Rallycross Finale Delivers Fierce Battles
The final round of the 2016 Turkish Rallycross Championship was held on 15-16 October, with three races staged at the autocross track at Orhangazi Gölkenarı Sports Facilities in Bursa.
Organised by Bursa Otomobil Sporları Kulübü BOSSEK, Kocaeli Otomobil Sporları Kulübü KOSDER and Ege Otomobil Sporları Kulübü EOSK with the support of POWERPAN, the event produced fierce competition over the two days.
The races, in which cars were split into three separate categories according to engine capacity and modifications, took place on the 1,100-metre dirt rallycross track on the shore of Lake Iznik.
On Sunday in particular, with Bursa motorsport fans turning out as spectators, Category 1 saw Burak Başlık from Bursa take three wins in a Citroen Saxo VTS, Ömer Köstek from Istanbul claim three second places in a Citroen Saxo VTS, and Mustafa Çetin, also from Istanbul, finish third three times in a Lada Samara.
In Category 2, Halid Avdagiç won two of the three races and Kerem Orak won the other, both in Avitaş Control 2 cars, while Tan Uydaş took three third places. Two other Category 2 competitors, Bora Arabacı in an Anadol A1 and Semih Erkal in a Ford Fiesta ST, were unable to complete the event after their cars were damaged in contact on the first day.
In Category 3, Bursa's Tansel Üründül, returning to the wheel after a long break, rolled his Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX on the first day, and Bursa's Osman Uğur, also in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX, went out in the qualifying heats with an engine failure on the same day. That left Sinan Saatçi from Ankara, in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IV, on his own in the category, and he won all three races comfortably.
The prize-giving ceremony, held at İskele Pub, was attended by Orhangazi District Governor Dr. Yalçın Yılmaz, Orhangazi Mayor Neşet Çağlayan, Chief of Police Ramiz Erçetin, Deputy Mayor Necmettin Şahin, council members Turgay Peker and Serkan Ateş, and BOSSEK President Atilla Beyhan, who presented trophies to the top finishers.
