Racing Drivers’ Association holds inaugural AGM

From left: Secretary Glenn Jayasekara, Asst. Secretary Sabry Salam, President Sajaad Zuhair, Treasurer Nishan Wasalatanthri, Vice President Sachith Pathirana

The inaugural Annual General Meeting of the recently-formed Sri Lanka Racing Drivers’ Association (SLRDA) was held on Wednesday 28 November, at the National Institute of Sports Science, in Colombo. 

Formed with the intention of uniting all nationally-licensed racing drivers under one umbrella, the SLRDA elected prominent racing driver Sajaad Zuhair as President for the year 2018-19, with fellow drivers Sachith Pathirana appointed Vice-President, Nishan Wasalathanthri Treasurer, Glenn Jayasekera Secretary, and Sabry Abdul Salam Assistant Secretary. In addition, various representatives of all the competing classes in Sri Lankan motorsport were appointed to liaise between the SLRDA and the individual drivers.

Zuhair paid tribute to previous groups representing the interests of racing drivers in Sri Lanka and pledged to continue their journey. He also noted the unity shown by the members of the association when a fellow member suffered serious injuries during an event in August, citing this as evidence that the group was very capable of coming together to improve motorsport in Sri Lanka as a whole. 

The committee outlined their efforts to date, including liaising with Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), the governing body for motorsport in Sri Lanka, as well as soliciting suggestions and improvements to the rule book for 2019. The committee also stated their intention to remain transparent in all dealings with the governing body and to only focus on looking after the interests of the drivers, including negotiating better trackside facilities, safer track conditions and more cost-effective technical rules and regulations. SLRDA member Charith Perera outlined the development of a driver code of conduct and guide to on-track rules and etiquette, which the audience agreed was of high priority.

While Sri Lankan racing has made great strides in the last few years in terms of technological development and driver skill, the consensus was that other elements had not kept pace in terms of development and this association comprising exclusively of drivers seeks to establish a vital link between the governing body of the sport, the clubs conducting the meets and the drivers, to ensure that all stakeholders in the sport are working towards the same goals.

Competitors holding current SLAS licenses and interested in membership of the association can submit their application forms at www.slrda.com.