Avcı-Alkır Win Aegean Rally
The third round of the 2018 Turkish Rally Championship, the NG Kütahya Seramik 28th Aegean Rally, was organised by the Aegean Automobile Sports Club (EOSK) in Izmir on 13-15 July. Starting from Çeşme on the evening of Friday 13 July, the event covered a 457-kilometre route over three days, including 9 special stages totalling 110 kilometres, and concluded on the evening of Sunday 15 July with a prize-giving ceremony on the finish podium at the Izmir New Fair area.
The demanding rally, contested by 63 crews, ended in victory for Yağız Avcı-Ersan Alkır of Ford Motorsport Turkey in a Ford Fiesta R5. Avcı-Alkır, competing together again after an eight-year gap, finished 6.7 seconds ahead of BC Vision Motorsport's Burak Çukurova-Vedat Bostancı, who took second in a Skoda Fabia R5, while third overall went to Deniz Fahri-Barış Kalfaoğlu of Ford Motorsport Turkey in a Ford Fiesta R5.
In Class 3, Yiğit Timur-Kaan Özşenler, competing for Fiat Motorsporlari in a Fiat Egea, took the class win, while Ümitcan Özdemir-Batuhan Memişyazıcı of Ford Motorsport Turkey won Class 4 in a Ford Fiesta R2. The Class N win went to Mustafa Çakal-Mehmet Köleoğlu, competing for GP Garage My Team in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX.
TOSFED Searches for a Star: Emre Şentürk, who earned the right to compete in a Fiat Egea with TOSFED support as the 2017 runner-up, won the young drivers' category with co-driver Mesut Şafak Doğan on the first rally of his career in the Aegean, and also took victory in the Egea Youth Cup. Efe Eryalaz, who competed with Onat Telkenar, was the winning young co-driver in the Egea Youth Cup, while Nehir Yılmaz, who competed with Kağan Karamaoğlu of Ford Motorsport Turkey, won the female co-drivers' category.
The 28th Aegean Rally was also the second round of the Fiesta Rally Cup. The class winners were Ümitcan Özdemir-Batuhan Memişyazıcı in R2T, Bulgaria's Georgi Geradzhiev-Georgi Gadzhev in R2 and Semih Erkal-Yasin Tomurcuk in ST.
In the historic rally class, open to rally cars over 35 years old, Üstün Üstünkaya-Özden Yılmaz of Parkur Racing took victory in a 1976 Ford Escort MKII. Second place and the Category 1 win went to Levent Gür-Oytun Albayrak, who competed in a 1979 Murat 131 with the support of TOFAŞK Enegry Drink, while third went to Nuvit Karakaşlı-Tuğkan Erden in a 1981 VW Golf MK1. In this class, where 8 crews competed in cars of different makes and models, the championship leaders Gerçek Sunman-Bahar Sunman, who started in Izmir at the top of the standings, did not reach the finish.
In the Ali Sipahi Cup, Kenan Kar-Soner Tamer took the overall win and Category 2 victory in a Citroen C2, Emrah Ali Başo-Gürkal Menderes, supported by ÜÇGE, took second overall and the Category 4 win, and İlhan Mutluay-Cumhur Önder finished third overall. Yavuzhan Cabbaroğlu-Enez Al won Category 3, while Ramazan Ekiz-Batuhan Doğan reached the finish as Category 1 winners.
The 2018 Turkish Rally Championship continues with the Atış Yapı 43rd Yeşil Bursa Rally, to be held in Bursa on 4-5 August.
