Circuit Racing Action Moves to Serres in Greece
Round 2 of the 2017 Turkish Circuit Racing Championship was organised by the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation on 5-6 August at the Serres Race Circuit in Greece. The weekend also hosted the second races of the Opel Corsa OPC Cup, with four separate races run over the two days.
In the Maxi class, Ümit Ülkü, racing a Nissan Skyline GT-R 35 Nismo for Ülkü Motorsport, took victory in both races. Ülkü also set a new lap record for Serres with a 1:14.904. Muhammed Ali Ülkü was unable to complete the races because of mechanical problems, and İsmet Toktaş, driving a Porsche 997 GT3 for BC Vision Motorsport, finished second in the Maxi class in both races.
In the first Super class race, 18-year-old Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport driver Ali Türkkan won in a BMW 320 SI, with Yağız Gedik second in a BMW 320 SI for Ebam Gedik Motorsport and Çağlayan Çelik third in a Seat Leon TCR for Toksport WRT. In the second race on Sunday, Ali Türkkan was leading when a puncture on lap 12 forced a pit stop and cost three places. After 17 laps, Yağız Gedik took the win and Çağlayan Çelik second, while Ülkü Motorsport driver Hakan Mete Kutay completed the podium in a Honda Civic Type-R.
In the first Opel Corsa OPC Cup race, contested by 14 drivers, Alkan Güven won ahead of Ali Başakıncı and Galip Atar, while the second race finished in the order Ekrem Vardar, Ali Başakıncı and Alkan Güven.
At the end of the first day, a workshop was also held with the drivers and team managers taking part in the Turkish Circuit Racing Championship, together with TOSFED Deputy President Eren Üçlertoprağı and members of the TOSFED Sporting Commission. In the highly productive meeting, where all participants shared their views, the cancellation of the races planned for the Intercity Istanbul Park circuit was discussed, and it was decided that the venue for round 3 of the Turkish Circuit Racing Championship, to be held on 16-17 September, would be announced in the coming days.
