Long-Awaited Night Stages Return at Eskişehir

Organised by the Eskişehir Otomobil Sporları Kulübü, known as ESOK, Rally Eskişehir will take place on 3-4 September with an international profile as a candidate for the European Rally Cup, and with night stages on the schedule.

The fifth round of the 2016 Turkish Rally Championship, the 345-kilometre event comprises 10 special stages on asphalt totalling 107 kilometres. Staged for the seventh time this year with the support of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, Espark, KYK, Mantotherm, Banaz Otomotiv, Anemon Hotel, Eskişehir Chamber of Commerce, Red Bull and Tepebaşı Municipality, the rally is preparing to offer competitors and spectators a different kind of excitement with its night stages, the first in a long time. In addition, the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Spectator Super Special Stage, to be held at the İsmar car park next to the bus station, will be run for the first time this year.

The rally begins on Saturday 3 September with a symbolic start at 15:45 in front of the Espark shopping centre. The opening day features the Şerif Yardımcı, Taner Türkkan and Ömer Banaz stages, followed from 18:57 by the Metropolitan Municipality Spectator Super Special Stage. After this stage, the crews will carry out maintenance and refuelling on their cars at the service park in Sazova Park. They will then tackle the stages named after the late Şerif Yardımcı, Taner Türkkan and Ömer Banaz, drivers who passed away in recent years, in the dark this time, before completing the first day in the service park from 22:30.

The second day starts at 11:30. The crews will run the three stages from the first day in the reverse direction, named Cahit Alkan, Aydan Akal and the Red Bull Power Stage, before battling to reach the finish podium in front of Espark from 15:00. A strong entry is expected for the rally, which awards points not only for the Turkish Rally Championship but also for the Turkish Historic Rally Championship and the Yusuf Aramacı Rally Cup.