National Driver Besler Keeps Title Hopes Alive

Turkish karting driver Berkay Besler, who continues to represent the country successfully abroad, started in round three of the CIK FIA Central Europe Zone Championship in Hungary on 20-21 June. Dogged by bad luck in both the Pre-Final and the Final, Besler nevertheless kept the championship fight alive with two rounds to go.

Competing in the Senior class at the 930-metre Gokart Stadion circuit in Kecskemet, Besler was second fastest in qualifying, just 0.50 seconds off the best time. Arriving in Hungary as championship leader, Berkay Besler ran well in the 18-lap Pre-Final but was hit by misfortune, finishing third in 11.12.291 behind Austria's Niki Kresse and Poland's Maciej Chrupek, and picking up a valuable 32 points.

Bad luck continued to follow the national driver in the 22-lap Final. Stuck behind a rival who failed to get away at the start, Besler lost a lot of time and dropped back to seventh, but then fought back with an aggressive drive to climb as high as third. On the last lap, while trying to pass a rival who was defending constantly, a gap opened up that allowed the drivers behind to get through, and Berkay Besler took the flag sixth in 13.53.217, behind Poland's Maciej Chrupek and Austria's Niki Kresse.

With the 47 points from this round, the national driver has reached 245 points and sits second in the five-round CIK FIA Central Europe Zone Championship, behind Austria's Niki Kresse, who leads with 246 points. Another Austrian driver, Mick Wishofer, is third on 238 points.

The fourth round of the series will take place in the Czech Republic on 10-12 July.