Erkut Kizilirmak
Encyclopedia
Erkut Kızılırmak is an auto racing
driver from Turkey
. He started racing in rallying
in 1992 and switched to touring cars in 2002, at the age of 32. In 2005 he won the Turkish Touring Car Championship, in a Vauxhall Astra Coupé
formerly raced by Yvan Muller
in the BTCC
. He also made an appearance in the Turkish round of the World Touring Car Championship
in 2005 driving an ex works SEAT Toledo for the GR Asia team alongside Tom Coronel.
His connections with the series and the Triple 8 Race Engineering
company, increased in 2006, with Erkut becoming the first Turkish driver to compete in the BTCC when he raced at Croft
in a Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (converted from one of the team's show cars). He also competed at Snetterton
, where he achieved his best result - 13th.
On February 9, 2007 Erkut announced that he would be competing in the full BTCC championship in 2007, in an ex VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch. His Arkas team unites with Tech-Speed to run the car. Despite previous expectations, it was a one-car team, with no place for previous Tech-Speed driver Paul O'Neill
.
Two tenth-places in the high-attrition round 8 at Brands Hatch
gave him his only 2 overall points of the season, while he finished 9th in the Independents' Cup, showing some speed and gusto in a 2006-spec car.
Erkut also won the first two races of the 2007 Turkish Touring Car Championship.
In 2008 he returned for another season in the BTCC. This time as part of a two car team alongside Martyn Bell
with the renamed Team Arkas Racing with Sunshine.co.uk. His best result of the year was a tenth place finish in round six at Rockingham, giving him his one championship point of the year.
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
driver from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. He started racing in rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
in 1992 and switched to touring cars in 2002, at the age of 32. In 2005 he won the Turkish Touring Car Championship, in a Vauxhall Astra Coupé
Vauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
formerly raced by Yvan Muller
Yvan Muller
Yvan Muller is a French auto racing driver most noted for success in touring car racing. He is a two-time and the reigning World Touring Car Champion.-Single-seaters:...
in the BTCC
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
. He also made an appearance in the Turkish round of the World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
in 2005 driving an ex works SEAT Toledo for the GR Asia team alongside Tom Coronel.
Triple 8 Race Engineering
Triple Eight Race Engineering is an auto racing team formed in 1996 to design, build and race Vauxhalls on behalf of the General Motors brand in the British Touring Car Championship . A close working alliance has developed during a decade of success and Triple Eight is now Vauxhall's technical...
company, increased in 2006, with Erkut becoming the first Turkish driver to compete in the BTCC when he raced at Croft
Croft Circuit
Croft Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near Dalton-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, England. The tarmac circuit is just over long and is based on the lands of an airfield, but has long since moved on from being a basic airfield circuit...
in a Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch (converted from one of the team's show cars). He also competed at Snetterton
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...
, where he achieved his best result - 13th.
On February 9, 2007 Erkut announced that he would be competing in the full BTCC championship in 2007, in an ex VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch. His Arkas team unites with Tech-Speed to run the car. Despite previous expectations, it was a one-car team, with no place for previous Tech-Speed driver Paul O'Neill
Paul O'Neill (racing driver)
Paul O'Neill is a auto racing driver from Widnes of Irish parentage, and the half-brother of 'Sporty Spice' Mel C.-Career:...
.
Two tenth-places in the high-attrition round 8 at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
gave him his only 2 overall points of the season, while he finished 9th in the Independents' Cup, showing some speed and gusto in a 2006-spec car.
Erkut also won the first two races of the 2007 Turkish Touring Car Championship.
In 2008 he returned for another season in the BTCC. This time as part of a two car team alongside Martyn Bell
Martyn Bell
Martyn Bell is an auto racing driver. Since 2006 he has contested the British Touring Car Championship, but he spent the majority of his career racing BMWs in various championships...
with the renamed Team Arkas Racing with Sunshine.co.uk. His best result of the year was a tenth place finish in round six at Rockingham, giving him his one championship point of the year.
Complete WTCC results
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Position | Points | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 World Touring Car Championship season The 2005 World Touring Car Championship season was the second World Touring Car Championship season, and the first since 1987. It featured a ten event, twenty race series which commenced on April 10, 2005 and ended on November 20... |
GR Asia GR Asia GR Asia is an auto racing team based in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. They have raced in the World Touring Car Championship, the European Touring Car Championship and the British Touring Car Championship.... |
SEAT Toledo SEAT Toledo The second generation Toledo was introduced in 1998 and made its debut at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as a four-door notchback sedan. It was more rounded than the previous first generation shape and had a much more fluid design, although both were products of Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio... |
MON Autodromo Nazionale Monza The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....  |
MGN Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in central France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers, some 250 km from Paris...  |
SLV Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...  |
IMO Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello.... |
PUE Autódromo Miguel E. Abed The Autódromo Internacional Miguel E. Abed is a racing track located in the town of Amozoc, east of the city of Puebla in the Mexican state of the same name.-History:...  |
SPA Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...  |
OSC Motorsport Arena Oschersleben The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben is long race track with a width of 11 – 13 meters and elevation changes of 23 metres. The circuit is located in Oschersleben, Börde , Northern Germany...  |
IST Istanbul Park Istanbul Park , also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially Istanbul Otodrom, is a motor sports race track in Akfırat County east of Istanbul, Turkey. It was inaugurated on 21 August 2005...  |
VAL Circuit de Valencia Circuit Ricardo Tormo, also known as Circuit de Valencia and officially named Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, is a motorsport race track located in Cheste and built in 1999. It has a capacity of 120,000 spectators and seating for 60,000...  |
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