Ukrainian Illyuk Takes Smoky Victory

The second round of the Apex Masters Turkish Drift Championship, organised by the Drift Automobile Sports Club with PWR brake pads as title sponsor and supported by RedBull.com, Spor Toto and Motul, was held on 29-30 July in the car park area of the Atatürk Olympic Stadium.In Saturday's qualifying on 29 July, Red Bull driver Alexandr Grinchuk, who travelled from Ukraine for the event, topped the day with 95 points. TeamArt Motorspor driver Özer Mollamehmetoğlu was second, with Fahim Reza, starting in Turkey for the first time from Iran, third.
On Sunday 30 July, after the practice runs, the drivers sweated it out in the head-to-head battles under the strong backing of the crowd, going door to door through clouds of smoke all the way to the final. Around 3,000 ticket-holding spectators followed the smoky, adrenaline-filled battles on the edge of their seats. In the final, Ukrainian guest driver Dmitriy Illyuk in a Nissan 200 SX faced Kemal Özhaseki in a BMW E46 M3 from DM Works D'Team, and it was Illyuk who lifted the winner's trophy. Red Bull driver Aleksandr Grinchuk took third place in the demanding event, while, as the guest drivers were competing outside the classification, it was Kemal Özhaseki who took the winner's points in the championship standings.
At the end of the event, during which a number of lucky spectators shared the excitement in the passenger seats of the drift cars, the drivers and spectators wrapped up the day with a superb rap concert. The third round of the Apex Masters Turkish Drift Championship will take place on 15 October at the TOSFED Körfez Race Circuit.