Colourful Season Opener at İzmir Park

The opening race of the 2016 Turkish Circuit Racing Championship season was held at the İzmir Park circuit on 9-10 April, organised by Ülkü Motorsporları Kulübü with 13 competitors taking part. With two races run in each of the Super and Maxi groups, the event also saw drifting demonstrations from the drivers who will compete in the Apexmasters Turkish Drift Championship, providing plenty of excitement for the spectators.

In the Maxi group, İbrahim Okyay, racing a BMW Z4 GT3 for Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport, who returned to the Turkish Circuit Racing Championship after a year away, set a 52.294 in qualifying to take the İzmir Park lap record, then won both races to make a fast start to the season. In the first Maxi race, Ülkü Motorsport drivers took second and third in their Porsche 997 GT3s, with Ümit Ülkü second and Ali Özerinç third. In the second race, Ahmet Mutlubaş finished second in a Porsche 997 GT3 for Ebam Gedik Racing Team, while Bilal Saygılı took third in a Porsche 991 GT3 for Ülkü Motorsport.

In the Super group, Ülkü Motorsport's Ümit Ülkü won both 20-lap races in a BMW320 TC, while Yağız Gedik, competing for Ebam Gedik Racing Team in a Honda Civic Type-R FN2, was second in both. Third place in the day's first race went to Ahmet Mutlubaş in a Honda Civic Type-R EP3, and in the second race to Ülkü Motorsport's Galip Atar in a BMW320 TC.

The second round of the 2016 Turkish Circuit Racing Championship will be held at the İzmit Körfez circuit on 25-26 June…