COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, October 17 (ePRESS) – Sri Lanka’s youngest ever 1000cc category rider, 14-year-old Chenuka Caldera of Asian International School, will leave the island today (Friday) to compete in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup Selection Event scheduled for October 22 at the Sepang International Kart Circuit in Malaysia.
Caldera, who made history by becoming the youngest Sri Lankan to win the “Rider of the Day” Trophy in the 1000cc category at the SLADA Katukurunda Racing Championship 2025, has stunned the nation’s motorsport community with his extraordinary performances on the track.
Riding a 1000cc superbike, a category where speeds reach up to 320 kmph, Caldera completed a single lap in just 54 seconds, becoming the fastest Sri Lankan rider ever recorded in the event. In that race, he dominated the 22-lap contest, lapping all 12 competitors by three laps except the runner-up, a rare feat in the island’s 89-year racing history.
What makes Caldera’s achievement more remarkable is that no Sri Lankan under the age of 20 has ever competed in a 1000cc race, let alone won it. Starting his racing career at the age of eight, the young prodigy has developed into one of the most promising talents in Asian motorsport.
The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup is a prestigious platform featuring 83 of the best young riders from 18 nations, including Australia, Japan, Malaysia, India, and Thailand. Caldera will be the only Sri Lankan in the event, representing the country among Asia’s fastest under-17 riders.
Before heading to Malaysia, Caldera trained in Thailand and India to prepare for the international challenge, aiming to follow in the footsteps of Asia’s top MotoGP stars who began their journeys through the Asia Talent Cup.
