Hill Climb Season Concludes at Kaynaşlı
The 2018 Turkish Hill Climb Championship season came to a close on Sunday 4 November with the sixth and final round of the season, organised by the Eskişehir Automobile Sports Club (ESOK) at Kaynaşlı in Düzce. Held with the support of the Düzce Governorship, Düzce Municipality, Kaynaşlı District Governorship, Kaynaşlı Municipality and the Düzce Off-road Club (DOSOD), the event was run over three runs on a 6km course between Kaynaşlı's Dipsizgöl Village and Topuk Plateau.
Ten competitors took on the challenge across four separate categories. In Category 4, Ford Motorsport Turkey driver Murat Bostancı, making his first hill climb start, took the win in a Ford Fiesta R5 and also claimed the fastest time award with a 3:29.40 on the third run. Second place in the category went to Emin Can Yalın, who competed for GP Garage My Team in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX.
Category 3 featured a contest between two generations of Clio. Refik Bozkurt took the win once again in a Renault II Clio Sport, while Tansel Tunca was second in a similar car and Okan Tandıverdi finished third in a Renault III Clio R3.
In Category 2, Ford Motorsport Turkey's Eskişehir-based driver Buğra Banaz was fastest after three runs in a Ford Fiesta R2T. Team-mate Ümit Can Özdemir was second, with fellow Eskişehir driver Melih Tarhan third in a Peugeot 106 GTI.
In the local category, Özgür Akdağ, who began competing in a Fiat Palio this season, took the win, with Şule Berkcan, the event's only female driver, second.
Ford Motorsport Turkey won the teams' classification. The awards for the leading competitors were presented at a ceremony on Topuk Plateau by Kaynaşlı District Sports Director Ali Daşbaş, DOSOD President İsmail Aydın, ESOK President Nevzat Aslan, Sports Commissioner Umur Bora and organising committee members Görkem Gökay Günday and Kerem Deveci.
Following this event, Refik Bozkurt in Category 3, Emin Cem Yalın in Category 4 and GP Garage My Team in the teams' classification have mathematically secured their championship titles. The 2018 Turkish Hill Climb Championship standings will become official once they are announced by the TOSFED Sporting Commission.
