Cem Alakoç Crowned King of the Fiesta Cup
Ford Motorsport Türkiye's Fiesta Rally Cup, organised to give amateur competitors the chance to compete as part of a professional team, has wrapped up another thrilling season. Starting in Izmir with the Aegean Rally, the crews completed the six-round season at the Ford Otosan 35th Kocaeli Rally.
In a championship that was never short of excitement, the crews fought hard for a result at the Ford Otosan Kocaeli Rally. The battle for the Fiesta Rally Cup title between Ümit Can Özdemir and Cem Alakoç was particularly breathtaking. The head-to-head fight went all the way to the final stage, and it was Cem Alakoç who came out on top. With this result, Cem Alakoç-Yusuf Çelik won the Fiesta Rally Cup in their Ford Fiesta R2. They also took the "2WD Championship" and "Class 4 Championship" titles in the Turkish Rally Championship. Second place in the Fiesta Rally Cup went to Ümit Can Özdemir-Batuhan Memişyazıcı, who won three rallies in their Fiesta R2T, while third went to İsmet Toktaş-Sedat Bostancı, also in a Fiesta R2T.
The class wins at the Ford Otosan Kocaeli Rally went as follows: Cem Alakoç-Yusuf Çelik also won the Fiesta R2 class, Kağan Karamanoğlu-Cem Bakançocukları won the Fiesta R2T class, and Melih Evranlı-Tuğba Bora took the Fiesta ST class. In the Fiesta Rally Cup, where class winners are rewarded alongside the overall classification, Ümit Can Özdemir-Batuhan Memişyazıcı won the Fiesta R2T class, Cem Alakoç-Yusuf Çelik the Fiesta R2 class, and Onur Çelikyay-Uğur Çelikyay the Fiesta ST class.
Also competing under the Ford Motorsport Turkey banner, And Sunman finished the Turkish Rally Championship as Junior Drivers' champion in a Fiesta R2, while Burcu Çetinkaya Bucak completed a successful season in a Fiesta ST as the Turkish Rally Championship Female Drivers' champion.
Fiesta Rally Cup winner Cem Alakoç said after the rally: "We are delighted to have ended the season as winners of the Fiesta Rally Cup, which gives us the chance to compete in professional conditions under the Ford Motorsport Turkey umbrella. At the same time, by winning the Class 4 and 2WD classifications in the Turkish Rally Championship, my co-driver Yusuf Çelik and I have brought the team two important successes. We congratulate all of our rivals, with whom we had a great fight and competition throughout the season, and thank our technical crew and team managers."
Ford Motorsport Türkiye's Fiesta Rally Cup Coordinator Murat Bostancı said: "We have completed the season in the Fiesta Rally Cup, where we share all the knowledge, experience and expertise we have gained in Europe. First of all, I thank all our competing crews for the challenge they gave us this season. I also congratulate our champion crew. Cem Alakoç-Yusuf Çelik showed everyone how fast and durable the Ford Fiesta is in the 2WD class, and they deserved the title by winning here. I hope that in the 2018 season we will take the Fiesta Rally Cup to even better places together with our crews. We will begin preparations for next season right away, in order to serve our crews in an even better and more professional way."
Fiesta Rally Cup 2017 season standings:
1 Cem Alakoç (R2) 68
2 Ümit Can Özdemir (R2T) 61.5
3 İsmet Toktaş (R2T) 35.6
4 Kağan Karamanoğlu (R2T) 34.8
5 Emre Hasbay (R2T) 26
6 Burak Başlık (R2) 23.2
7 And Sunman (R2) 21.6
8 Özcan Söke (R2T) 21.5
9 Onur Çelikyay (ST) 21
10 Burcu Çetinkaya Bucak (ST) 16.8
