Held since 1907, the intercontinental classic automobile durability race, “Peking to Paris 2010,” will take place between September 10 - October 16, 2010.

A total of 106 automobiles will globally participate in the rally, including a team from Turkey participating for the first time. Ahmet Öngün and Erdal Tokcan will set off from Beijing on September 10 in their 1967 Anadol classic model with chassis № 371. The Turkish team will participate in the race to benefit the Community Volunteers Foundation (TOG).

Scholarships to benefit 250 university students are anticipated from sponsorship revenues and individual contributions. The race is highly appreciated by many people. If the number of sponsors goes up, TOG will be able to award scholarships to more students. The team is preparing for the race and waiting for additional individual and corporate support to help TOG. Their message is clear: “We aim to be the first team to arrive in Paris. This will make us the champions, but more importantly, we’ll contribute to the future of our country.”

Ahmet Sefik Ongun
Being the Honorary Consul of Cook Islands and having mapped out an engineering career, Ahmet Sefik Ongun is the founder and board chairman of Gantek. As the founding chairman of the Turkish Classic Automobile Club and Porsche Club Istanbul, Mr. Ongun is also an international competitor, holding the title of “Turkish Champion for Classic Sports Car Racing for 2008 and 2009”.

Erdal Tokcan
A professional mechanical engineer, Erdal Tokcan is the founder and vice board chairman of Marti Konteyner Services. A board member of the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED), Tokcan held the position of president of the Turkish Classic Automobile Club from 2002 to 2004. Having succeeded many times in the past, Tokcan was the winner of the Acropolis Rally 2005, which were held in Greece.

First organized in 1907, the international classic automobile rally, “2010 Beijing to Paris,” runs between the two cities through China, Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, Ulan Bator, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Turkmenistan, Iran, Tabriz, Turkey, Istanbul, Greece, Italy and France. Only five vehicles raced in the rally in 1907. Back then, drivers wanting to participate even removed the bottom of their cars to use them as mudguards. The phrase, "One day, everyone will use mudguards just like us” is still remembered today.

The rally also created legends in the first year. When the compass of Charles Goddard’s Dutch Skyper malfunctioned, he broke a record by driving nonstop by himself for 24 hours. The first tire race between Michelin and Pirelli took place in that rally. Only the Pirelli tire, which supported the Prince Borghese’s Itala, survived the whole race to Paris and then from Paris to Pirelli’s factory in Milan. There was no referee in the first rally. The person who waved the flags to start the rally in China caught up to the finish line in Paris to welcome the racers.

One hundred years passed before the second race from Beijing to Paris took place. In fact, 134 automobiles joined the race in 2007. The 2010 Beijing-to-Paris race is especially noteworthy because it’s the first time a team from Turkey is joining the rally.
For more information about the rally, please visit www.pekingparis.com

• For the route : www.pekingparis.com/route.html

START: September 10th, 2010 /
Great Wall, Peking (China)

October 7th, 2010 / Erzurum (Turkey)
October 8th, 2010 / Nevsehir, Kozakli (Turkey)
October 9th, 2010 / Bolu (Turkey)
October 10th, 2010 / Istanbul (Turkey)

FINISH: October 16th, 2010 /
Place Vendome, Paris (Fransa)

Duration: 37 days
Total Kms: 14.569 kms

Route: China (Peking), Mongolia ,
Russia , Kazakhstan , Uzbekhstan , Turkmenistan , Iran ,
Turkey (Erzurum, Nevsehir, Bolu, Istanbul),
Greece , Italy , France (Paris)
www.pekingparis.com/route.html