Drift: The Rising Star

In motorsport, the thrill is addictive for competitors and spectators alike. The reason motorsport has not reached the level it wants in terms of spectators is that the venues are far from the cities, and that there are now so many other weekend activities to choose from. This is where the excitement comes in. The most dedicated spectator community in this respect is off-road... The excitement of camping out for the day draws in the crowds just as much as the battle between the off-road vehicles.

For people like me it makes no difference whether it is rally, circuit racing, hill climb or off-road: whatever is on that weekend, we find an excuse to go and watch. Rally is my favourite, but I don't discriminate... Lately, of course, drifting has been added to that list. As someone who has achieved many firsts for drifting in Turkey, I am delighted that TOSFED has not remained indifferent to this sport.

Last year, for the first time, a Turkish Drift Champion emerged under the TOSFED umbrella. At the end of the season my close friend Timur Pomak took the championship title he deserved. Timur did not only compete in Turkey. He represented our country in many events in the Balkans. All of the events held in 2016 were hugely exciting, and drifting, along with off-road, became the discipline that drew the biggest crowds in motorsport. The one thing that saddens me is that the Turkish Drift Championship will be run over just three rounds in 2017. While hoping there would be more rounds than last year, I think cutting the championship down to three rounds will disappoint drifting fans.

Chief among the things that make me happy is Red Bull's sponsorship of the Turkish Drift Championship in 2017. The first fruit of that is the Champion of Champions event to be held in Izmir. While Apexmasters drift drivers Ali İnal, Abbas Çimen, Kemal Özhaseki, Özer Mollamehmetoğlu and Volkan Arısoy warm up the track with drifting demonstrations, renowned Ukrainian drifter Alexander Grinchuk will also thrill the grandstands in the Red Bull-liveried Nissan 200 SX.

Of course, 2016 Apexmasters Turkish Drift Champion Timur Pomak will also take on drivers who have won titles in their own motorsport disciplines. The 'Champion of Champions', where the fastest driver of the year in motorsport will be decided, will be held on 18-19 March at the Izmir Ülkü Park Race Track with competitors from different disciplines taking part, and it can be watched free of charge. The drifting shows over these two days will thrill the spectators. If you are in or around Izmir, I'd say don't miss these two superb days...

Ahmet Said ÖZEN
asaozen@gmail.com