24.06.2004 Italian interest is high on the Rally of Turkey which starts today, as alongside five Italian JWRC Fiat Punto Abarth pilots, the Turkish Palio Super 1600 AND Kitcar versions will also be TAKING PART

The 2nd Rally of Turkey which is the 7th round of the FIA World Rally Championship starts this evening with an opening spectator friendly super special stage. The event, organized by The Federation of Turkish Automobile Sports, finishes on Sunday.

The first stage, the Efes Pilsen Special Spectator Stage, will see the 69 teams competing in an area prepared for the rally in the Akdeniz University Campus.

The rally is also the third out of seven rounds of 2004 FIA Junior World Rally Championship.

Italian interest is high with seven Super 1600 Fiat Punto Abarth Rallys, one Fiat Palio Abarth Rally, also in the Super 1600 class and two Fiat Palio Kit-Cars were at the start today.

Alessandro Broccoli, Mathiew Biasion, Xavier Pons, third last time out on the Acropolis Rally, Alan Scorcioni and Luca Tabaton are all driving the Super 1600 class Fiat Punto Abarth Rally in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship.

Meanwhile Volkan Isik and Omer Tolon in a similar Super 1600 Fiat Punto Abarth Rally, Hamdi Unal in a Super 1600 Fiat Palio Abarth Rally, and Selim Bacioglu and Mitat Diker at the wheel of the Fiat Palio Kit-Cars are all competing in the Turkish Rally Championship.

The event will be run on gravel over 1236km, and 17 Special stages totalling 383.33 km, in the regions of Kemer and Kumluca in Antalya.