Simin Claims Fifth Title

The Turkish Rally Championship came to a close with the seventh and final round, the 43rd Hitit Rally in Çorum. Held on 28-29 October, the event produced fierce battles. Simin Bıçakcıoğlu won the final round of the season and, with it, a fifth consecutive Turkish Rally Ladies' Championship title, setting a record and a first in the driver's career.

With this title, Bıçakcıoğlu also took second place in the Group N class, where the driver competes alongside the men, while the driver's team Neo Motorspor finished second in the Turkish Rally Teams' Championship.

In the Turkish Rally Championship finale, Bıçakcıoğlu competed for Neo Motorspor in a Mitsubishi EVO IX with Kerim Tar as co-driver, with CPM Yazılım and Palamut Group as title sponsors and support from Klass Magazin and A&S Transport. Reflecting on the event, Bıçakcıoğlu said: "Becoming Ladies' Champion in the Turkish Rally Championship this year has a special meaning for me. I have extended my winning streak to five years and, as the saying goes, I have virtually put an embargo on the Turkish Rally Championship. The 2016 season was extremely closely fought and full of tough stages. As a team we pulled together and achieved a fine result that we deserved. I would like to thank everyone who supported me wholeheartedly. We see the chequered flag at the end of every rally, but the chequered flag at the final round of the season also marks the beginning of new dreams and goals for us. October, as you know, is also breast cancer awareness month... This season I tried to highlight at every rally that early diagnosis of cancer saves lives. As a volunteer ambassador for the Fight Against Breast Cancer Project, I would like to dedicate my fifth championship title to all women."