Banaz Wins Rally Kocaeli
The 41st Rally Kocaeli, round six of the Petrol Ofisi Maxima 2024 Turkish Rally Championship organised by Kocaeli Otomobil Spor Kulübü (KOSK), ended with victory for the Buğra Banaz-Onur Ahıskalı crew from Toksport WRT.
Kerem Kazaz-Corentin Silverstre of Parkur Racing took second overall, with 18-year-old Kazaz also claiming the junior class win. In a rally contested by 51 cars and 102 competitors, third overall went to the Volkan Işık-Levent Gür crew from Toksport WRT.
Held with ICRYPEX as title sponsor and with the support of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, Petlas, Remed Assistance, Salados, Fora, Autoclub, Power App, 41 Burda, Telsan and Emek, the event concluded with a finish ceremony at the TOSFED Körfez Race Track. Over 9 stages covering 412.30 kilometres, Castrol Ford Team Türkiye won the manufacturers' title, while Toksport WRT took the teams' title.
Fatih Selim Göçer-Soner Çevik won both Class 4 and the 2WD category, while the Class 3 winners were Efehan Yazıcı-Mehmet Akif Yalçın of Castrol Ford Team Türkiye, the Class N winners were Okan Tanrıverdi-Özden Yılmaz of GP Garage My Team, and the Class 5 winners were Sevcan Sağıroğlu-Güray Akgün of Atış Motorsport.
Sağıroğlu-Akgün also took the Remed Assistance special award, while Uğur Soylu of GP Garage My Team won the Master drivers' class, Sevcan Sağıroğlu won the women's drivers' class and Sevi Akal won the women's co-drivers' class. The historic class, open to classic rally cars over 35 years old, was won by the Kemal Gamgam-Orkun Demir crew.
In the TOSFED Rally Cup class, held in memory of Celal Gülerhan, Taner Oruç-Onur Sırımoğlu took the win and also claimed Category 2. Ömer Faruk Çabuk-Burak Koçoğlu were second and won Category 3, with Evren Olcay-Yenal Kaya third.
Hakan Akman-Tolga Tezeken of GMG Racing Team topped Category 4 and Faruk Sayın-Cansu Açar won Category 1, while the cup's women's drivers' win went to Çiğdem Tümerkan and the women's co-drivers' win to Derya Ulus.
The Petrol Ofisi Maxima 2024 Turkish Rally Championship will conclude with Rally Istanbul, organised by İstanbul Otomobil Spor Kulübü (İSOK) on 2-3 November.
