Northern Cyprus Motorsport in 2017 – Part 4

The motorsport events and developments in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) during 2017 are covered in this fourth and final instalment, written by Çağın Özılgaz, editor-in-chief of the TRNC-based website Damalı Bayrak...

October

• The third round of the drifting championship organised by the Northern Cyprus Automobile Club was held at Cemsa in October, with İbrahim Yücebaş winning an enjoyable event.

• The Cyprus Turkish Classic Car Association completed its 2017 season with two rallies in October. İsmet-Ayşe Tufan won the 5th Autumn Rally, while Ali-Pembe Kelebek took victory on the Bosphore Rally. Ertan-Ayşe Namlı were crowned champions of the season.
• The hill climb championship organised by the Northern Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association concluded with two events in October. Doğa Koyuncu won the Avenue Dereboyu event in a Mazda RX-7, while Deniz Denner-Ömer Topcu won the event at Mersinlik to become champions. Denner-Topcu also went on to win a hill climb held in the south in October.

• The Afrodisia Cyprus Rally-Raid, organised by the Kyrenia Off Road Association for the fourth time in 2017, was run over stages totalling 520 kilometres. Niyazi Bedel-Hasan Güney won the rally category, while Gökhan Onurlu-Ramadan Kıral took the raid category.

• The third and final round of the Apexmasters Turkish Drift Championship was held at the Körfez Race Track in October, with the TRNC's İbrahim Yücebaş taking the win.

• The fifth rally organised by the Northern Cyprus Classic and Sports Car Club in memory of the late Oğuz Özyalçın was held in October. Ekrem Çoksu-Hayriye Çoksu won the event, which attracted 80 crews.

• The karting championship season ended with the fifth and final round at Cemsa in October. Champions were decided in each class after the event, which saw 27 competitors in action.

November

• At the rally held in Marmaris in November, our crews Deniz Fahri-Barış Kalfaoğlu and Mustafa Bulutoğluları-Nebil Öneral represented the country with distinction.

• The final round of the rally championship organised by the Northern Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association was held at Ergazi in November. Mustafa Bulutoğluları-Selio won an enjoyable contest, while MRB Rally Team took the teams' title and Derviş Savarona the co-drivers' championship.

• The fourth drifting event of the 2017 season at the Power Drift Club in southern Cyprus was held at Achna in November. After the event, which featured eight of our drivers, Enver Haskasap moved into the championship lead.

• The fourth round of the drifting championship organised by the Northern Cyprus Automobile Club was held at Cemsa Sporting Center, where Celal Bozbeyli beat Enver Haskasap in the final to take victory in an enjoyable event.

• The final slalom event and rally of the season were held in November as part of the 7th International Republic Classic Car Rally, organised by the Northern Cyprus Classic and Sports Car Club.

• The third and final round of the moto drag championship organised by the Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association was held in November with sponsorship from İskele Municipality, with 40 competitors contesting six classes.

• The championship finale, organised by the Northern Cyprus Off-road Association, was held at Kombos Park in Haspolat. The best result came from the Efstathiou brothers, who travelled from the south, while Görkem Eren became champion among drivers and Hasan Güney among co-drivers.

• At the Agios Tychonas hill climb organised in the south, Deniz Denner-Ömer Topcu finished second to end the season runners-up.

December

• December was taken up by the clubs' award balls. First the Cyprus Turkish Classic Car Association held its ball at Le Chateau Romance Restaurant in Gönyeli. The Northern Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association then honoured its rally and hill climb champions at the Kyrenia Dome Hotel. The Northern Cyprus Off Road Association held its champions' night at the Pine House Restaurant in Kyrenia Strait.

• The Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association had a busy schedule in December. It first staged the final round of the Enduro Championship over two days. The association then held its 7th Ordinary General Assembly, re-electing İbrahim Önderoğlu as president. Finally, it held its champions' ball, presenting awards to its top-placed riders.

• The final off-road event of the 2017 season, a joint organisation by the Northern Cyprus Off Road Association and the Kyrenia Off Road Association with the Northern Cyprus Automobile Club as sporting director, was held in December. Göksel Macila-Buğra Tabak took the best result.

• The final drifting event of the 2017 season at the Power Drift Club in southern Cyprus was held at Achna in December, with Enver Haskasap finishing the season third.

• The finale of the drifting championship organised by the Northern Cyprus Automobile Club was held at Cemsa in December. After a tight title fight, Enver Haskasap won the event, but Celal Bozbeyli was crowned champion.

• The first round of the Winter Cup, organised by the Northern Cyprus Touring and Automobile Association, was held at Sinde in December. Mustafa Bulutoğluları-Ahmet Buzlukcuoğlu won the event, which had an entry of 14 cars.