No, it’s not about the song “ready for the victory” by the German duo Modern Talking, but about a more special individual, a legend, who has brought honor and glory to the paradise island, and has made his mark in the international sports arena, and the passion and commitment he had for the sport has brought him to a position which is unbeatable, and no Sri Lankan would achieve for a long time. No, it’s not about the song “ready for the victory” by the German duo Modern Talking, but about a more special individual, a legend, who has brought honor and glory to the paradise island, and has made his mark in the international sports arena, and the passion and commitment he had for the sport has brought him to a position which is unbeatable, and no Sri Lankan would achieve for a long time. The pride and glory he has gained are not only for himself, but also for the country. Having the Sri Lankan flag displayed on his Lamborghini in all the races where he participates, he is the proud ambassador and representative of this beautiful island, to show the rest of the world that the “Sri Lankan spirit“ dazzles as always. The pride he has brought this tiny island is endless, and he is proud that he was able to bring all that prestige on his own. His achievements, were not offered to him on a silver plate, it was all about hard work and commitment. His only ambition is to bring more prestige to the country and more fame. Those in the motor racing arena will definitely know his name, since he has become the number one brand ambassador in motor racing, and a proud son of mother Lanka. Needless to say, our guest is none other else than the legendary Dilantha Malagamuwa, the number one motor legend if there ever was in Sri Lanka. Racing is his whole life, and his passion. The way he entered the motor racing arena is one fascinating story, and there’s so much one can learn. No other Sri Lankan has been able to break his record up to now, or even in the world, and he still rocks on, and will continue till the end.
Born in Kurunegala, Dilantha completed his primary education at St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala and Trinity College, Kandy. From his younger days he showed signs of being a motor racing champion, starting racing at the age of 16 and winning a motorcycle race. His two sisters encouraged him and persuaded his father to buy a Yamaha TZ 350. In 1983, Dilantha participated in his first international race in Calcutta, securing the 6th place and at that race he Matsumoto Kenmei, a Japanese motorbike racer, who invited him to come to Japan, to develop his motor racing skills, which was the turning point of his motor racing career. In 1985, he went to Japan, and some years later became the first non-Japanese Asian to compete in the Japan top level formula Nippon (F3000). Up to now, he has won numerous awards and achievements, and has been highly praised in both international and local media as one of the best motor racing drivers Sri Lanka had ever produced. Some of his achievements include, Champion of the N1 Championship in Japan 1995, Champion, Malaysia Super car series 2006, 1st runner up, Aston Martin Asia cup 2008/2009, Champion, GT Asia, 2010, 1st runner up, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asian series 2014, Champion, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asian series 2015, Champion, NGK Enduro 3 hour endurance race, Dubai, and winning the 3rd place at the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals, Imola, Italy, 2017, and AM Class, 5th place overall. These are only a few of those achievements he has won throughout the years, and the list goes on. In 1997, after competing in Japan’s top level Formula Nippon, the Prime Minister of Japan, Keizo Obuchi, felicitated Dilantha for his effort in becoming the first Non – Japanese Asian to achieve this feat. In 2012, Dilantha was awarded the national colors and a special recognition by the Sri Lanka Auto Sports Association in 2012, and was selected as the Brand Ambassador for the SLIM 14th Brand Excellence awards with an attractive theme titled as “Will you race ahead of the rest?”. His racing school, “Dilango Racing“ which was established in 2009 was given the Runner Up Presidential Award for being the “Most Outstanding Leisure Sports Provider of the Year 2015“ and also another runner up Presidential Award to Dilantha himself, for being the “Most Outstanding Standing Sportsman of the year 2015”. He again bagged two awards at the Sports First Platinum Award 2016, as the “Best Motor Sport Athlete of the Year“ and “Most Popular Player of the Year”. Dilantha also received the Sri Lankan of the Year award in 2018 in the sports category, for his contribution towards motor racing in Sri Lanka. The event was hosted by Ada Derana, at a gala event which was held at the Hilton Colombo.
This Motor Racing legend, who has a friendly and a down to earth personality joined me for a brief chat at his residence, on his motor racing career, achievements, experiences and best moments, which I thoroughly enjoyed listening to, for it was so interesting.
Q: So Dilantha, how are things going on with your Motor racing career these days?
