Single Seater Formula Federation supports young Ford Lazer drivers

Motorsport in Sri Lanka has developed from humble beginnings to what it is today. Those with the passion to compete, in order  to fulfil their need to be challenged and desire for victory now undergo  rigorous  training  in  order to improve  their  capability,  capacity  and  performance.

Towards  this  end  and in  order  to  take  motor racing in Sri  Lanka to the next level, the Asian Motor  Racing Club (AMRC), together with the Single Seater Formula Motor Sports Association and sponsors by  McLarens  Lubricants, the sole distributors for Mobil  Lubricants in Sri  Lanka,  and  the  McLarens  Group  of  Companies,  organised  a  training program at the  Pannala  International  Race Track.

The  training  program  was  conducted  by  veteran  motorsports  enthusiast  Shehan  de  Tissera  with  the  assistance  of  Jaliya  Jayasekera  and  Ryan  Gray  for  a  group  of  20  active  racing  drivers  in  the  Ford  Laser/Mazda 1300  and 1500  category.   

The classroom  theory  introduced  driver  training  on  the  Formula  McLarens  1300cc,  followed by lap  time  on the  track  and  a  demonstration on blipping and how it  affects  the  handling of a  single  seater car  for  cornering  and  gear  changing.  

The training modules consisted of:

nTechnical specifications of the car

nUnderstanding the single seater driving technique

nBreaking, Blipping 

nWeight Transfer

nCornering

nLines and Apex

A brief track walk was done to show a typical breaking point, turning point and Apex, where the trainers placed cones on all the turns to indicate the typical turning point and the Apex.

The participants were then divided into four groups and a controlled lap time was given to assess the practical application of Blipping, Breaking and Cornering. After every session, a debrief was carried out and shortcomings were discussed.

The final session was timed and the 10 fastest drivers were selected  for  participation  at  the  Pannala  Circuit  Meet on  8 and 9 September, sponsored  by  McLarens  Lubricants  and the  McLarens  Group  of  Companies.

Whilst  all  10  competitors  performed  extremely  well,  Kushan Pieris  emerged  as  the  winner  with  Randika  Niroshan  coming  in  second  place  and  Tharindu  Dharmaratne  finishing in third  place.

“We  as  motorsports fans  wish  to  express  our  humble  gratitude  to  the  McLarens  Group  of  Companies  for  giving  us  the  opportunity, and sponsoring  the  training  and  our  participation  at  the  Pannala  Circuit  Meet,”  said winner Kushan Pieris.

“We never  had  an  opportunity  of  driving  in  a  formula  racing  car  previously  and  this  is  a  great  privilege  offered  to  us  by  the  McLarens  Group,” said Randika  Niroshan.  

“Thank  you  McLarens  for  organising  and   sponsoring  this  invaluable  training  session,  and  our  participation  at  the  Pannala  Circuit  Meet,”  said Tharindu  Dharmaratne.

Other  participants  said the  training  provided  all the  basic  requirements  and  they expressed their gratitude  for  the  sponsorship  offered  to  participants  in  the  Formula  1300  Carburetor  Racing  Category.

McLarens Lubricants  Ltd.  is  a  subsidiary  of  the  McLarens  Group  of  Companies,  a  diversified  conglomerate  which  has  firmly  anchored  itself  across  shipping,  logistics,  manufacturing,  trading,  property  development  and  the  hotel  industry,  thus  making  its  presence  in  all  business  sectors  and  the  hallmark of  brand  recognition  making  MOBIL  1  the  lubricant  of  choice  for many.