CEAT renews support to motor sports in Sri Lanka

Friday, 28 February 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Top tyre brand partners SLAS for 3rd year and signs new contracts for CEAT Racing Team

Sri Lanka’s 2014 – 15 motor-racing calendar has been given a turbo-charged start by the country’s top tyre brand CEAT, which formally renewed two major commitments to the sport last week.

CEAT Kelani Holdings extended its partnership with the sport’s governing body Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS) for the third successive year, and simultaneously reconstituted the all-star CEAT Racing Team which was a major force at race meets around the country in 2013. As part of its partnership with SLAS, CEAT Kelani Holdings will be the principal sponsor of the Ford Laser/Mazda 1300cc and 1500cc ‘One Make’ racing events to be conducted in 2014, at which all competing drivers will race on CEAT radial tyres. Among the race meets covered by the renewed agreement between CEAT Kelani and SLAS are two races on the Pannala track, the Vavuniya Circuit Meet, the Katukurunda and the Rotherham Katukurunda meets, the Mahagasthota Hill Climb, Seethawaka meet, the Eliyakanda Hill Climb and the Nuwara Eliya Road Race. The reconstituted CEAT Racing Team for the 2014-15 season comprises of ace drivers Upulwan Serasinghe, Janaka Dias, Shashika Lakmal Wijerathna, Lalin Kirinda, Prasanna De Alwis, Lt. Colonel Duminda Jayasinghe, Lt. Colonel Indu Samarakoon, Ushan Perera and Pasindu Peiris, and motorcycling prodigy Jacques Gunawardana. Speaking at the signing of the sponsorship agreements with SLAS and the members of the CEAT Racing Team, CEAT Kelani Managing Director Raman Rajagopalan said CEAT considers it an honour and a privilege to be the Tyre Partner of Sri Lanka Automobile Sports. “Over the past few years, CEAT has been an integral part of the renaissance and growth of motor sports in Sri Lanka,” he said. “As a global tyre brand with a commitment to performance, our partnership is both logical and an endorsement of the capability of our tyres on challenging surfaces and conditions.”

Sri Lanka Automobile Sports Treasurer Suren Cooke said the Interim Board of SLAS is extremely grateful to CEAT for its continuing support to the governing body and the sport. Urging racing drivers to extend their fullest cooperation to CEAT, he said the drivers are fortunate to have a sponsor of the calibre of CEAT. A global tyre brand whose credentials are built on performance, CEAT is the highest-selling single brand in Sri Lanka’s radial tyre market. Besides its support to Sri Lanka Automobile Sports, CEAT Kelani Holdings also sponsors several annual racing events conducted by the Sri Lanka Army and the Sri Lanka Air Force.