Ali Wins All Nine Stages on Rally Kocaeli

The 40th Kocaeli Metropolitan Rally, organised by Kocaeli Otomobil Spor Kulübü (KOSK) with ICRYPEX as title sponsor and supported by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, Spor Toto, Petlas, 41 Burda, Telsan and Emek, produced a hard-fought contest on a course made tougher by wet weather. Over two days, 53 cars and 106 competitors tackled nine gravel special stages totalling 113.54 kilometres, and the rally ended in victory for the Castrol Ford Team Türkiye crew of Ali Türkkan and Burak Erdener. Red Bull driver Ali Türkkan set the fastest time on all nine stages, and also won the young drivers' category and Class 3. Ümit Can Özdemir and Batuhan Memişyazıcı of GP Garage My Team took second place overall, and the crew also won Class 2. Cem Alakoç and Aras Dinçer, from the same team, finished third overall, while the Masters category was won by EVOFONE-backed Uğur Soylu, who competed alongside Şener Güray for the same team. Castrol Ford Team Türkiye took the manufacturers' title and GP Garage My Team won the teams' title. Efehan Yazıcı and Sevi Akal of Castrol Ford Team Türkiye won Class 4 and the 2WD category, Sinan Soylu and Özgür Akdağ of GP Garage My Team won Class N, and Tuncer and Asena Sancaklı won Class 5. The women drivers' category was won by Burcu Çetinkaya of GP Garage My Team, while Sevi Akal, who competed with Efehan Yazıcı for Castrol Ford Team Türkiye, took the women co-drivers' title. Begüm Uludağ, who competed alongside Sevgi Aktürk for Neo Motorspor, won the young co-drivers' category. In the Fiesta Rally Cup, the single-make rally cup organised by Ford Motorspor Türkiye, Turkey's oldest and best-established team, victory went to Çağlayan Çelik and Sedat Bostancı, who competed in a Ford Fiesta Rally3 with the support of Sheraton Bursa and Aloft Bursa.