Special Interview with YAGIZ AVCI
The Rival for the Turkey Rally Championship title
He is a tall young man who shows signs of calm and complacency, but so do the rest of world champions, who turn into tough people behind the wheel.
After winning the sixth round of the local Turkish Rally, I met him at the Ford Motor Sport Center in Istanbul
– When did you start participating in rallies and what are the victories you have achieved during your career?
I start Ralling in 2002, then in 2004 I participated with a CITROEN Saxo, and it’s fine as a bigwig,then i used Ford and an Opel Turkia after that, and then in the Mitsubishi Evo 9, and I won my first rally in 2007, and in 16 years of my participation, I have won fife times in the Turkish championship that at 2009-2010-2011-2013 and 2016, and if i win the last round this month that will be an achievement for me as I would be the first driver to win the championship six times. This is my Target now, with the support and sponsorship of Red Bull for me, which lasts for six years and began in 2013 within the Ford Motorsport Turkey team.
– Have you participated in a rally outside Turkey?
– Yes, I participated in 2012 in Eastern Europe and I won the Rally and last year I participated in the Trophy Rally for Eastern Europe and won it. It is the same race that my father won in 1997 and 20 years later I won again the same rally. (His father Najat AVCI was a well-known rally hero in many tournaments in Turkey and abroad).
– Who is your strongest competitor in this championship ?
-There are three heros as my strongest competitors, they are Morat, Orhan and Burak, and between me and Burak there are 15 points now, and the last round will determine the title.
The problem here is the points; 15 points are counted for the winner and for the power stage the winner will get 5 points, which means that the winner of the rally earns 15 points and if he looses the power stage he will loose 5 points, so that the driver who comes in the second place of the rally gets 12 points and if he wins the power stage will get 5 points, which means he will have 17 points and become the leader of the championship.
– They are difficult stages, mountainous and twisted and it is expected to be rainy with a cool weather. This round as I said earlier will determine the title between me and Burak.
After the end of the meeting, I went with YAGiZ to the Ford Rally sport center, which included the new Ford Rally cars and the trophies and memories of this team, especially with the founder and manager Sardar Pochenchi, whom I met quickly in his office to know more about his successful history as a professional rally driver since 1975.