Ford Wins on Home Ground at Kocaeli

The Ford Otosan 37th Kocaeli Rally, round six of the 2019 Turkish Rally Championship, has been completed. Organised by the Kocaeli Automobile Sports Club with Ford Otosan as title sponsor and the support of the Kocaeli Governorship, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, 41 Burda AVM, Shell, Avis, Ramada Plaza İzmit, Auto Club, Fora Vehicle Tracking Systems and Power FM, the event saw 60 crews take part. The demanding two-day rally was won by Murat Bostancı - Onur Vatansever of Castrol Ford Team Türkiye in a Ford Fiesta R5. Burak Çukurova-Vedat Bostancı of BC Vision Motorsport finished second in a Skoda Fabia R5, 49.6 seconds behind the winners, while the guest crew from Northern Cyprus, Cevdet Alptürk-Mustafa Yücener, took third in a Skoda Fabia R5.

The two-wheel-drive classification and Class 4 were won by Ümit Can Özdemir-Batuhan Memişyazıcı of Castrol Ford Team Türkiye. Other class winners were Uğur Soylu-Mehmet Köleoğlu in Class N, Fatih Kara-Bilge Ayan of Fiat Motorsporları in a Fiat Egea 1.4 T-Jet in Class 3, and Hakan Kerci-Soner Çevik in a Ford Fiesta R1 in Class 5. Özlem Uludağ Gülcan won the women's category in a Nissan Micra, And Sunman of Castrol Ford Team Türkiye won among the young drivers, and Alperen Tetik of the Egea Youth Cup took the young co-drivers' honours. In the Historic classification, open to classic cars over 30 years old, Engin Kap-Özden Yılmaz took victory, while Haydar Güçlü-Murat Yıldırım were second in a BMW 2002 ti and third place went to a Murat 131. In the Zafer Vatansever Rally Cup classification, İlhan Mutluay-Cumhur Önder won in a Citroen C2, which also gave them the Category 2 win. Yavuzhan Cabbaroğlu-Can Hergüner took second overall and the Category 4 win in a Subaru Impreza WRX, while Levent Şapçılar-Deniz Gümüş of Castrol Ford Team Türkiye took third overall and the Category 3 win in a Ford Fiesta ST. The Category 1 win went to Kemal Çetinkaya-Ünsal Deniz, who competed in a Fiat Palio. The 2019 Turkish Rally Championship will conclude with the 44th Yeşil Bursa Rally on 2-3 November.