Fox Hill Supercross: 25 years of glorious stunts and roaring engines

The Foxhill Supercross has become a phrase that has been beating in the hearts of the motor sports enthusiasts since 1993. Foxhill Supercross event runs in the blood of the racers and creates an adrenaline rush in all those who witness it for the glory it echoes throughout the hill station. 

Each year, thousands walk the paths of the Fox Hill Supercross to satisfy their thirst of danger and adventure with their loved ones and friends while witnessing one of the dominant and prominent racing marvels our tropical beauty has to offer. 

The panoramic hill station of Diyatalawa will celebrate its 25th glorious and ground breaking anniversary with the roaring engines and the thumping cheers. With the celebration of the 25th edition of the races, it makes us utterly inquisitive about the history of the origin of the wild and daring concept of racing came about. 

The soldiers in training at the Sri Lanka Military academy in the heart of the garrison town of Diyatalawa were visited by a racing specialist. Taking some time off of their busy schedules of raw training, a barbecue, sightseeing and wanderlust was in order breathe in the scenic view of the mountains of the Fox Hill area. Love at first sight was not predicted yet still unavoidable. An enthusiast of racing was nevertheless bound to fall in love with the fascinating history and the roaring future that Fox Hill area presented. With no delay aspirations were shared among his mates which soon was shared with the Commandant who was also a keen sportsman himself. 

One may wonder how the name Fox Hill came about the glimmering ridges and valleys and the rugged mountains. Just as the history of the fascinated the German friend and the racing specialist who visited the SLMA, it’s very much certain that it will fascinate you. 

Believe it or not it all started with the Boer War. As a result, the British (a party to the war) transferred many of their prisoners and one of the countries happened to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon). A group of these prisoners, it is believed, was brought in the ship HMS Fox, which was quite old and as a result had to be docked very often in Sri Lanka for repairs. During a visit to Diyatalawa when the HMS Fox had been docked in the harbour, to mark their visit to the hillock, pieces of white granite depicting a fox was placed. Since then, this particular hillock was called “Fox Hill”.

Hans Ralf Karpinski is a name that echoes in the valley and the rugged mountains and the high performance Fox Hill Track. The maker best known as the father of this unorthodox track and design concept that proves to be a home for many sports enthusiasts is the architect Hans Ralf Karpinski. 

As for Hans Ralf Karpinski, “Great races are created by racers given an opportunity.” As a young volunteer and an architect, Hans received the opportunity to design a race concept and a track. The task wasn’t an easy one, but it was a challenging and a rewarding blessing. It was not just a project for him, it was a project where he made friends and created wonderful memories. He frequented the track on his own expenses and engraved his way through the changing climates and traveling up and down to present the final outcome to those racers eagerly awaiting the opportunity to exhibit their skills and grounding passion. 

It would not be complete if there is no mention on the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR). The support and the guidance of the SLARDAR had been present from the first race itself since the initiation that in chance helped to achieve the highest status in Motorsport races. With the growth of the sports enthusiasts, SLARDAR was an initiative taken by the drivers and riders associated with motor sports racing in Sri Lanka. 

With more than 30 years of footsteps in its journey, SLARDAR the pioneering motor sports club was associated with the Fox Hill Supercross for over two decades through the mutual destination and driving force. The father of the Fox Hill track, Hans Ralf Karpinski was a devoted member and a one-time President of SLARDAR who helped the club grow in its integrity and its passion. World class standard was achieved in every race due to the combined efforts of the SLMA and the SLARDAR.  

That being said, Fox Hill Supercross is a 25-year-old revolutionary giant that brings every sports enthusiast and sportsman around the country despite their race, religion or colour. It is an unbiased track filled with the raging passion of the racers and the blustery cheers of the crowd.