Superb Season Opener in Adapazarı
Round 1 of the 2018 Turkish Off-road Championship was held on 21-22 April 2018 in the Korucuk area of Sakarya's Adapazarı district, organised by 54 Otomobil Sporları Kulubü.
Organised with the support of the Sakarya Provincial Directorate of Youth Services and Sport and Adapazarı Municipality, the event attracted 30 vehicles and 60 competitors from different provinces across Turkey.
The event began on Saturday 21 April 2018 with the Toyota Hilux Forest Stage and provided two days of fierce competition. Former champions Hüseyin Memi-Muhammed Ali Yılmazer won the overall classification on the opening day, while fellow former champions Birkan İçen-Mustafa Saray took second. Enlivened by activities staged in the spectator area by Toyota, Ford and Mercedes, the event played host to the biggest crowd of spectators in recent times.
On Sunday 22 April 2018 the Zeytindalı 54 spectator stage drew great interest from the crowds and produced tough battles. At the end of the season opener, which 22 crews were able to complete, Sakarya's Birkan İçen-Mustafa Saray took overall victory and the Class 3 win in their Nissan Terrano. Cevdet Durdu-Aydemir Uzun, also from Sinop, won Class 4 and finished second overall in a Jeep Wrangler, while Mehmet Vurulmuş-Mustafa Doğan from Karabük took third overall in a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
In Class 1, Ahmet Yağlı-Ender Portakal from Mersin won in a Suzuki X-90, while in Class 2 the winners were Nihat Keskin-Yasemin Biber Toker from Istanbul. The team classification, contested by six teams this season, was won by Adapazarı Municipality 54 Team.
The 2018 Turkish Off-road Championship continues with Round 2, to be organised by ANDOFF in Ankara on 12-13 May.
