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Friday, 23 October 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Hishan Welmilla
Shrian Samuel competed in Round 2 of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation’s (QMMF) event: Qatar Super Sport 600cc (QSS) on 16 and 17 October under the lights at the Losail International Circuit, Doha.
This QSS round coincides with track action of the World Superbike Championship season finale also raced on the Losail circuit. Samuel is the first Sri Lankan rider to compete on the international stage in the 600cc category, and has done his country and sponsors proud by progressing through to the top 10 riders in the event, when he finished ninth place in the Round 2, Race 2 event.
His improvements from Round 1 saw him qualify 13th in the starting grid – one position better than Round 1’s 14th grid placing. In race 1 of the event Samuel placed 12th with a competitive lap time of 2 minutes 15 seconds – his personal best time to date on this circuit. He managed a top speed of 240km/hr, but in order to compete with the top 10 riders accelerating over 270km/hr, Samuel will need to correct for suspension issues. Race 2 saw Samuel finish in an impressive ninth place of 26 riders who started the race, his best placing on record in this event.
He credits his finish to the strong support from a large contingent of Sri Lankan expatriates that attended the races to cheer him on from the spectator gallery, which indeed outnumbered any other competitors’ supporters.
With Samuel’s true determination for continued success at this international event, proven through fighting his way into the top 10 in only two rounds, presents a golden opportunity for a larger sponsor to capitalise on his impressive debut on this circuit. We look forward to the next round taking place on 6 and 7 November, where we will see his leathers flapping in the desert breeze as he looks to improve again on his current standing, as a proud Sri Lankan making his mark on the racing stage.
“I have to thank Kumudu Fonseka for facilitating my racing in Qatar and all the people who came to support Sri Lanka, and also to the federation for motorcycle sports in Sri Lanka,” said jubilant Shrian after the race.
“I had a few issues with the setup of my motorcycle’s speed and suspension as electronic tuning is new to me but managed to get a bit more power from the bike compared to Round 1, next is a suspension upgrade that is required to improve further. Overall, against the odds we did well and I’m happy about my progress into the top 10 and I’m confident I will take Sri Lanka to new heights in motorcycle racing,” Shrian added.
