Türkiye's Rallycross Map: Tracks, Drivers and the Championship

Rallycross
Creation: 11 October 2026

Istanbul Park hosted the World Rallycross final for two consecutive seasons, etching Türkiye onto the world map of this sport.

Share This Page

Rallycross in Türkiye is a short and intense motorsport discipline run on closed circuits with mixed asphalt-dirt tracks, consisting of qualifying heats, semi-finals and finals. In our country, finalists filtered through local autocross qualifiers come together in a single final race at the end of the year; on the international side, Istanbul Park hosted the world championship two seasons in a row.

Highlights

In 2024, the world rallycross final was run at Istanbul Park for the first time
In 2025, September 20-21 the World + European double final was held in Istanbul
Supercar cars with 600 horsepower, 0-100 km/h in under 2 seconds can accelerate
2026 Türkiye Rallycross Championship final November 25-26, 2026 on
Joker lap: a longer route each driver must run once per race

How Did Rallycross Come to Türkiye? A Brief History

Rallikrosun cevabı basit: rallide saatlerle yarışan tek araba, burada aynı tozun içinde bir düzine rakiple kapışıyor.

Do you know what separates rallycross from classic rally? In rallying, two cars run one by one against the clock, while in rallycross a dozen cars battle in the same dust at the same time. Closed circuit, short distance, lap-based racing... In short: one of the easiest motorsports to watch on television. In Türkiye too, this format has found its place on the federation calendar for years; even the national regulations of earlier years contained concepts like the joker lap that are still valid today.

The international side of the story is much fresher. November 9-10, 2024 the final round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship was run at TOSFED Istanbul Park for the first time. Before a year had passed, Türkiye was on the calendar again in 2025, and this time things got even bigger: September 20-21, 2025 under the name "World RX of Türkiye", both the world and European championship finals came to Istanbul in the same weekend. So on two consecutive days, in races starting at 15.30 each day, the season's champions were decided right there in Istanbul.

Let me also give a small warning: these calendars can change location constantly. The 2024 final was initially announced with different dates, and in 2025 both the date and format changed. So the healthiest way to answer the question "is it happening this year too?" is always to check the latest federation announcement.

World RX of Türkiye 2025: Who Won in Istanbul?

The results of that weekend are one of the most striking pages in Turkish rallycross history. Here are the podiums:

Category	1.	2.	3.
World RX1	Johan Kristoffersson (SE)	Niclas Grönholm (FI)	Ole Christian Veiby (NO)
Euro RX1	Damian Litwinowicz (PL)	Tamás Kárai (HU)	Mika Liimatainen (FI)

If you've been following Kristoffersson in rallycross to some extent, you're probably not surprised; the Swedish driver is also in the top three of the 2026 European championship standings: he is the leader with 40 points , behind him comes Juha Rytkönen with 17 points and Andreas Bakkerud. In the European leg of the 2026 season, on August 30, Fabien Pailler won the Lohéac round in France with a Renault Mégane Mk4. So after the final in Istanbul, the arena never stopped.

What Is the Joker Lap? Rallycross's Mind Game

Now let's move on to my favorite part of the whole affair. When you first look at Rallycross, you say "the fastest one wins," and then you notice vehicles running a needlessly longer route along the edge of the track. That is the joker lap. Every driver must use this longer route exactly once during the race. The driver decides when to take it, and that very decision can change the fate of the race.

Let me make a simple analogy: when studying for an exam, do you solve the easy questions first or the hard ones? The joker lap works on the same logic. You can either get it done at the start of the race and make short work of it, or save it for the last lap and play your masterstroke while your rivals assume you have slowed down. This route, unlike any other section of the track, rewrites both the driving line and the strategy from the ground up.

According to the national rules in Türkiye, in the qualifying heats the track 4 laps is run and the total distance 6000 meters does not exceed; the joker lap, however, is applied in the qualifying heats, semi-finals and finals alike. Looking at historical regulations, we have seen even stricter practices, such as every lap in the final counting as a joker; in fact, a driver who failed to complete the joker lap was considered last in the final. In other words, this rule has always been taken seriously in Türkiye as well.

How Powerful Are Supercar Machines? 600-Horsepower Monsters

Calling Rallycross machines "cars" is actually a bit of an understatement. Machines in the Supercar category generally reach 600 horsepower of power, 900 Nm of torque and are equipped with all-wheel drive. The most striking figure is this: 0-100 km/h acceleration under two seconds. They say it is F1-level acceleration, and it is no exaggeration.

When you consider how small these machines are, the acceleration becomes even more impressive; they dart out of corners like a football that has been kicked. In the 2025 world and European championships, electric and petrol machines also faced each other on the same track; the organizers billed it as the "Battle of Technologies" and it was indeed unquestionably one of the most eagerly anticipated topics. Which technology is faster? The answer changed from weekend to weekend, which made watching all the more enjoyable.

So Are There Any of These Machines in Türkiye?

There are, but in limited numbers. A team working under a domestic umbrella developed machines named "Control 4" and "Control 2", based on SuperCar Lites; a minimum weight of 1100 kg including the driver, and under 4 seconds for 0-100 km/h. The goal at that time was to compete in a Global RallyCross championship in America with 12 cars. So, to sum up the picture: world-class 600-horsepower machines are coming to Istanbul Park, while on the domestic side there is a more modest but ambitious development line.

How Does the Türkiye Rallycross Championship Work?

