Kabatepe duo wins Cumhuriyet Rally in 1972 Anadol A1
Cengiz and Çiğdem Kabatepe won the Cumhuriyet Rally in a 1972 Anadol A1, with Anadol crews taking the top two places. A Mercedes 280 SL Pagoda finished third.
The Cumhuriyet Rally, the final round of the 2026 Turkish Classic Car Championship, finished in Istanbul. Cengiz and Çiğdem Kabatepe won the overall classification driving a 1972 Anadol A1. The event was held on October 23-24.
The rally, organised by the Klasik Otomobil Spor Kulübü (Classic Car Sports Club), drew 47 classic cars with model years ranging from 1954 to 1989. Crews competed over two days in stages across different regions.
Cumhuriyet Rally results
In the overall standings, Ali Fuad Akömer and Mert Büyük finished second in a 1973 Anadol STC-16, behind the Kabatepe pair. Şenol and Gezin Evren took third in a 1969 Mercedes 280 SL Pagoda. The two top places went to crews driving Anadol cars.
Day one in Sarıyer, day two in Çatalca
The drivers' briefing took place at the Swissôtel on Friday, October 23, and the rally started at 10.00 the same day. Rain affected the opening day around Sarıyer and Demirciköy. After a lunch break, crews continued through the stages and finished the day at Florentia Village.
Cars restarted from Florentia Village at 11.00 on Saturday, October 24, and raced through stages around Çatalca. Crews followed the designated routes while observing traffic rules and speed limits.
Birol Altınkılıç memorial stage
One of the stages this year was named after Birol Altınkılıç, who had supported the club for many years. The "Birol Altınkılıç Memorial Stage" was run as part of the two-day programme.
The rally ended on Saturday evening, October 24, with a gala and awards ceremony at the Swissôtel. Placed crews received their prizes at the event.
This article was compiled with the help of AI from information published by Otohaber.
