to 125cc (4 Stroke – Mono Cylinder), Group ‘M’ – Standard / Modified Motorcycles over 100cc up to 125cc (2 Stroke), over 175cc up to 250cc (4 Stroke), 600cc (4 Stroke) & Standard Modified Motorcycles over 900cc up to 1000cc, Group ‘SUPER SM’ – Supermoto / Supermotard with Supermotard Motorcycles up to 450cc and Group R – Thoroughbred Racing Motorcycles up to 125cc.
The event’s Platinum sponsors are Sri Lanka Telecom, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel and Sampath Bank. Sri Lanka insurance joins hands as the Silver sponsor while CEAT radials, Bank of Ceylon come on board as other sponsors and Coca Cola and Water with a Difference as the official beverage sponsors.
Kandy Speed @ Night 2014 will definitely be an exciting night out for sports enthusiasts as the hill literally come ‘alive’ to the sound of purring engines and scorching tires.