Here is where Türkiye differs most from other countries. In most championships, races are held throughout the year, points are accumulated, and the champion is decided at the final round. Our system, however, is based on qualification: drivers competing in local autocross races earn the right to participate in the Türkiye Rallycross Championship final at the end of the year if they are successful in these qualifiers. This final for 2026 was planned as a single final race on November 25-26, 2026 .

You can think of it like an exam system: throughout the year you pass through in-class exams, and then the actual champion is determined in the big final exam. This format, gathered only in the last weekend of the year, makes the heats much more meaningful; because there is no guarantee of passing through that final gate. If you want an overview of the 2026 national calendar: Rally Championship 7 races (the season opened on April 4-5 with the Aegean Rally in Marmaris), Circuit Championship 6 rounds / 12 races all at Istanbul Park, Karting 7 rounds, Offroad 6 races, Baja 5 rounds and Drift 5 races.

How Does a Race Weekend Go?

Let's take the world final at Istanbul Park as an example, because the spectator-side practice is clearest to see from there. In the two-day event, races started every day at 3:30 PM, so no getting up early to go for a run; sit at midday, action in the afternoon. Tickets were purchased from mobile sales platforms, and there was a nice detail for young people: under 23 discounted ticket, born in 2002 or later and with ID presentation required. Ticket types can also vary by seating area, and parking tickets could be sold separately. So those who came with camping setups and those who came just to watch the race have separate options.

The rhythm of a race weekend works like this: first you race in small groups in the qualifying series and collect points; then come the elimination rounds, i.e. the semi-finals, and the day ends with the final. In the 2025 world format there were 4 qualifying series, in each series mini races with 3-5 cars were run, and at the end of 4 laps (joker included), whoever finished with the fastest overall time moved ahead. So, unlike classic rally, each lap is like hitting the board: where you finish matters a lot.

Turkish Names on the International Arena

Türkiye's international representation on the rallycross side is, unfortunately, not documented with a very deep resource. In forums, Yiğit Timur is mentioned as the first Turkish driver to race in the World Rallycross Championship, but I have not yet been able to reach a strong source to verify this information, so let's take it with caution. On the federation side, there were news reports that the RX Lites Cup was organized with the goal of raising the rallycross stars of the future, and that Turkish drivers took part in this cup.

That said, there has been a proud moment recently on the Turkish motorsport front: Ali Türkkan, by winning the 2026 World Junior Rally Championship (JWRC), became the first Turkish driver to achieve this, and he was only 27 years old. This is a championship on the rally side, not rallycross; but it is the most concrete proof of how far Turkish drivers can go on the world stage. His success empowers young drivers at every level, from the circuit dust to the karting wheel. Let me give a name from the youth side in karting too: Enes Hakkı Yeten represented our country in the 3rd round of the French Championship. So the stars are slowly finding their light.

How to Get Started in Rallycross in Türkiye?

Okay, let's say you've read this article, got cramps watching TV and said "I want to do this too." So what's the roadmap? First of all, everything starts with the licensing side: you can access information like the license application through the federation's official channels, the current License Directive, license fees and application form. For those who want to start at hobby level, lighter options such as a karting license are also available. To be honest: I can't give you specific rallycross cost figures in this article because there is no publicly available standard price list; for current fees, it's best to check the federation's license documents directly.

On the competitive side, the path in the 2026 format is this: you will participate in local autocross qualifiers, succeed in the qualifiers, and show yourself not in Istanbul but at the Türkiye Rallycross Championship final at the end of the year. For those who want to start rally in general, there are guides that prioritize physical preparation and vehicle skill; so it's not just about "driving fast," but also about preparing your body and reflexes. When you consider topics like the joker lap strategy, rallycross is half a mental chess game and half a physical marathon.

Practical Checklist for Beginners

Review the federation's license directive and current fees
Follow the local autocross qualifiers; this is the door to the year-end final
Develop basic reflexes with a karting or hobby-level circuit license
Take physical preparation seriously; neck, shoulder and endurance training is a must
Watch at least one local rallycross event live; grasp the format not on a screen but at the edge of the track

FAQ: The Joker Lap, Cars, and the Championship

What is the joker lap, and who uses it when? Each driver must use it once per race, it involves a longer route on the track, and the driver decides which lap to take it on. This decision is the biggest strategic move that directly affects the outcome of the race.

How powerful is a rallycross car? In the Supercar category, 600 hp of power, 900 Nm of torque, all-wheel drive, and figures like 1.9 seconds for 0-100 km/h are being talked about. In other words, despite their small size, they offer F1-level acceleration.

How does the rallycross championship work in Türkiye? Throughout the year, local autocross qualifiers are held, and those who succeed here take part in the single final event at the end of the year. The 2026 final is November 25-26, 2026 scheduled for those dates.

Where was World RX Türkiye held? The 2024 world final and the 2025 double final (World + Europe) were both held at Istanbul Park.

Who is the world champion? As of 2026, Johan Kristoffersson stands out as the strongest name in both the world and European standings; the 2021 world championship also belongs to him. It would not be wrong to call him the dominant figure of rallycross in recent years.

Final Word: A Future in the Dust

Türkiye's rallycross story stands at an interesting point: on one side, a country that hosts world and European champions at Istanbul Park and has been on the world calendar for two consecutive seasons; on the other, a unique national system where drivers filtered through local autocross qualifiers come together in a single November final. These two worlds have not yet fully intersected, but a bridge can be built. When you consider together a format that merges strategy and speed like the joker lap, 600-horsepower cars, and the international successes of young Turkish drivers, we are in a period where getting involved in this sport makes more sense than ever. Don't you think that one day a Turkish champion might emerge from behind those dust clouds?