Jaffna Speed Festival 2013 set for mid-September

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First ever motor race in Jaffna to herald a new beginning

 

Jaffna Speed Festival 2013, the first ever motor race in the city of Jaffna, will be held on 14th and 15th of September 2013. Jaffna Speed Festival 2013 is organized by the Carlton Motor Sports Club (CMS) in conjunction with Motor Racing Association (MRA) and the Asian Motor Racing Club (AMRC) under an Organizing Permit issued by Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS) and the Federation for Motorcycle Sports in Sri Lanka (FMSSL). 

The Motor Race is an event open to nationals and residents of Sri Lanka and is also included in the SLAS calendar of events. The motor race run on tarmac will start from the Jaffna city and will be held over several stages covering a total distance of around 200km. This will include Special Stages and Transport Stages.

Entries were closed on the 24th of July 2013 for Motor Cars and Motor Bikes. The organizers will be providing free accommodation for the driver navigator and two support staff and in addition will provide transportation for vehicles from Colombo to Jaffna and return.

President of Carlton Motor Sports Club Dinesh Jayawardana said, “The Jaffna Speed Festival 2013 is going to be a significant occasion not only for the people of Jaffna but to all Sri Lankans. The event will not only demonstrate the regional developments, where normalcy has returned after decades of conflict, but also boost the economy and tourism of the region while encouraging newcomers to enter the sport.  Nowadays, people of the region are looking to the future with great optimism and hope. We believe that the success of this event will encourage more sporting events to be held in the Jaffna region. This will be the beginning of many thrilling events to unfold in the northern peninsula of Sri Lanka”.

The inauguration of the Jaffna Speed Festival will simultaneously launch a Tracks Fest for the first time in Jaffna, comprising of a marathon race, cycling race to Killinochchi exclusively for the community in Jaffna. A mega musical show backed by the Agnee music group and performance by Chennai based A. E. Manoharan, popular Tamil pop Singer, will add variety to the festival with a Fireworks display.

Elaborating about the long-term plans of motor Racing in Sri Lanka Secretary of the Carlton Motor Sports Club, Wing Commander Jaliya Jayasekara (Retd)  stated, “If we can conduct a proper Motor Race championship, within a couple of years we can invite the FIA to hold an introductory round of the Asia Pacific  Motor Race Championship (APRC) in Sri Lanka.The ultimate goal is to advance the sport to such a level where we can attempt to bring a round of the World Race Championship (WRC) conducted by the FIA to be held in Sri Lanka. This will go a long way in establishing Sri Lanka as a top destination for sports loving tourists”.

Motor Racing in Sri Lanka dates more than 3 decades with some events covering a distance of over 1,000km. Initially run as TSD (Time-Speed-Distance) rallies, now these events have been upgraded to World Standard Speed Races. The National Race Championship, conducted for over 5 years by the MRA, runs at Sevanagala, Pelwatta and Kantale.