Extreme Cup: Kabal and Summit Season at Their Peak in Kandıra

A calendar shifted a week earlier, 16 vehicles and a two-day battle at the Pink Cliffs: The 3rd round of the 2026 Extreme Cup, the Kandıra Extreme Race, has finally concluded after postponement rumors. The teams that rose to the top in TR1 and TR2 have been determined; the impact of these results on the championship standings will become clear in the coming days. So how was the course run in Kandıra, and who made it onto the podiums?

Kandıra Extreme Race results: Winners in TR1 and TR2

In the race held in Kandıra district of Kocaeli, at the Pink Cliffs site, the category standings shaped up as follows: The Uğur Kabal–Can Özkurt team completed the course in the shortest time and claimed first place in TR1. Second place went to Ümit Aydın–Okan Aydın, while third place was won by Ahmet Kurt–İbrahim Ateş.

In TR2, where vehicles with specially prepared chassis competed, the picture points to a different name: Emirhan Kutlu–Yunus Çalıkçı finished first. The duo had also stood out as the fastest TR2 team in the previous round in Düzce; claiming the top spot twice in a row in Kandıra is a notable signal from a championship perspective. Second place went to Oğuz Kağan Öztürk–Gökhan Yalçın - this team also repeated their Düzce ranking in Kandıra. Third place was taken by Atilla Çakır–Ahmet Başdemir.

The athletes who made the podium received their awards at a ceremony at the Race Center on Sunday, October 25. Kandıra Municipality also announced that the races were successfully completed and thanked everyone who contributed.

The postponement process: a calendar that slid a week later

This round was originally planned for the weekend of October 17-18. TOSFED announced that the race would be moved one week later due to adverse weather conditions; the local Kocaeli press also reported the postponement news to its readers in the same period. A discipline where conditions don't always favor off-road: the autumn wind along the Kandıra coast and the ground conditions made the calendar change the most sensible decision for the organization.

When the new schedule was announced, the picture became clear: The start ceremony was held in front of the Kandıra Municipality building at 11:30 on Saturday, October 24, and on the same day at 15:30, the first day's races were run at the Pink Cliffs. The second day's races began at 14:00 on Sunday, October 25 in the same area, and the day closed with the awards ceremony at 17:30. That air of uncertainty created by postponed events - in the past, the calendar would hang in suspense for months in such cases - seems to have been resolved within a single week this time; the federation's fast and clear communication made this possible.

How the course was run: mud, rocks and deep wells

The Pink Cliffs terrain offered a course worthy of the Extreme Cup's name. The stages featured mud pools, rock masses and deep wells. Athletes tried to pass through the designated gates without error with their 4x4 vehicles and complete the course in the shortest time. This format requires speed and precision to be forged together in off-road races: a second lost at a gate cannot be recovered on the straights.

The difficulty level of the course can also be measured by the moments when teams supported each other. On the challenging stages, co-drivers stepped in and pulled vehicles out of the course using tow bars and ropes. There is one difference in this business compared to the old days: in past years, recovery operations were mostly left to the organizing crews; today, racer solidarity is an integral part of the course. A weekend that only 16 teams could complete should be counted as proof that the Kandıra terrain is not generous.

What do TR1 and TR2 mean: the distinction between categories

To read the race results correctly, one needs to understand the category logic. The federation's basic definition is made on the basis of the chassis: TR1 is the class for vehicles whose conventional chassis has not been modified; while TR2 is the category for vehicles with specially prepared chassis. Some followers occasionally come across an engine displacement distinction as well - there are definitions associating TR1 with engines up to 3000 cc and TR2 with engines above 3000 cc - but the distinction that should be taken as the basis is how original the vehicle's chassis has been made.

In practice, this distinction also determines the character of the race. TR1 is a test of technical competence with vehicles faithful to factory geometry; TR2, on the other hand, is the stage for preparation craftsmanship and the team's terrain-reading skills. For this reason, the Kandıra results need to be evaluated in both classes not on a name basis, but within the whole of the championship.

Kandıra's place in the championship standings

The first two legs of the 2026 Local Extreme Cup had taken shape before Kandıra. The 1st leg in Bolu was run on August 15–16; in the TR1 results, the Ahmet Kurt–İbrahim Ateş, Hüseyin Esen–Selim Avcı and Cahit Ergüzen–Polat Ergüzen teams were among the standout names. At the 2nd leg in Düzce, Ahmet Kurt–İbrahim Ateş won TR1, while in TR2 Emirhan Kutlu–Yunus Çalıkçı finished first and Oğuz Kağan Öztürk–Gökhan Yalçın second.

When Kandıra is added to this picture, a trend reveals itself: In TR2, Kutlu–Çalıkçı won for the second time in a row, and Öztürk–Yalçın finished second for the second time. On the TR1 side, the Düzce winner Ahmet Kurt–İbrahim Ateş remained on the third step at Kandıra; this time the summit was occupied by Kabal–Özkurt. We are in mid-season, where competition within the categories has become clear and the same names have settled into a recurring pattern on the podium. Detailed data on the current overall points standings following Kandıra has not yet been published; it is expected to become clear in the coming days via the official results page.

Next stop: Round 4 in Pendik

The championship calendar doesn't rest: Round 4, will be held in Pendik on November 7–8, 2026. Whether Kutlu–Çalıkçı, back-to-back winners in TR2, can extend their streak, and which way the shifting dynamics between Kabal–Özkurt and Kurt–Ateş in TR1 will evolve, will become clear depending on Pendik's terrain character. The off-road community moving to Pendik just one week after Kandıra - despite the congested calendar created by the postponement - is also an indication of how packed this season has been.

Conclusion: Kandıra ends, the championship goes on

An organization completed without a hitch after the postponement is a typical product of the small but disciplined world of Turkish off-road. In TR1, Uğur Kabal–Can Özkurt, and in TR2, Emirhan Kutlu–Yunus Çalıkçı were the happiest teams to leave Kandıra; but the real reckoning will be seen in Pendik and in the rest of the season. As someone who has been watching these podiums for over twenty years, let me say: The winner of a round in the Extreme Cup is never the champion himself. Kandıra once again confirmed this rule.

Sources

• The Extreme Cup Continued in Kandıra – TOSFED
• The Extreme Cup Is Continuing in Kandıra – TOSFED
• TR 1 and TR 2 winners decided at the Kocaeli Extreme Race in Kandıra – Son Dakika
• 16 teams took the start on the challenging course at the Kocaeli Extreme Race in Kandıra – Haberler
• A breathtaking finale at Pembe Kayalıklar – Çağdaş Kocaeli
• Announcement of Round 3 of the 2026 Extreme Cup – TOSFED Instagram
• Postponement announcement – TOSFED Facebook
• 2026 Extreme Cup Round 2 Düzce results
• Extreme Cup Round 4 – Pendik 2026 – TurkMotorspor
• Offroad Competitions – TOSFED Results