Kukuleganga Rally 2k9

[Pericles]

Updates -

SS1 order - Deheragoda, Rizvi Farook, Dinesh J, Javidh W, Janaka Dias, Reyaz Farook. All very close

Thiwanka has also been very quick. No Aravinda P apparently,

SS2 - Rizvi, DD 2 second behind, Dinesh J.

Overall standings DD, Rizvi, DJ, Janaka, Reyaz, Javidh, Thiwanka. Only 50 seconds between 1 and 7. Close action!

Updates courtesy KLM.

Edited June 20, 2009 by Pericles

[Pericles]

SS3 - Rizvi, Janaka (2 second behind),

Overall - Rizvi , DD (3 seconds behind), Janaka, DJ, Javidh, Reyaz (after 360 spin too)

This update bought to you by KLM

[Pericles]

SS4 night stage - Janaka beats Rizvi by 14 seconds, Javidh, Thiwanka, Reyaz and DD.

Overall - Rizvi, Janaka (0.5 seconds behind)

[miniace]

Thanka Peri,KLM for updates!

MINIACE

[Pericles]

Rizvi Farouk has won the MRA Kukuleganga Rally 2009. Dinesh J came in second 1 min 34 seconds behind while setting a record time on the final stage, beating Dinesh D to third place. Thiwanka placed 4th overall in the ITR on debut, with Shafraz Junaid coming 5th. Sajaad Zuhair has won the 1600 class and Missaka won the 1050 class.

Updates from the field courtsey KLM.

[Watchman]

Sadly Dinesh D suffered a busted front tire on the very last leg. unfortunate...

And amazing run by all the drivers i must say, considering the spontaneous patches of bad tarmac and potholes which are pretty scary at high speeds...

Edited June 21, 2009 by Dilesh

[miniace]

Congrats to Mivec-Turbo and Mush for the great third.

yeah I heard about the terrible road conditions.

MINIACE

[KLM]

On the contrary, the potholes were only confined to one small section and the bridges etc. were all rebuilt and in fantastic shape. Despite the stage being only 500 metres shorter than in 2007, the times were quicker by almost half a minute on average. It was a very competitive rally and until the final 2 stages, the finishing order was not guaranteed.

[jaga]

I was there on saturday and watch the rally. Some were very fast and some gave only the sound

[Grand Civic]

Congratulations Mivec.Turbo for finishing with a podium. and Fuzzo for his debut in this rally on driving seat.

[Watchman]

A few pictures from Sunday

[Watchman]

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Got some more, but its 4.00am and i probably should goto bed considering i have to wake up for work at 7.30

Well hope you guys enjoy them!

[MADZ]

wow superb pics Dilesh !!!

MRA RALLY 2009 KUKULEGANGA TIMING (20th-21st June 2009) Click Here

Updates courtesy KLM

[KLM]

Outstanding photos, Dilesh! Would you mind if the MRA used a few of your shots as part of our post-event press releases? I'll be in touch.

[fuzzo]

very nice pics dilesh...

[Watchman]

Thanks guys! The pictures came out better than I had initially expected.

I was quite afraid that they might be very monotonous consideringthe fact that you cant get around a lot except on foot, and we all gt sick of seeing near identical photos of all the cars taking the same corner the exact same way... But that wasnt an issue, cos I ended up running down the road after every car passed by hoping to get a different angle for the next car. Had run down abou a 1/2 a mile by the time all the cars had gone by.

And I must say the villagers were extremely nice and friendly! Not to mention quite enthusiastic about the cars wizzing by!

[Watchman]

@KLM: drop me a mail "dilesh[-dot-]w[-at-]gmail[-dot-]com" and we'll work something out

[Grand Civic]

very nice pics dilesh. Good Job !!!!

[Dj shan]

http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/27/spo10.asp

[miniace]

Nice pics Dilesh. You, yet to upload the river bathing pics

MINIACE

[Container]

Rizvi-Jamal winners at Kukuleganga Rally

Rizvi Farouk, driving a Subaru Impreza WRX and co-driven by Jamal Hussein, won the MRA Kukuleganga Rally 2009 on the tarmac roads surrounding the Kukuleganga Holiday Resort last weekend. Farouk beat Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII driver and former winner Dinesh Jayawardene by 1 minute and 12 seconds to also take home the SL ‘GT’ class winner’s trophy.

Jayawardene, co-driven by debutant Dilan Seneviratne, set a record time on the final stage to take the position by just 14 seconds from Evolution X driver and former MRA Rally Champion Dinesh Deheragoda. However, with a 3rd place result Deheragoda further consolidated his lead in the 2009 MRA Rally Championship after his win in Pelwatte in January.

For Farouk, a veteran TSD rally driver, this was a first special-stage rally victory after suffering from bad luck and mechanical problems in previous MRA rallies. However, he had far from a straightforward event as he had to claw back an early lead taken by Deheragoda and co-driver Mushtaq Ahamed and then weathered a furious charge by fellow Subaru driver Janaka Dias who set stunning stage times and extraordinary speed to close within an unbelievable 0.5 seconds overall going into the final night stage on Saturday evening.

Unfortunately for Dias, he went off the road 50 metres from the finish of Special Stage 5 and eventually finishing the stage, threw away all hopes of victory.

Debutant duo Thiwanka Wijayasekara and Dhilan Sabar came home in 4th place overall and in the SL ‘GT’ class in a Honda Integra Type-R, a lower-powered car that was not expected to feature strongly. However, the lacked experience, set very competitive stage times only a few seconds off the leaders and were rewarded with a strong finish ahead of more powerful cars.

Perennial challenger Javidh Wahab also was in contention but retired a technical defect in his Honda Civic Type-R on SS5, leaving the consistent Sajaad Zuhair and co-driver Shajeeth Majumudeen to take victory in a Honda Civic SiR in the SL ‘H’ 1600 class over Nigel and Shaun Perera in their Civic SiR.

Premalalath Senarath was third in the class in a Ford Laser while Missaka Naween Gamage and Ashan Silva took victory in the SL ‘A’ 1050 category in a Nissan March from Farzan Najmudeen and Anas Cassim, also in a March.

The KKG Rally, as it is popularly known, saw further advances in safety by the Motor Racing Association, the organizing club, as for the first time a full-time ‘00’ car was driven at race speeds preceding the actual competitors. This was done to announce the arrival of the competing vehicles to the large crowds gathered on the stages. In addition to that and a preceding ‘0’ car, the club also had a qualified team of paramedics, doctors and ambulances available on stage.

With support from local authorities, police officers and other officials were positioned along the stages in order to clear the course and maintain safety as per international regulations.

The competing drivers, who unanimously proclaimed it as a fine organizing effort, repaid the organizers with great camaraderie and intense competition – most stages saw gaps of 2 seconds or less between vital positions, an ever-changing leader board and until the final night stage, there was only one retirement.

The fact that the finishing order was decided only on the final stages is a testament to the level of competition that was witnessed.

[Container]

The above article was taken from the Daily News