Shrian, Sajaad and Dilan blaze Colombo for EZY Racing

Wednesday, 18 December 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Shrian makes EZY the only winner in Superbike at CNR

The best edition of the Colombo Night Race lit up when the country’s only professional motor racing team EZY Racing, entertained over millions of television viewers and over 100,000 spectators as their race drivers and riders displayed the most spectacular racing skills during a night of dominance in the Colombo Night Race 2013. The Oracle powered team who early this month launched their 2014 cars and bikes were looking the most dominant team on the track with a star studded driver and rider line up which included the only rider to have won a Super Bike event in the previous two editions of this coveted event, namely Shrian Samuels, 2011 winner and 2012 runner up of SLH 1600 Dilan Seneviratne, 2012 Pole sitter of the same event and the race leader who eventually had to retire Sajaad Zuhair, as well as the wonder kids of Motor Racing Jaden and Aaron Gunawardane.

The Oracle Business Intelligence powered team were given a very strong start for the weekend when they dominated the Grid positions on Saturdays qualifying sessions, as they occupied the front row of the grid in 4 of the 5 events EZY Racing was taking part in, which included 2 pole positions for Sajaad Zuhair and Dilan Seneviratne in the SLS 1500 and SLH 1600 events. The SLH 1600 event saw a front row lock between Seneviratne and Zuhair who were qualified 1st and 2nd, setting the stage for a perfect weekend. Best race party

With Oracle and EZY Racing hosting the best race party ever to be seen at the Colombo Night Races at the EZY Racing Lounge at the Sky Bar, Kingsbury where 150 of the country’s top most corporates were ardently supporting the Black and Red clad team, the Sundays race was given a perfect start when Sajaad Zuhair dominated the SLS 1500 event as he went on to lead all 10 laps from pole position with absolutely no challenge. Zuhair driving his ER 2 was participating in this event only for the 2nd time having previously participated at Pannala during the final round of the Speed Championship to qualify to run in this event at the Colombo Night Race, which was also won by him. Zuhair who lapped almost every driver other than the 2nd and 3rd positioned Damitha Abeyratne and Kushan Peiris, showed the might of EZY Racing as he provided the perfect start for the night. In the immediately following much anticipated SLH 1600 event, Zuhair was seen yet again in the thick of action, this time with his team mate Dilan Seneviratne who was participating in his final race in the SLH 1600 event as he will be focusing only on the SLGT class for EZY Racing the following year. Both Seneviratne and Zuhair got a perfect start and within the first lap pulled away from the rest of the grid. Through the next 9 laps they provided a packed audience with the entertainment they had all come to watch as the two EZY Racing cars stole the limelight, driving bumper to bumper, pressurising each other for 9 races. Zuhair who in 2012 led the race with Seneviratne providing a stiff challenge, was now the challenger as he tried every move he possibly could on Seneviratne who had the race in control. Ultimately succumbed to the soggy road With the two EZY Racing cars having pulled a very comfortable lead over the others, in spite of the wet weather conditions, they ultimately succumbed to the soggy road condition in the final lap, just when EZY Racing thought that they bagged another victory and a second place. Zuhair who had closely followed Senviratne for 10 laps, lost grip when breaking into turn 2 and touched Seneviratne on the side of his car, which in turn spun Seneviratne and stalled Zuhair as they stopped their cars from knocking each other. Both drivers re-joined the race having conceded their positions, and Seneviratne eventually finished 3rd. Seneviratne who also took part in the SLGT upto 3500 CC event started 6th on the grid and raced very aggressively to finish 4th in the race. Having bagged 2 podium positions, EZY Racing entered the final race event of the night, the Motorbike Open Event as clear favourites as this was a race that they have dominated in the previous two editions of the night race where their champion rider Shrian Samuels had gone on to win the race on both occasions. Shrian who was occupying the 2nd position on the grid got off to a slow start where he lost a couple of positions before fighting back to be right behind Maduranga Caldera who was riding a faster 1000 CC Motor Bike to Samuels’ 600 CC Bike. Scintillating display of riding The pair provided a scintillating display of riding where they were seen fighting for race lead throughout the race, all the way to the chequered flag. Both Samuels and Caldera were entangled in a battle of their own where they almost lapped the entire set of other riders as they kept exchanging the race lead around 3 to 4 times in a lap. Caldera who clearly had the advantage on power was continuously hunted by Samuels who used the ease of manoeuvring in the 600CC to his advantage by out breaking Caldera on more than a few occasions to gain the lead. With two laps to go, Samuels took the lead for one final time and managed to hold onto the lead all the way to the chequered flag, with Caldera finishing right behind Samuels. “Our Partnership with Oracle has got off to a perfect beginning. The EZY Racers sure did us all proud today, as they not only were very successful in their performances but they also provided entertainment to a packed audience at the EZY Racing Lounge where were co-hosted most of the leading Corporates in Sri Lanka in true EZY Racing style,” said EZY Racing CEO Shafraz Hamzadeen. EZY Racing, who has 36,000 passionate fans in their fan page www.facebook.com/ezyracing, believes that with its new partnership with Oracle Business Intelligence will provide it the avenue to get more private sector companies interested in motor sports.