Avcı-Gücenmez Close the Curtain on the Season with Istanbul Rally Win
The 7th and final round of the 2015 Turkish Rally Championship, the 36th Istanbul Rally, ended in victory by a margin of 1.4 seconds for the Yağız Avcı-Bahadır Gücenmez crew, competing for Neo Motorspor in a Peugeot 207 S2000.
In the event organised by the Istanbul Automobile Sports Club on 14-15 November, Orhan Avcıoğlu-Burçin Korkmaz took second overall for Castrol Ford Team Türkiye in a Ford Fiesta S2000, while third went to privateer crew Burak Çukurova-Vedat Bostancı. Of the 39 crews that started the rally, which was staged with the support of Ford, Tüyap, the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, TTOK, Fiat, Şişli Municipality, The Green Park Hotel, Sardunya Restaurant and İPOP, 32 reached the finish.
İPOP SPECIAL AWARD GOES TO AVCI-GÜCENMEZ
The rally began on Saturday 14 November with a start in front of the Istanbul Park Auto Market (İPOP). On the first day the crews tackled Göçbeyli, Ulupelit and Oruçoğlu, and finally the İPOP Spectator Super Special Stage. The spectator stage, built in the off-road area inside Istanbul Park, drew huge interest from motorsport fans, and Yağız Avcı-Bahadır Gücenmez, who set the fastest time on it, received a special award from Intercity Chairman Vural Ak. On the second day, Sunday 15 November, the crews ran the Göçbeyli, Ulupelit and Oruçoğlu stages twice each, then battled to reach the finish podium in front of İPOP from 16:20.CLASS WINNERS DECIDED
In a hard-fought rally in which six crews in the national classification were unable to finish for various reasons, Burak Çukurova-Vedat Bostancı took victory in Class N, competing as privateers in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. In Class 4, one of the most closely contested classes, Buğra Banaz-Burak Erdener of Castrol Ford Team Türkiye won the two-wheel-drive category in a Ford Fiesta R2, and Buğra Banaz also took the Young Drivers' title. The Class 3 win went to the privateer crew of Kerim Tar-Sevilay Genç in a Ford Fiesta ST, with Genç also taking the Female Co-drivers' title. Billur Hasbay won the Female Drivers' title, while Neo Motorspor driver Simin Bıçakcıoğlu secured the Turkish Rally Female Drivers' title for the fourth time after this event.
PARKUR RACING ON TOP IN HISTORIC
In the historic classification, open to classic rally cars over 30 years old, three crews competing for Bonus Unifree Parkur Racing in Ford Escort Mk2s filled the podium overall and in Category 2. Finnish crew Hannu Pulkkinen-Juha Rahkonen, competing on a Turkish licence this season, added another win to their tally in Istanbul, with Burak Türkkan-Özden Yılmaz taking second and Engin Kap-Başar Yavuz, historic champions for the past four years, third. Every crew that started in the historic classification completed the rally; in Category 1, Sinan-Sedef Dündar won in a VW Golf Mk1. Gerçek-Bahar Sunman took second in Category 1 in a Fiat 131, with Eriş Okutan-Hakan Uçucu third in a similar car.
FATHER AND DAUGHTER WIN LOCAL CLASSIFICATION
In the local classification, which drew 14 crews from different provinces, the father-and-daughter crew of Yüksel Özgür-Selin Özgür took the win in a Citroën C2. Second went to Bursa crew Burak Başlık-Fatih Birol in a Citroën Saxo VTS, with Akın Bilgütay-Çiğdem İşçi third in a similar car...
