A First in Turkish Motorsport History

Veteran rally driver Mithat Diker, who began his career at the 1972 Uludağ Hill Climb on the advice of the late Ali Sipahi, has set a record that will be hard to beat by competing without a break for 53 years.

Diker has won more than 500 trophies across national and international events in a range of disciplines, including rallying, hill climb, rallycross, circuit racing and rally raid, and has also represented Turkey with distinction at Rally Turkey, a round of the World Rally Championship.

Throughout his career, Mithat Diker has done more than just compete, bringing many new competitors into the sport through the Ege Asal Metal Challenge project.

During his time as president of the Aydın Automobile Sports Club (AYOSK), he organised the Aegean Cup events for five years in a row, providing cars to young drivers free of charge and setting another precedent by charging no entry fees.

Diker is also a keen supporter of sponsorship, having backed many competitors from the Istanbul and Izmir regions, and he continues to provide this support under the Ege Asal Motorspor banner.

The experienced driver has also contested the TransAnatolia twice, and on the 3000-kilometre Hatay-Eskişehir leg he took third overall and the Class 2 win with co-driver Erdal Oral.

In 2008, Mithat Diker published his book Yolun Yarısında ("Halfway Down the Road"), which also serves as a summary of the development of motorsport in Turkey. The book found its place on the shelves as a guide from an older brother for young racing enthusiasts and an archival work for rally fans, and it quickly sold out.

The veteran rally driver, who continues to serve as president of the Izmir Automobile Sports Club and is the head of Ege Asal Motorspor, has our thanks for his contributions to motorsport, and we wish him continued success…