Aegean Rally Starts for the 26th Time

The Turkish Rally Championship gets under way this weekend with the Saygılı Rulman Aegean Rally in Izmir, which has attracted an entry of 60 cars. The rally starts at 13:30 on Saturday 16 April in front of Forum Bornova, and over two days the 60 crews will battle it out on special stages in the Seferihisar area and at the İzmir Park Ülkü race track. The service park will once again be set up at Balçova İnciraltı, while the finish podium and prize-giving will take place in front of the Ramada Encore Hotel from 16:30 on Sunday 17 April.
TOLON: "WE WILL RACE ON THE VARYANT"
The pre-event presentation for the 26th running of the Aegean Rally was held at Forum Bornova, where the rally will start. Forum Bornova shopping centre manager Doğan Alpan wished all the drivers taking part in the rally success, while Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) board member Ömer Tolon said motorsport needs to attract more spectators in order to survive. Explaining that a series of events have been organised at this year's Aegean Rally both to add excitement to the sport and to draw spectators, Tolon said: "There will be double starts and drifting at İzmir Park. We hope for a record crowd, God willing. Our biggest dream for next year is to hold the spectator stage on the Varyant. If we are in the administration next year, we will race on the İzmir Varyant."
Aegean Automobile Sports Club (EOSK) president Ömer Yüce noted that the 2016 Aegean Rally features seven separate special stages, adding that a shakedown stage, which has not been run for a long time, will take place on Saturday: "We have a total of 494 km, 103 km of which is competitive."
BOSTANCI: "THE AEGEAN RALLY WILL TEST US"
Murat Bostancı, the Castrol Ford Team Türkiye driver and Turkish Rally Championship winner of the last two years, said the past two seasons had gone very well for the team: "The Aegean Rally has always been lucky for us. For the last two years we have started the season by winning the Aegean Rally." The champion, who said they are viewing this season as preparation for the European Rally Championship, added: "The Aegean Rally on the classic İzmir route will once again be an event that tests us because of the tyres and the air temperature."