A: It’s good. The new championships start in March and goes on till November. I’m getting ready for that and trying to find sponsors etc. Sometimes it could be two championships. I’m not sure if I can do both, but one championship is confirmed, which is the GT Sports club. The testing is on the second week of March and first race is also in the second week of April.
Q: Who, or what influenced you to start your racing career?
A: Actually I had the passion for cars and bikes, but what inspired me was film! That was what inspired me to become a racing driver.
Q: What were the challenges you had to face when you first started racing?
A: I don’t think nobody has ever been through the challenges which I had to go through. My first race was when I was 16, and my father was against my racing but they didn’t know my first race, which I took part and he only got to know after the race. I won the first race, on a 5060 when I was 16, and then I immediately wanted to get on to a TZ 350. Because 5060 was too slow for me. My father was against it but my two sisters somehow influenced him and made him buy me the bike. But he said, if there’s one accident, I have to give up, and I had to promise. I just made a false promise, but I had my own way. So the first race was in Kurunegala, I won the third place there. And from 5060 I went straight on to the 350, in the second race I had a fall and broke my leg, and my father said don’t race, but I never gave up. I really wanted to go for international races. So when I was 19, in 1983, I went to India. That also my father did not know. I took my bike from Kurunegala to Thalaimannar, from there to Rameshwaram on a ferry, and then to Madras. But I was not allowed to race in Madras because Sri Lankan officials objected because I went on a private entry, because they didn’t give me the official entry. So they didn’t allow me, but the next race was after a week in Calcutta so I raced there and came back. My father came to know after that and went to India to bring me back, and in India, I met this Japanese person named Matsumoto Kenmei, and at that time I was trying to go to Europe or the States to race, but then he was very kind to me and he said that I should come to Japan, if you really want to become a champion. He was fooling with me the whole time because I had the oldest bike, and I was also the youngest guy. He never thought I’ll come to Japan, so he said Japan is a better country. I told him one day I want to become a world champion. He knew it would never happen, he underestimated me at that time, but then he gave me his address, and when I was coming back to Sri Lanka I lost my wallet, and lost his address, and after I came to Sri Lanka I told my father I want to go to Japan. He didn’t allow it, and after around one and a half years, I sold my car, bought a one-way ticket, and with Rs.4000 I went to Japan, and I raced there and had to live in a van for the first 6 months. My parents did not know for a while where I was. It took me two years to buy my first bike. I tried to meet Matsumoto, I went to circuits many times, but I was not allowed to go and see him because I didn’t have a pass, and when I told people that He was a friend of mine, no one believed me. Anyway after a while I realized everything was very tough. I thought everything was easy, but motor racing is very expensive. So after an year, I started my own business exporting bikes and all that, because I wanted to find the funds to race, and then in 1987, I went to Japan again, and that was the year I bought my first bike, and I started racing bikes, then I started racing cars from 1989, and I became the first Non – Japanese Asian to win a championship in Japan, in 1995, and in 1997, I became the first Non –Japanese Asian to reach the highest level of motorsports in Japan. I was felicitated by the Prime Minister of Japan at that time, and the national television, NHK wanted to do my documentary. First I didn’t want them to know, because motorsports is a very glamourous sport. Everyone is very wealthy. And they didn’t know that I was working 22 hours to race, you know. I bring motor cycles, I wash them, I clean them and do the paper work, I did everything by myself. So I didn’t want anyone to see this on TV because no one would believe it. Anyway the NHK Director invited me to the programme which was called “Hello Nippon” .He said, “Dilantha, you were inspired by films, and if people see your documentary, they’ll be inspired” and that I should do it. So I finally agreed and we did the documentary and the last shooting was at the Fuji circuit, and they didn’t tell me that this is the last shooting and they said “cameras on“ and lo behold, Matsumoto, the guy I met walks in after 14 years! and the first thing he asked me was, “how did you do this?” we were both emotional, and our eyes were full of tears, and the first thing he said was, I learnt never to underestimate any person thereafter in life. Everything was tough, every day is tough, but I never take it as being tough because it’s my passion, and I challenge myself every day. After that I wanted to race in many championships, including European championships, and am still going on.
Q: We do get local motor races such as the Fox Hill super cross, Katukurunda motor races etc, but do you think these are enough?
