Veteran Pubudu Wickrama tops Maxxis Midnight Challenge regularity rally

Veteran rally driver Pubudu Wickrama co-driven by his daughter Ashvitha proved his mettle topping the overall and the SUV, Trucks and Jeeps category with a total time penalty of 16 minutes and 37 seconds at the Maxxis Midnight Challenge concluded over the weekend. The Maxxis Midnight Challenge organised jointly by the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders and the Ceylon Motor Sports Club is regularity rally run using virtual marshalling technology.

The rally started on the stroke of midnight on Friday 11 August with a field of 28 drivers from the Rakna Lanka Restaurant Car Park at Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte. Driving in the categories of SUVs, Trucks and Jeeps, Cars upto and over 1400cc and Historiques, the competitors drove a distance of 150km with an intermediate stage halt in Nambapana, Ingiriya before returning to the finish at Kotte. 

Yet another name in rally racing Ishraq Wahab with his crew of Wataru Kobayashi and daughter Soraya Wahab came second adding approximately 4 minutes of time penalties followed by Deepthi Perera and his co-driver Pawan De Silva.

The rally covering a drive time of 4 hours required the drivers to traverse a prescribed route with maintaining regularity according to a specific time schedule. The regularity is monitored using GPS/mobile phone-based application called virtual marshal and the least time penalties is declared the winner. The application also detects the drivers over speeding and applies time penalties.

 “150 Km of night driving with the rainy conditions was not so easy with normal lights and my age. But the speeds were reasonable and the new format brought us back on time at every check point which prevented excessive speeding. I would like to thank my co driver my daughter Ashvitha for her brilliant navigation which enabled us to end up as the Overall Winners of the Rally. Looking forward to more regularity rallies,” said Pubudu on his win, assuring the interest of drivers on the new format.

The format differs from the previous Time, Speed and Duration (TSD) rallies where drivers’ early lateness accumulates throughout the rally resulting in heavy speeds to catch up. The new technologies have also contributed to organisational efficiency reducing significant manpower mobilisation to create checkpoints. However, the new technology has also its share of new challenges such as the reliability of the competitors’ devices which requires further development of the format explained the organisers. The regularity format was introduced through the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce contact and has gained ground in addressing some of the difficulties of the previous format.

Awards were presented in the overall ranking and to the top ranked drivers in each of the classes. Young Soraya Wahab who was part of the navigating crew of Ishraq Wahab was awarded for being the youngest crew member while yet another veteran Faizal Junaid was awarded for the oldest driver. Ashwitha Wickrama an upcoming name as female motor racer was adjudged the highest placed lady co-driver.

The rally was supported by Maxxis Tires and Rakna Lanka Restaurant as sponsors.

Runner up Ishraq Wahab and his crew with the award presenters

The first competitor Deepthii Perera about to start the rally