Racing pride Dilantha Malagamuwa returns to Sri Lanka post-Malaysian GT series race 1 victories

Friday, 4 April 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Dilantha Malagamuwa, the Sri Lankan racing superstar who won four races at the recently-concluded Malaysian FIA GT Series Round 1, arrived in the island yesterday to a hero’s welcome. Racing in his Lamborghini for the team Dilango Racing, Dilantha won the GT Open and GT3 category events held on 29 and 30 March at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur.

At an official ceremony at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Dilantha was welcomed by the President Namaz Fowzie and Secretary Chula Ratwatte of the governing body of automobile motorsports, SLAS, and the President Upali Dassanayaka and Secretary to the Federation of Motorcycles in Sri Lanka (FMSSL). Fans and well-wishers thronged the event to witness the arrival of the champion driver who has made a name for actively promoting his Motherland with the words ‘Visit Sri Lanka’ on all his racing cars. Dilantha Malagamuwa hails from the city of Kurunegala and is probably the greatest racing driver produced by Sri Lanka. Having arrived in Japan in 1985, Dilantha racing career took off in 1980 and in 1997, he became the first non-Japanese Asian to compete in the Japan top level Formula Nippon (F3000). For the past 34 years Dilantha has been racing with pride for Sri Lanka in Japan and Malaysia, Australia, USA and many other countries where he has won several races and claimed many more podium finishes in the Malaysia Super Series. This was a very special occasion to all Sri Lankan motor sports enthusiasts as this is the fifth time our National Anthem was played at a F1 race where Dilantha was on Podium and Dilantha is the only driver ever to have two double wins in the history. The races in which Dilantha participates reach over 235 million viewers across the globe.