TRNC Motorsport in 2017 – Part 2

The motorsport events and developments in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in 2017, in the second part of a review by Çağın Özılgaz, editor-in-chief of the TRNC-based website Damalı Bayrak...April

• The opening round of the TRNC 2017 Şeker Sigorta Rally Championship, organised by the North Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association, was held in April as the "Mustafa Cabacaba Memorial Rally". The reigning champions Rauf Denktaş and Derviş Savarona won the event.

• The second race of the season in the 2018 TRNC Rapa Drift Championship, organised by the North Cyprus Automobile Club, was held at Cemsa Sporting Center, with 2014 champion Celal Bozbeyli taking the win.

• The second round of the off-road championship, organised by the North Cyprus Off Road Association, took place in April at Alagadi. Former champions Niyazi Bedel and Hasan Güney won by a clear margin.
• The first race of the drag racing championship, organised by the Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association, was held in April. Winners were decided in five classes at the event on the Serhatköy–Mevlevi road. The first motocross race was also held in April, with Mehmet Altan leading MX1B and Derviş Borucu taking the top spot in MX2B.

• The first race of the slalom championship, organised by the North Cyprus Classic and Sports Car Club, was held in April in the Famagusta City Mall car park. Fifty crews competed across seven different classes.

• The North Cyprus Automobile Club's 4th Ordinary General Assembly was held in April at the Koop Sen hall. Zeki Topcu's new list was approved and a new board was formed.

• "Rally Antiphellos", a four-day off-road rally-raid event organised in the Kaş district of Antalya, took place in April with seven crews from the TRNC taking part. Of the 54 crews competing in total, four of ours took the top four places.

• The opening round of the TRNC 2018 Şeker Sigorta Hill Climb Championship, organised by the North Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association, was held in April on the St. Hilarion road in memory of Oğuz Özyalçın. Deniz Denner and Ömer Topcu won the event.

May

• The Cyprus Turkish Classic Car Association began its 2017 season in May with the NG Kütahya Rally. Tolga and Bedia Tekin won the event.

• The first round of the Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association Motocross Championship, sponsored by Tanısay Petrol with the support of Güven Sigorta, was held in May at the Burning Hills Adventure Park motocross track in Şirinevler. Mehmet Altan led the MX1 B class, while Derviş Borucu topped MX2 B.

• The second round of the rally championship, organised by the North Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association, was held in May in Lefke. Rauf Denktaş and Hasan Özseyhan won the rally.

• The third round of the off-road championship, organised by the North Cyprus Off Road Association, was held in Güzelyalı. Spyros Sryrou and Antonis Marasivos set the best time of the day.

• The Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association Enduro Championship held its third round in May in Dipkarpaz. Winners were decided in nine classes.

• As part of the Cyprus Turkish Classic Car Association's Near East University 28th Anniversary Classic Car Festival, an exhibition was first held at Mücahitler Park in Nicosia, followed by a rally. Ali and Pembe Kelebek won the event.

• The second round of the 2017 TRNC Şeker Sigorta Hill Climb Championship, organised by the North Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association, was held at Kantara, with Mehmet Çocuk and Melih Pastırmacı taking the win.

• The North Cyprus Classic and Sports Car Club's second rally of the season was held in May with Olive Tree Hotel sponsorship, and Çağan and Derya Ilgar won the event.

June

• The 24-hour Off-road race, organised by the Kyrenia Off Road Association, was held in June with Myra Properties sponsorship. Run over roughly 400 kilometres of stages from Geçitkale to Yedidalga, the event was won by Halim Kahveciler and Ramadan Uzun in the rally class and by Gökhan Onurlu and Ramadan Kıral in the raid class.

• The second round of the Moto Drag Championship, organised by the Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association, was held in June on the Hamitöy ring road. A total of 26 riders took part in the event, which was run in five classes.

• The karting championship season began in June with a race at Cemsa. Winners were decided in four classes, and the close battles among the youngest drivers kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

• The second race of the season for Power Drift Club, based in Southern Cyprus, was held in June. At the event in Achna, Enver Haskasap finished second to take a podium place.

• The Cyprus round of the European Rally Championship was held in June. Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah won the rally, while Rauf Denktaş and Derviş Savarona finished tenth to be the best Turkish Cypriot crew. Deniz Fahri and Barış Kalfaoğlu achieved a major success by finishing second in ERC3.