A: Compared to what you do overseas, we don’t even run a single race that is parallel to international racing. If you see the formulas we run, it’s pre- 1985. So it’s like, its almost 30 year old cars we are still using. We don’t have proper gear, we haven’t properly prepared those cars, no proper racing track, and if you see in any part of the world, even in a national championship the least is about 30 minutes. Here it lasts only for 5 or 10 minutes maximum. And in this super cross, they run together. In other countries, they send one car after the other. Here you can’t see because of the dust and the person from behind can’t see. Autocross is different because you don’t that kind of dust. Even on the cars there’s no safety. Racing was started in Sri Lanka in 1934, if I’m not mistaken, and we were the first in Asia to start racing. We used to beat India because they didn’t have the motorcycles that we had. Now they have three circuits, Formula One circuit, even in Japan, China, Singapore, it’s the same. But still we don’t even have our own tracks, it’s the same situation with the races we run. And they run on the same track, motorcycles, cars on the same day, nowhere in the world they do that you know. So they have messed up everything and they will never change it. Now see, I’m racing internationally, David Peiris’s son is racing because he can afford it, and then Ashan is racing in Dubai and trying to do something, but where are we really? We have to run a championship parallel to other championships in the world. Their systems are also totally different, and just a bunch of people, they decide the rules, and running them. Now, we have Niroshan Perera, he’s the FIA Asia zone head, and we don’t even use him. So he goes to other countries. To do anything we have to have a proper circuit here, and run it with proper rules and regulations. Most of the racing cars we use are over 20 years. The rules and regulations keep on changing, so it’s not properly done like any other sport here.
Q: Motor sports are popular all across the world. However, Motor racing is considered as a risky sport. What’s your opinion on this?
A: Any sport is risky. But this is more risky because of the speed and accidents etc. I think the most popular are football and motorsports. Cricket they say, is popular, but motor sports are popular over 100 countries. Giants like America, Japan, China, Germany and all these European countries, they don’t have cricket, but as I said motorsports is a glamorous sport that is competed within the prestigious companies, so it’s “a battle for prestige” They spend billions and billions but then, I could go and beat all of them! The difference in motor sports is, it’s not only yourself. You need a car, tyres, brakes, in cricket you only need a bat and a ball. But here its technique is not enough. You got to have the funds, you got to have the proper machine, and you have to compete with the most powerful, prestigious companies in the world. I think they spend about 18-20 billion an year for this sport. So it’s totally different. But still, I could go and hang on with them, still beat them. And then I have all the Asian records where I won 8 or 9 championships and also several first runner up championships. In motorsports, a championship goes on for a year. During each race you have to collect points, so the whole year is a championship. So you have to be very consistent and everything has to be perfect. So winning a championship is very difficult. I won mostly Asian championships, because I went to Europe only in 2017 to race. Though they call it the Asian championships, people from all over the world come and compete because it’s held in Asia. Motor sports are not restricted to one particular area like games like cricket, etc. So in that way, it’s not just an Asia championship. So, all that was done!
Q: Speaking about Dilango Racing, which was established in 2009, what’s your progress from that end? Can you tell us about it?
A: The reason why I decided to have my own thing was, every day I was driving for other teams and they control you. When someone controls you, you can’t give 100% performance. Because sometimes in races they say over the radio, “don’t overtake, don’t do this, don’t do that” so they control me and I ant run the race the way I want. So in 2009 I thought that I’ll start my own racing team, and then we started Dilango racing. And that’s the time we won most of the championships, from 2009 onwards, because it was controlled by me. There was no controller and I checked everything. Everyone around the world now knows Dilango racing, on the world championships we were third, but in the coming years we’ll win 2,3 world championships for Sri Lanka. So we were able to build that brand, “Dilango” because one thing is, TV coverage is very high on racing, there’s about 1.4 billion viewers watching, so I think all the manufacturers, when you say “Dilango racing” although it’s small, everyone knows, because at the end of the day, it’s the results. So we have proven and got good results, and the best results.
Q: What do you think of the sports field in Sri Lanka in general?
