He is racing towards the Turkish championship with his own designed vehicle.

Young pilot Can Özkurt, who works as a car mechanic in Bursa, is racing towards the Turkish championship by finishing first in the 2024 Extreme Cup races held in Istanbul, Ankara, and Tekirdağ, with the vehicle he designed as a result of years of effort.

The races organized under the Turkey Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED) continue to be breathtaking. The moments when teams try to overcome mud pits and challenging obstacles in races held across Turkey were filled with exciting and colorful images. Can Özkurt, who has a car service in the Yıldırım district of Bursa, achieved an interesting success by finishing the Extreme Cup races consecutively in first place with the vehicle he designed after years of effort. Can Özkurt – Seyfullah Tahir, who completed the races held in Istanbul, Ankara, and Tekirdağ while leading and who is being closely followed by thousands of nature and sports enthusiasts, aims to become the Turkish Champion by finishing the last race of the season in first place.

The 2024 Extreme Cup will conclude with a race held in Bolu on November 30 – December 1.

Pilot Can Özkurt, who expresses his passion for mechanics and outdoor sports from a young age, said, “When we started to follow Off-Road races in Turkey, we thought, ‘What kind of vehicle can we make and race?’ Five years ago, we bought a vehicle to start from scratch. First, we changed its engine, transmission, and brakes. Then, we reshaped its exterior design. After adding the necessary safety equipment to be able to participate in the races, we started looking for ways to build a stronger and more durable vehicle. Because our competitors were giving different features to their vehicles with parts imported from abroad. However, we completed our vehicle with more powerful components and durable differentials that we produced ourselves. It took us about 5 years to develop the vehicle. Each race provides us with different experiences. We continue to improve both ourselves and our vehicle,” he stated.

Successful pilot Can Özkurt, who has had an interest in outdoor sports since childhood, recalled that he spent his childhood in Zeyniler Village, located in the Yıldırım district of Bursa, saying, “In our village surrounded by natural beauties, especially in winter, going to our house in the village was like overcoming natural obstacles for us. My interest in Off-Road started this way. While racing with my father; in 2022, I won my first Turkey championship in the co-pilot seat of this vehicle. I started racing as a pilot in 2023 and finished the season in third place. This season, however, our goal is the championship. We are making steady progress on this path. We have gone through very challenging races; some obstacles really test all teams, and many teams are unable to complete all the courses. Turkey is improving in this field every day, and we thank all stakeholders for the quality of the courses created in outdoor sports and the organizational processes. We finished three out of the four races we left behind in first place, and we are heading to the last race as leaders. Hopefully, the end of the road will be the championship, and we will have the opportunity to show the strength of our vehicle, which we produced with limited resources, to all of Turkey.”