Adrenaline-Packed Weekend at Körfez
The second round of the 2016 Turkish Circuit Racing Championship was held on 13-14 August at the İzmir Körfez Race Track. Organised by the Kocaeli Automobile Sports Club (KOSDER), the event also hosted the second races of the Opel Corsa OPC Cup.
The event comprised six races in total, with two races each for the Turkish Circuit Racing Championship Super Group, the Turkish Circuit Racing Championship Maxi Group and the Opel Corsa OPC Cup. The drifting demonstrations by the drivers competing in the Apexmasters Turkish Drift Championship also gave spectators plenty of excitement. After practice and qualifying were run in heavy rain on Saturday 13 August, clear and sunny weather on Sunday brought smiles to the faces of both competitors and spectators.
Returning to the Turkish Circuit Racing Championship after a year away, İbrahim Okyay, who competed in a BMW Z4 GT3 for Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport, set a new track record with a 42.139 lap and won both races in the Maxi Group. Second place in both Maxi Group races went to Ümit Ülkü, driving a Porsche 997 GT3 for Ülkü Motorsport. From the same team, Galip Atar took third in the first race in a Ferrari 458 Evo, while İsmet Toktaş in a Porsche 997 GT3 completed the podium as third-placed finisher in the second race.
In the Super Group, where the races ran over 20 laps, Ülkü Motorsport driver Ümit Ülkü won the first race in a BMW320 TC, while Galip Atar of Ülkü Motorsport won the second race in a BMW320 TC. Yağız Gedik took second in both Super Group races for Ebam Gedik Racing Team in a Honda Civic Type-R FN2. Third place in the first race of the day went to Ahmet Mutlubaş in a Honda Civic Type-R EP3, while Muhammed Ali Ülkü took third in the second race in a similar car.
In the hotly contested Opel Corsa OPC Cup, Ali Başakıncı won the first race ahead of Ümit Ülkü and Ragıp Dönmez, while in the second race Turgut Konukoğlu won, followed by Atakan Abay and Volkan Ekinci.
The excitement in the 2016 Turkish Circuit Racing Championship will continue with the third round, to be held on 27-28 August at the Serres Circuit in Greece…
