Sarıkamış Winter Games Take Breath Away

Sarıkamış Cıbıltepe Ski Resort, famous for its crystal snow and Scots pine forests, hosted the Sarıkamış Winter Games from 16-18 January.

Organised in cooperation with the Kars Governorship, Sarıkamış District Governorship, Sarıkamış Municipality, the Serhat Development Agency (SERKA) and the Eksi 36 Offroad Association, the festival provided three days of action-packed events.

Open to professional and amateur competitors, the festival featured a varied programme of events, including a raid, demonstrations by Castrol Ford Team Türkiye drivers, demonstrations by Caterham Super7 cars, a downhill mountain bike race, skiing and RC model car races, igloo building and a show by mountain bike teams.

NORTHERN CYPRUS CREWS TRIUMPH IN THE RAID

In the Sarıkamış Raid, which featured off-road competitors from across the country as well as four crews from the TRNC, Serkan Bolçocuk-Murat Aşık took the win in a Mitsubishi Pajero, Hilmi Cebecioğlu-Hilmi Cebecioğlu finished second, and Mert Becce-Hakan İsen took third in a Suzuki Jimny. Serkan Bolçocuk won Class 3, Ali Günpay won Class 2 and Mert Becce won Class 1, while Necati Şahin took top spot in the buggy category.

BREATHTAKING CO-DRIVE FROM BOSTANCI

During the co-drive event run by Castrol Ford Team Türkiye on Saturday and Sunday, Kars Governor Günay Özdemir enjoyed a very different experience, sitting in the passenger seat alongside Murat Bostancı, last year's European Rally Trophy winner.

Murat Bostancı, who will contest the European Rally Championship in the 2016 season, used the Sarıkamış experience as an important test ahead of the first event, Rally Liepāja in Latvia, on 5-7 February...