Alias Racing Targets Big Things in 2016

One of Apex Masters' longest-established teams, Alias Racing, is even more ambitious this year... With three drivers – Ali İnal, Kemal Soylu and Samet Koran – competing in the 2016 Turkish Drift Championship, there was no better way to get to know the team and find out where they stand than to put a few questions to its drivers....

TurkMotorspor: We'd like to get to know you better, gentlemen. Who are your team's drivers and what do they drive?

Ali İnal: I think my passion for rear-wheel-drive cars began with the chase scenes in the American police films I watched as a child. The cars sliding their rears through every chase always fascinated me – the plot didn't matter much to me, it was enough that the cars were chasing each other that way. My interest in drifting never faded and, after some research, I came across the "Drift Club", which had taken up and launched drifting in Turkey. I first went along to practice sessions as a spectator and decided straight away to join this warm community. There was no doubt I'd love the sport, but I kept wondering whether I'd be able to do it myself. I couldn't know without trying. So at first I didn't want to build a very professional and expensive car; I bought a Ford Sierra, my first drift car, and began converting it for drifting. Alongside that, I founded Alias Racing Team, and I was a one-man team. The Sierra was a tortoise that drifted on 120 horsepower. Because it was underpowered and a harder car than the other drift cars, it improved my driving without my even realising. I owe the Sierra a great deal. I closed the 2012 season with it and had to sell it – it meant a lot to me emotionally – in order to build a better car. That's how the green 200SX S13 (ALIgator), which I prepared for the 2013 season and still drive, was born. I finished the 2013 season in third and was very happy. The question in my head – "I wonder if I can do it" – vanished into smoke. I finished 2014 in second and 2015 in third, and now I'm looking forward to 2016 with excitement.

Samet Koran: I compete in drifting with my BMW E36 GTR-body car, with an M50 3.0 stroker and forged turbo.

Kemal Soylu: My car is a BMW M50 styled to look like an R34 Skyline… It's a 3-litre turbocharged car with around 550 horsepower.

What do you think it takes to be a team? Is a team made up of good drivers alone?

Ali İnal: For me, team means "everything", because strength only comes from unity! Alias Racing Team is really a family; everyone has infinite trust in one another, everyone has an important role in this family, and we celebrate and feel disappointment together. The drivers present the meal, but we mustn't forget the kitchen side of the job – everyone has put in effort!

Samet Koran: Being a team brings many responsibilities and duties for the drivers, and recognising them, along with honesty, trust, respect and affection, forms the basic building blocks of a team. It is a group made up of individuals who think of their team in every situation just as they think of themselves; put most plainly, being a team requires being a family. A team made up only of good drivers is not always enough; being a team is directly proportional to every member of the crew doing their job well – like the links of a chain, each link has to be good and strongly connected to the next.

Kemal Soylu: I think that to be a team you first have to believe, and as a team we have been strong in every situation. We've been drivers, friends, family. Our team really is made up of successful and good drivers, and together we will strive to be even better this season.

What is your favourite circuit?

Ali İnal: Every circuit is great and exciting in its own way, so it would be wrong to pick one. İzmir Park is a tight, technical track. Istanbul Park is high quality, with plenty of angles and wide. Izmit Körfez is a first this year and I'm very curious, though it's clearly going to be very tight and very technical. Atatürk Olympic Stadium, where drifting was born in Turkey, is of course the champion of our hearts!..

Samet Koran: Even though it wears out our tyres as quickly as sandpaper, my favourite circuit is İzmir Ülkü Race Track...

Kemal Soylu: My favourite circuit is İzmir Ülkü Race Track too. First of all, the people are very warm and sincere, and the track is great fun.

This season we can see different teams. Which team do you think will be your biggest rival this season?

Ali İnal: All the teams are very good; we don't underestimate anyone and we take everyone very seriously. But JDM Works will certainly be a strong contender this season. JDM Works' drivers Mert Bilaloğlu and Kemal Özhaseki are very high-quality, technical and highly experienced drivers.

Samet Koran: Our biggest rival this season is JDM WORKS DRIFT TEAM.

Kemal Soylu: JDM Works is my favourite too – in fact, my namesake Kemal Özhaseki has made a very fast start to the season.

What have you done this year to become a better team and better drivers?

Ali İnal: We haven't felt the need to make any changes to our crew. To drive better, we started this year by making our cars a little lighter. We're trying to improve ourselves by attending as many practice sessions as possible, and we try to keep a close eye on one another by running tandem runs with our team-mates as much as we can.

Samet Koran: As in every season, we are taking steps this season to take our team further. First among them, we are working on the duties and responsibilities of every member of our crew, researching ways to improve and taking the concrete steps required. To be a better driver this season, I redeveloped the entire engine of my car from scratch and made it much more powerful. I have also carried out repairs and adjustments to the car's appearance. I will continue drifting this season with a much stronger and better-looking BMW.

Kemal Soylu: To become a better driver we have made improvements to our car – some to lighten it, others to strengthen the cooling system so that we can get through events without problems. As a team, I think we are improving with every passing day. This season we are working very hard on communications and media.

What advice do you have for people who want to drift?

Ali İnal: Whatever the job, it is essential to get training from the right place and the right people. The saying "everything is best in its place" applies to drifting too: this is not done in open traffic or on the street, endangering other people, but professionally and best on a circuit!

Samet Korhan: My first piece of advice to everyone who is interested in drifting and wants to do it is to find the courage within themselves to do it, then to attend ApexMasters Drift Training, experience the moment first-hand and decide how to proceed based on their thoughts after the training. I also remind them that this sport must absolutely not be done on the roads outside circuits, and I wish all drift fans safe, trouble-free driving.

Kemal Soylu: My first piece of advice to those who want to drift is definitely not to try it out on the streets. As we did, I recommend that drift enthusiasts get training and enjoy it on circuits. Even if they don't compete, they can have a great time at practice sessions and do the drifting they love.