The history of the Southern Motor Sports Club (SMSC) dates back to 1997, when it was established by a group of motor sportsmen from the South, with the aim of taking motor sports to the south and to elevate standards of motor sports in Sri Lanka to greater heights. These founder members included Mr. Suranjith Premadasa, Late Mr. Preethi Palliyaguru, Mr. Ashhar Hameem, Mr. Andrew Silva and Mr. Lalin De Silva. Mr. Suranjith Premadasa was elected as the founder President of the Club, with Mr. Preethi Palliyaguru as the Secretary and Mr. Ashhar Hameem as the Treasure.The first official event of the club was the ‘Marble Decor Caltex Southern Rally 1997’, attended by all well-known rally drivers and co-drivers of the country. During the same year, the club initiated the ‘Eliyakanda Hill Climb 1997’ at Browns Hill Matara, which too became a grand success. The organization of the two events facilitated the SMSC to obtain the affiliation to the Motor Sports Authority of Sri Lanka SLAMS (presently SLAS). This affiliation has an unbroken record because of the club’s ability and capacity to organize challenging national motor sports events year after year.
Among the events organized by the SMSC are the Southern Rally and the Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb, which are the two annual events that stand high as two gigantic events in the motor sports calendar of Sri Lanka .The Southern Rally was conducted by the club annually. Later, the southern rally was nick named as “The Journey Through the Wilderness of the South” and the name ‘Monsoon’ too was tagged in, and the rally became the ‘Southern Monsoon Rally’. This is considered as the most challenging and one of the best organized motor rallies of the country.
The other annual event of the club- the Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb, is undoubtedly one of the most challenging hill climbs of the country, attended by country’s best motor sportsmen and women. The track is located in the picturesque Brown Hill, providing a host of excitement and challenges through its winding and never-unfolding trail. Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb tests the extreme skills of the drivers and riders and the most apt man-machine combinations, by taking them along a trail that makes their machines screaming and yelling, their bodies swaying and rocking and, their heads revolving and spinning. This event is a leg of the SLAS National Championship and, winning this event means you are at your best.
Of the very special motor sports events organized by the SMSC, the ‘SMSC-Keells Hotels Safari Rally 2004’ at Kanthale tops the list. The rally was a Speed Rally with Special Stages, which ran to FIA –APRC rally standards. The rally was participated by all well-known drivers and riders and was the first event to be run in Sri Lanka following most of the FIA guidelines -using all FIA standard documentation and Signage. First Ratnapura Road Races was also a very exciting titanic event organized by the club in the year 2000, named ‘Ratnapura Speed 2000’. The event was watched by a record 300,000 spectators, and was conducted to extremely high technical and safety standards. However, due to the risks involved in road races, the club decided not to continue with this event. The BMW Southern Super Cross 2006 was also a memorable event organized by the club, which was held in the Autodrome at Tissamahara, which was completely designed and constructed by the SMSC.
Starting with ‘SMSC Members Day Rally 1998’, the club has organized a number of fun rallies and members’ day rallies with the aim of promoting motor sports among the southern youth. This includes fun rallies organized with Lions Clubs, Care Organization, American College and Rahula College(Rahal Rally). SMSC boasts of producing some of the country’s best rally drivers and navigators (co-drivers), not forgetting the upcoming young racing drivers. Towards this end, the SMSC also established the Young SMSC in the year 2010, which consists of young lads and lasses of the south who assist SMSC in all its events. Taking up future challenges in motor sports by working together with the more experienced senior club is the goal. Training workshops have also been held by the SMSC at several occasions to train the membership in motor rallying and marshalling. Some of the members whom SMSC has nominated also received training programs conducted by the FIA, who now take part in FIA Formula 1 events as track marshals and flag marshals.
Apart from motor sports, the club introduced Beach Horse Racing to South Asia for the first time in 2000. The maiden event, which was held in Matara was initiated by the club’s founder president Mr. Suranjith Premadasa, which was named ‘Beach Horse Racing 2000’. The event attracted massive crowds and was held consecutively for two years. This was telecasted live on TV.
The strength of the Southern Motor Sports Club lies in the commitment and unity of its membership. It is quite rich in manpower, organisational ability and event management. The club is endowed with the services of great motor sportsmen and event managers like Mr. Suranjith Premadasa, Mr. Ashhar Hameem, Mr. Andrew Silva, Mr. Prasanna Wijewickrama and Mr. Dimuth Bambaravanage who had contributed immensely to elevate motor sports in the south of the country to great heights. One big blow to the club was the sudden passing away of its founder member Mr. Preethi Palliyaguru, in the year 2000 He was not only a good motor sportsman, but also a great human being loved by all. The Southern Eliyakanda Hill Climb, which was one of his own find, today offers to the winner of the event the ‘PreethiPalliguru Memorial Trophy’, in memory of his colossal contribution towards motor sports in the south.
At present, the SMSC has a membership of 300. It now has a strong focus on speed events, especially in organizing Special Stage Rallies. Making Sri Lanka another ‘leg’ of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship is the goal!