Bantboru-Backed İlayda Hancı Takes Podium
İlayda Hancı, 23, who closed the 2016 Turkish Off-road Championship as Class 1 champion, took a podium finish at Baja Turkey 2017 with TurkMotorspor.com support, competing in the colours of new sponsor BANTBORU and finishing third in the TH1 category.
Over an 812-kilometre route including 500 kilometres of special stages, Hancı, the only female driver in the race class, competed against rivals from Turkey and nine other countries.
Baja Turkey 2017, a round of the six-round Eastern European Baja calendar and held in Turkey for the first time, was organised by İstanbul Offroad Kulübü. Çanakkale's unique natural setting and historic heritage, combined with the excitement of Republic Day, gave the event a special atmosphere and added extra significance.
Noting that its products are present in the brake, clutch and fuel systems of 4 out of every 100 cars produced worldwide, Bant Boru CEO Sinan Gider said: "We are there in the systems that are critical for performance and safety in the cars people use every day. We support the competitive performance of leading brands in the automotive industry, which is considered one of the most competitive sectors in the world. Supporting İlayda Hancı, a champion and one of Turkey's most competitive athletes, is a great source of excitement for us. It also carries special meaning for us that the BANTBORU Off-Road Team was represented by a Turkish female driver in such an important international race, which coincided with Republic Day."
Stressing that they are proud of İlayda Hancı's impressive achievement, Gider said: "It increased our pride that the only female driver in the race class was Turkish and delivered such a strong performance. We wholeheartedly congratulate our BANTBORU Offroad Team driver İlayda Hancı, and we dedicate this success, which came on Republic Day, to our country."
Pointing out that Turkey, whose competitiveness in international industry and trade is steadily growing, is also winning admiration for its achievements in fields from sport to culture, Sinan Gider said: "We work with the world's leading companies. Our customer-focused, flexible approach to business, our laser-assisted production lines that our competitors do not have, and our competitive performance make us a preferred partner. It makes us happy to see other Turkish companies succeed in different sectors. Our country's competitive character also shows itself on the sporting stage. In particular, the competitive performances of Turkish female athletes, who have achieved significant success in individual and team sports, contribute greatly to our country's reputation. I am fully confident that our partnership with our driver, the champion İlayda Hancı, will carry this pride and excitement even further with new successes."
Born in 1994, İlayda Hancı began her off-road career in 2013 with her father Mehmet Hancı as co-driver. She chased the Turkish Off-road Class 1 title in 2016 and closed the season as the country's first female champion in the sport. At Baja Turkey 2017 she competed alongside co-driver Batuhan Korkut in a BANTBORU-liveried Suzuki Grand Vitara. Chasing success in the TH1 category, Hancı was the only female driver in the race class. Saying they had finished a long, tough and competitive event with a good result, Hancı said: "It's wonderful to be part of an international race in one of the world's most special regions with the BANTBORU Offroad Team. The thousands of years of historic heritage and the spirit of Çanakkale gave me extra strength. Achieving the result we were aiming for boosts my confidence and my excitement for the future."
