Ümitcan Opens Season with Victory
Rally Bodrum, the opening round of the Petrol Ofisi Maxima 2023 Turkish Rally Championship, was held on 14-16 April by Karya Otomobil Spor Kulübü with the contribution of Duja Hotels, VST Tour, Çözüm Ortağı, Oasis Bodrum, Noa Enerji, Nurol Makina, BESİAD and OYDER, with 138 competitors in 69 cars.
At Rally Bodrum, the competitors who took the top three places in the overall classification were presented with special amphora-shaped trophies designed by students of the Bodrum Health Foundation. The overall winners of the demanding rally, Ümit Can Özdemir-Batuhan Memişyazıcı, competing for GP Garage My Team, received their awards from TOSFED President Eren Üçlertoprağı at the finish ceremony held at the Be Premium Hotel. 
The rally's overall runners-up, Burak Çukurova-Burak Akçay of BC Vision Motorsport, received their awards from Sinan Türkseven, Marketing Director of the Petrol Ofisi group, while Kağan Karamanoğlu-Oytun Albayrak of Castrol Ford Team Türkiye, who finished third overall and won Class 3, received theirs from Duja Bodrum General Manager Alaattin Ünlü.
The manufacturers' title went to Castrol Ford Team Türkiye, while the teams' title went to GP Garage My Team.
In Bodrum, Yıldıray Demircioğlu - Mehmet Köleoğlu won Class 4 and the two-wheel-drive category, Sinan Soylu - Özgür Akdağ of GP Garage My Team won Class N, and Tuncer Sancaklı - Asena Sancaklı of BC Vision Motorsport won Class 5. 
Castrol Ford Team Türkiye's Efehan Yazıcı took the junior drivers' win, Burcu Çetinkaya of GMG Racing won the female drivers' category, and Sevi Akal took the female co-drivers' win.
Assessing the event, Petrol Ofisi CEO Mehmet Abbasoğlu said: "In the first round of the Petrol Ofisi 2023 Maxima Rally Championship in Bodrum, we witnessed excitement that quite literally set the dust flying. We are delighted to sponsor Turkey's most inclusive rally event, a sport we believe will make a sustainable contribution to Turkey's sports tourism and economy, and we look forward to the upcoming rounds with eager anticipation. 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank TOSFED and everyone who worked so hard on the organisation." Eren Üçlertoprağı, President of the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation, said in his speech: "With Rally Bodrum, we have made an enjoyable start to the 2023 season, run under the main sponsorship of ICRYPEX. As title sponsor of the Turkish Rally Championship, Petrol Ofisi Maxima has added great value through both the strength of its brand and its marketing activities. I would like to thank the KAROSK club, which worked hard on this successful event that attracted great interest from spectators, as well as all our officials and the valued members of the press who stood by us." 
