Favourites Cruise at Kaynaşlı
Round three of the 2016 Turkish Hill Climb Championship, the Kaynaşlı Hill Climb, was held on 28-29 May by the Eskişehir Automobile Sports Club (ESOK) with the support of the Düzce Governorship, Düzce Municipality, Kaynaşlı District Governorship and Kaynaşlı Municipality.
The event began on Saturday 28 May with administrative and technical checks in Düzce's municipal square, followed by a ceremonial start. On Sunday 29 May the action got under way in the morning with practice runs, and the competition was then run over three runs on a 6-kilometre course. The 25 competitors, who came from Bursa, Antalya, Izmir, Ankara and Istanbul, faced a testing event in rainy conditions.
Among the former hill climb champions returning to the course this year in a Fiat Palio, Burak Sohtorik took victory in Category 1. Last year's Turkish Hill Climb Category 1 Champion, Bursa's Burak Başlık, lost time when the car stalled on the third run and had to settle for second.
In Category 2, Bursa's Hakan Ertarman took the win in a Renault Clio Ragnotti, while Nuray Işık, also from Bursa, was second in an Opel Corsa S1600 and Ankara's Mustafa Göçer finished third in a Fiat Punto Kit Car.
In Category 3, İsmet Toktaş of Bursa, competing for Ülkü Motorsport in a Honda Civic Type-R EP3, took the class win, while last year's champion, Ankara's Refik Bozkurt, went off the road on the final run in his Renault Sport Clio and did not finish.
In Category 4, last year's Turkish Hill Climb Champion Ümit Ülkü won his class once again in a Porsche 997 GT3. Murat Doğral took second in a Porsche 997 GT3 for Ülkü Motorsport, and set the fastest run of the day with a 03:44.375 on the third run. Selim Bacıoğlu, son of former rally champion Ali Bacıoğlu, completed the podium in a Peugeot 207 R3T.
In the local classification, the winners were Yiğit Yalçın in Category 1 in a Citroen Saxo VTS, Hakan Ertarman in Category 2 in a Renault Clio Ragnotti, İsmet Toktaş in Category 3 in a Honda Civic Type-R EP3 and Ahmet Filiz in Category 4 in a Fiat Palio.
The 2016 Turkish Hill Climb Championship continues with the İSOK Hill Climb, to be held in Istanbul on 18-19 June.
