Kuzey Yıldızı Back in the Lead at Prokart

Round 5 of the İstanbul Karting Endurance Championship, now in its 11th season and organised by the İstanbul Karting and Automobile Club, was held at the Körfez Racing Circuit on Saturday 17 October. In qualifying for the six-hour race, contested by 12 teams, Kuzey Yıldızı took pole position. RSM Racing qualified second, with Game Over Gold Line earning a place on the third row of the grid.

At the start of stage 1, RSM Racing moved into the lead. However, Kuzey Yıldızı took the lead back on lap 2 and held it to the end. Kuzey Yıldızı won the stage ahead of RSM Racing, with Çoban Yıldızı third. Orçun Aydemir of Kuzey Yıldızı set the fastest lap with a time of 45.809 seconds.

Stage 2 began with a thrilling, closely fought start, and the excitement lasted for 20 minutes. In the 20-minute battle between Gold Line, EEKT Alfa, Kuzey Yıldızı, Deniz Yıldızı, Çoban Yıldızı and RSM Racing, the drivers could not hold their positions and the running order changed at almost every corner. After 20 minutes Kuzey Yıldızı took the lead, with the fight continuing in the order Gold Line, EEKT Alfa, Çoban Yıldızı, Deniz Yıldızı and RSM Racing. RSM Racing spun at the salyangoz corner, dropped back and had to enter the pit area. Down in last place, the RSM team removed all the ballast and went for the Best Time point with Sinan Günay, and succeeded. In later laps, the Silver Line team lost a tyre and was unable to finish the race.

After the fight between the top four teams, Çoban Yıldızı rose to second behind Kuzey Yıldızı. However, towards the end of the race it suffered an engine problem, was forced into the pits and could only finish the race in eighth. After 120 minutes, Kuzey Yıldızı was the first team to see the chequered flag. Game Over Gold Line took second and Alfa EEKT third. Sinan Günay of RSM Racing set the fastest lap with a time of 45.759 seconds.

At the start of stage 3, there was a battle between RSM Racing and Kuzey Yıldızı. Kuzey Yıldızı took the lead on lap 2. RSM Racing again had problems because of the chassis damage it had suffered in the previous stage and had to enter the pits several times. Gold Line, one of the teams fighting at the front, took on fuel and, on rejoining after its pit stop, was caught by the Safety Car procedure and dropped back to seventh. Team 46, which went through the pit area quickly to avoid being caught by the Safety Car period, received a three-lap penalty for a safety infringement and lost the lead. Kuzey Yıldızı, leading the race, stayed 12 seconds too long in the pit area, rejoined behind Çoban Yıldızı and lost the lead to it. At the end of the stage Çoban Yıldızı won, with Kuzey Yıldızı second, nine seconds behind, losing three crucial points for the overall classification. Although RSM Racing used the same strategy in an attempt to take the Best Time point, its damaged chassis did not allow it. Alfa EEKT finished the stage third.

In this stage, something unusual happened that had not occurred in 11 years. Orçun Aydemir (Kuzey Yıldızı) and Akıncan Kiper (Çoban Yıldızı) set exactly the same Best Time: 46.140 seconds.

After these results, at the end of the day in Round 5, Kuzey Yıldızı finished first with 89 points, Çoban Yıldızı second with 75 points and Alfa EEKT third with 74 points to take the podium.

In the Incentive category, which includes the new teams, Deniz Yıldızı took the win once again. Gama EEKT was second and İKOK third.

After Round 5, the team that had started the weekend as leader of the overall classification lost the lead to Kuzey Yıldızı after two rounds. Kuzey Yıldızı goes into the final round as leader with 336 points, with RSM Racing second on 333 points. Team46 holds third place with 307 points. Behind the top three come Çoban Yıldızı on 286 points, Deniz Yıldızı on 285 points and Gold Line Game Over on 271 points.

In the Incentive classification, Deniz Yıldızı has clinched the season title. Behind the leader on 354 points, Gama EEKT is second on 314 points, İKOK third on 297 points and Honey Badgers fourth on 294 points.

The final race of the 2015 season will be held on 31 October at the Davutpaşa Volkan Işık Arena. The 2015 season winner will be decided at Davutpaşa. Just three points separate leader Kuzey Yıldızı and RSM Racing in the fight for the season trophy.