Nostalgia Sweeps Through Bodrum

The ICRYPEX Spring Rally and ICRYPEX Western Anatolia Rally, rounds of the 2021 Turkish Classic Car Championship organised by the Classic Car Club, were held in Bodrum on 19-20 June. The events attracted 87 cars, the oldest a 1958 Mercedes 190SL and the newest a 1991 Mazda MX5. Participants in the touring category also enjoyed a pleasant weekend on a route through the Bodrum peninsula, where blue meets green, taking in its historic and natural beauty. Meeting for the first time after a one-year break caused by the pandemic, the crews in both events tried to complete a course of regularity tests – covering the distances between checkpoints set out on public roads at a prescribed speed – without a single error.
The 2021 ICRYPEX Spring Rally started from Hapimag Sea Garden Resort Bodrum on Saturday 19 June. The crews followed a route through Kızılağaç, Mumcular, Fesleğen and Pınarköy to reach the Gulf of Gökova, then, after a break at Ören Marina, passed through Türkevleri, Çökertme and Kızılağaç before finishing in the Yalı district. Hasan Tunç-Kaan Şakar won the first event of the season, with Harun Ümit Yaşar-Dilek Yaşar second and Selim Bacıoğlu-Handan Bacıoğlu third. The second event, the ICRYPEX Western Anatolia Rally, started on Sunday 20 June from the Yalı district and the Hapimag Sea Garden Hotel, running through Çamlık, Bodrum, Bitez, Ortakent, Gürece, Dereköy, Kadıkalesi and Turgutreis before finishing in Akyarlar. Hasan Tunç-Kaan Şakar also won the second event of the season, with Mehmet Hüzmen-Gökhan Onur second and Şenol Evren-Gezin Evren third. The events, run under the auspices of the Turkish Motorsports Federation (TOSFED) as part of the 2021 Demir Berberoğlu Season, ended with a prize-giving ceremony at the Radisson Collection Hotel on Sunday evening. Speaking after the rally, TOSFED President Eren Üçlertoprağı said he was delighted that Bodrum, which hosted the season opener in April, was once again welcoming a rally organised by the Classic Car Club, and expressed his appreciation for Bodrum's support of motorsport. The crews who took the top three places overall received special heart-shaped trophies, designed by Günay İnan and inspired by healthcare workers. Alongside the overall classification and category trophies, prizes donated by Radisson Collection, Hapimag Sea Garden Resort and ICRYPEX were also presented. Crews made up of fathers and their children were able to celebrate Father's Day at the prize-giving.