ApexMasters Rocks Istanbul

Drivers who opened the season in Izmir came together for the second round at Istanbul Atatürk Olympic Stadium on 30-31 May. The second round of the ApexMasters Drift Series, with drivers from Istanbul, Ankara and Cyprus taking part, was held in a warm atmosphere.

Qualifying began after Saturday 30 May's practice sessions. The driver with the highest score was Doğuş Can Dursun, competing in ApexMasters for the first time. With 92 points, Dursun took the top spot in the Top 16. At the end of Saturday's qualifying, 5 of the 21 cars that took part were eliminated, while 16 drivers earned the right to compete in Sunday's head-to-head battles.

The ApexMasters Istanbul event took on a festival feel this year. Nearly 100 modified cars were on display in the exhibition area, and spectators had the chance to look over them between drifting action. Rap veteran Fuat Ergin also took part, and a short performance of a special song he had prepared drew big applause from the crowd. More than 3,000 spectators attended, and free entry for women boosted the number of female spectators considerably. The women, who appeared very happy with the arrangement, cheered on the drivers throughout the event.

After fiercely contested battles, the drivers who reached the semi-finals were Oktay Kabaktaş, Mert Bilaloğlu, İbrahim Yücebaş and Kemal Soylu. In the battle between Oktay and Mert, Mert booked a place in the final. İbrahim, leaving Kemal behind, became Mert's opponent. The final runs were truly unforgettable. Starting behind in the first run, Mert put in a drive close to İbrahim's and took the advantage. Then came the last run, and Cyprus's İbrahim Yücebaş, who had produced the day's best chasing, was chasing once again. From the very first metres of the drift, İbrahim stayed on the day's closest tail, and as they crossed the finish line the two touched each other to end the day. The judges' decision went in İbrahim's favour, and İbrahim became the day's winner. The final, watched by the whole crowd on their feet, will not be forgotten for a long time. Videos of the final, which also attracted great interest on social media, were shared hundreds of times.

One feature of the event that drew great praise was the safety provided by a barrier system surrounding all four sides of the entire event area, like at a concert. With no disorder at all, the event was in many respects the best drift event to date. At the end of the day, everyone from the sponsors to the competitors had a big smile on their face.