A: I think except for cricketers, everyone else is struggling you know. There are no professionals. When you say a “professional driver” although they call me a professional driver, I’m not a professional driver because I’m not paid. I have to find my own funds. So the only “paid” sport in Sri Lanka is cricket. Everyone else is struggling. So in a way it’s very unfair, not being fair to other sports be it chess, basketball, netball carom or any other sport, they are not being looked after. So in that way I feel it’s very unfair, but still with all that, compared to cricket, they don’t even get 1% of what cricket gets. Not even media coverage. But with all that, there are a lot of athletes, sports people who bring fame For Sri Lanka. At least when they are competing, they should be looked after. The problem is, the officials don’t know what they are doing, and they take all the benefits from what should go to the sportsmen or sports women, but I think most of the funds go to the federations, so I feel very sad. They are talking about promoting sports in Sri Lanka, but the first thing they should do is to build the grounds! Some grounds have grass and some are just sand. In other stadiums, they don’t have a proper running track. They should do the basics and it’s not done. Sometimes when I go to these grounds I feel very sorry, because some are running with shoes and some are not. How can you have a race even? So it’s very unfair. The infrastructure has to be done immediately.
Q: As a seasoned Motor racer, what’s the advice you can give to newcomers?
A: A good thing which has happened in Sri Lanka is that Mr. David Peiris has put up the Bandaragama Carting Centre on his own expense. That is the best place for a starter. Even for top proper drivers, to practice go carts etc, this is one of the best places. So, hats off to him, he has done that. If anyone wants to start proper racing, they should go to this Go Cart track, and they have these basic Go Carts, but then you can buy a higher performance one and they can practice there. Unfortunately we don’t have a circuit here, but you can go to Katukurunda and start practicing, because everyone asks me “how can I go overseas and race, I want to race, can you support” etc. Financially I can’t support, when they ask how to do this and that, I know they’ll never do it, because when I didn’t have even email or internet, I still found my way, physically going there and finding things, so I know they are just dreaming! They don’t have the commitment, if they have the commitment they should know by themselves. So they don’t have that. They all want to be in the comfort zone. They just want to go to Katukurunda, do 1 or 2 races, they have no dreams of going overseas and winning championships, but there are some good riders who go to these Asian championships, so we have to support them. For me, I knew I won’t get any support, so I went and worked 22 hours, to do it. I’m trying to do a venture called “Dilango Taxis” like Uber and Pickme, and we’re going to launch it in another two weeks. What I want to do is, out of the profits we want to help athletes. Because other than the cricketers, they all have to borrow money. We have to help these people, that’s how they bring fame to Sri Lanka, in any part of the world, they respect sportsmen and sportswomen. They are considered as heroes. You don’t call a politician or an artist a hero, but sports people are heroes. So if you see the top countries in the world, they spend so much money on sports to bring fame to their country. So it’s pride. People who bring pride is doing on their own. They are not supported. That’s very unfortunate, you know.
Q: Do you have any role models in life? And what’s your motto in life?
A: I never had role models. I think if you have a role model, there would have been barriers. You might imitate someone else. I learnt things from others you know, if someone said something good and if someone did something good, I tried to learn from that. But I never had role models. I just follow myself. And my motto in life will be, “nothing is impossible!”
Q: What’s the car model you are using right now?
A: For the last ten years I have been driving Lamborghini. In 2009, I was driving Porsche and Aston Martin both, but in 2009, Lamborghini approached me and asked me if I would like to race a Lamborghini. Although the Lamborghini was very popular among people, they didn’t have the proper race cars. So nobody paid much attention, but I said I’ll give it a try, and then in 2010, I started racing a Lamborghini, and I won the Asian championship. That was the first time, I think, that Lamborghini won a GT championship in Asia. From that day onwards, we have a very close relationship. Without factory support, it’s not easy to win. And to get factory support, you have to be a top driver in the world, but because of our connection, they treat me very well and maybe until I retire, I might be with Lamborghini.
Q: Looking back at your journey through out these years, how do you feel?
A: I think I’m very proud, you know, because, no one knows my story other than myself. I should say, very proudly, no Sri Lankan has ever, either businessman or sportsperson or anyone, has spent his own money and brought fame for Sri Lanka. No one has even come close to what I have done for Sri Lanka. So I’m very proud of that, and I’m doing it because I love this country and it’s my passion, and always challenge myself, and I always want to become a better person every day, so I keep challenging myself. That’s why I don’t have a role model; I want to be better than me every day. So that’s how I keep winning. So I’m very proud because now it’s almost 36 years since I have been in the international races, as I told there’s no one in Sri Lanka who has ever done it. Not that I’m trying to boast, but I’m very proud of it. And I want someone else also to do the same thing. I haven’t saved money, but I have best glory to Sri Lanka, and no one has ever, even in the racing history has put up their own country flag with their own expenses, to bring fame for their country. When I think about it, I feel very proud.
Written by Sureshni Pilapitiya