Young Drivers on the Podium at Circuit Racing Finale
The fifth and final round of the 2017 Turkish Circuit Racing Championship was held on 25-26 November at the Ülkü Park Circuit, organised by İzmir Ülkü Motorsporları Kulübü.
In the Super Group, which featured eight drivers, the first race was won by Çağlayan Çelik in a Seat Leon TCR for Toksport WRT, with Turgut Konukoğlu second in a similar car from the same team and Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport driver Ali Türkkan third. The second race in this category was won by Ali Türkkan in a BMW 320 Si, and the 18-year-old driver achieved a major success by clinching the Super Group title in his first season following the Turkish Circuit Racing Championship.
In the Maxi Group, young driver Yağız Gedik, racing a BMW Z4 GT3 for Gedik Ebam Motorsport, won both races, while Orhan Avcıoğlu finished second in the first race, which Gedik did not complete, in a Porsche 911 GT3 for Toksport WRT. In the second race, second place went to Ümit Ülkü in a Nissan GT-R Nismo for Ülkü Motorsport, with young national driver Berkay Besler third in a Porsche 911 GT3 for Toksport WRT. İzmir driver Ümit Ülkü won the Turkish Circuit Racing Maxi Group title for the sixth time after the final race of the season.
In the Opel Corsa OPC Cup, Alkan Güven took victory in the first race, with Ümit Ülkü second and Turgut Konukoğlu third. In the second race of the cup, the top three were Ümit Ülkü, Turgut Konukoğlu and Ali Başakıncı.
The 12 finalists in the "TOSFED Yıldızını Arıyor" ("TOSFED Is Looking for Its Star") project, organised by TOSFED with sponsorship from FIAT Türkiye and Petlas to discover talented drivers aged 18-25, also held their first race at the Ülkü Park circuit. After a knockout-format race run with two cars starting at a time, Onat Telkenar finished first, Erol Özteknik second and Onur Badur third.
