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WRC greets Rally Turkey

WRC promoter's Oliver Ciesla welcomed Rally Turkey back to the WRC calendar on saturday when the new-look fixture was launched in the presence of youth and sports minister dr Osman Aşkin Bak.

Managing director Ciesla joined Bak and Turkish Automobile Sports Federation officials, including President Serkan Yazici, in Istanbul to announce details about the WRC's first Rally Turkey since 2010.

The 10th round of the championship will take place in the Marmaris and Muğla regions on 13 - 16 September and Ciesla highlighted the importance of Turkey's return.

"It's a change and a new challenge for everyone. Turkey is a new market for the WRC and we have the opportunity to introduce the championship to new fans. It is also a very important car market for all the manufacturers involved in the WRC," he said.

Bak shared his memories as a young boy when he saw rally cars for the first time and became a fan.

"As a child, eight or 10 years old, where I lived there was a rally in the summer called the Bosana Rally, and I used to follow it. I was very enthusiastic to see the drivers when they got out of their cars. They were heroes to me," he explained.

"Turkey is a centre for the automotive industry and Turkish people love car racing and they will be very happy to see the WRC back here. The area where the rally will take place is fantastic in terms of tourism and the automotive industry."

Yazici said the rally would be one of the most compact in the calendar, featuring 317.28km of competition across 17 special stages in a route of 896.06km. It will feature two city speed tests and a Power Stage that finishes in the Marmaris service park.

The longest Çetibeli stage of 38.10km will be driven twice on Friday. There will be six tests on Saturday and four on the final morning.

Zdroj: wrc.com