First Turkish race goes to Champion2006 Turkish Rally Champion Ercan Kazaz wins Group N at the conclusion of the Ipragaz Rally.
The 2007 Turkish Rally Championship got underway in Izmir on 7th of April. Season opener Ipragaz Rally consisted of 13 tarmac special
stages with a total of 157,32 kms including a super special stage at Izmir Circuit.
Reigning Turkish Champion Ercan Kazaz surprised everyone in the field as the team kept their plans indoors until the start of Ipragaz Rally, first round of the Turkish Championship. The Atolye Kazaz team made a last-minute deal with Lukoil Turkey just a few days before the first event of the season, with Ercan Kazaz getting into his Lukoil liveried
Subaru Impreza for the first time.
As the World Rally Cars will be competing in the Turkish Rally Championship for the last time during the 2007 season, the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation made a small change in the points scoring system to the disadvantage of the WRC drivers. WRC driver scores will be multiplied by 0.9 coefficient against the rest of the field scoring 1 coeffecient for the national events.
This system proved to be the most challenging as
Ford Focus WRC driver Hakan Dinc won Ipragaz Rally, earning 18 points, followed by Ercan Kazaz in second place, only 1 point behind.
Ercan Kazaz was more than happy with the result as he was back on track with a
Group N Impreza. "While we are preparing ourselves for the 2008 Turkish Championship where equal cars will be competing for the podium, we enjoyed a good result not only winning Group N with a big margin but also finishing second overall in the presence of three WRC cars," Kazaz said.
"Lukoil's help is vital to the Turkish season opener and it was our first experience with their philosophy before we tackle Rally Argentina, 6th round of the WRC, where the Atolye Kazaz team will run with the same colors," Kazaz concluded.
Niall McShea will also run in a Subaru Impreza prepared by the Atolye Kazaz team.
Source Atolye Kazaz team
