Motorsport in Northern Cyprus: 2017 Review Part 1

In this four-part series, Çağın Özılgaz, editor-in-chief of the Northern Cyprus-based website Damalı Bayrak, looks back at the motorsport events and developments that took place in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) during 2017...

January

• Officials from the motorsport clubs active in the TRNC met in January last year for the first time to plan the 2017 season and exchange ideas, and began work on the calendar.

• The opening round of the 2017 Enduro Championship, organised by the Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association, was held in January on stages prepared at Hamitköy and Taşkent. The event attracted 36 riders, with winners decided in six classes.

• The awards ceremony for the 2016 Classic Car Rally Championship, run by the Cyprus Turkish Classic Car Association, took place in January at the Cypriana Restaurant in Şirinevler, where trophies were presented to the overall and category winners.

• The 2nd Ordinary General Assembly of the Kyrenia Off Road Association was held in January. Hakan Denizalp became the association's second president at the end of the assembly.

February

• The awards ceremony for the 2016 Rapa Drift Championship, organised by the North Cyprus Automobile Club, was held in February at Barricade Lounge & Bar in Nicosia. Champion Enver Haskasap and the other top finishers received their trophies on the night.

• The end-of-season gala for the Rally and Hill Climb Championships, organised by the North Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association, was held at the Merit Park Hotel in Kyrenia. Rally champions Rauf Denktaş and Derviş Savarona and hill climb champions Deniz Denner and Ömer Topcu collected their trophies alongside the other top finishers.

• A general assembly was held in February at the North Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association. Tigin Kişmir, the sole candidate, received the assembly's approval and was elected president.

• The second Enduro race of the season, organised by the Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association, was held at Mevlevi. In total, 38 riders competed across nine different classes.

March

• Hakan Kofalı was re-elected president at the North Cyprus Off Road Association's general assembly in March.

• The opening race of the 2017 Off-road Championship, organised by the North Cyprus Off Road Association, was held at the Alagadi Off Road Track. The event, run in memory of the late Veleddin Hüdan and contested by 23 crews, was won by the Efstatiou brothers.

• The North Cyprus Classic and Sports Car Club held the first event of its 2017 season in March with 37 crews. The event, run in memory of Said Muhyi for the fifth time, was won by Semavi and Güzin Aşık.

• The Drift Championship, organised by the North Cyprus Automobile Club, got under way in March with a round at the Cemsa Sporting Center. Akay Akbil won the event, which saw 24 drivers compete in wet conditions.

• The "Champions' Championship", organised by the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) to determine the fastest driver of 2016, was held in March at the Izmir Ülkü Park race track with competitors from different disciplines. Our rally champion Rauf Denktaş and hill climb champion Deniz Denner also took part.

• Cyprus Off Road Attack, organised by the Kyrenia Off Road Association for the third time this year and backed by title sponsor Baştaşlar Construction, was held in March. The demanding event, contested by 19 crews, was won by Ahmet Baştaş and Orhun Paralik.