The Cappadocia Rally, round four of the 2026 Türkiye Rally Championship, began in Nevşehir on Friday evening, August 21. According to the programme published by the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation, the event opened with a ceremonial start at the Cappadocia Water and Light Stage at 7:30 p.m. The competitive schedule then moved to the Nevşehir Municipality spectator special stage at the Cappadocia Motorsports Complex at 8:30 p.m. The rally is due to continue on gravel stages around Cappadocia until Sunday, August 23.
The championship returns to gravel
TOSFED says the first three rallies of the 2026 season were held on asphalt, while the Cappadocia round marks a return to gravel. The surface change requires crews to adapt vehicle settings, tyre choices and stage strategy to a different type of road. The event is organised by Başkent Turing Sports Club. The Nevşehir Governor's Office, Nevşehir Municipality and the Cappadocia Area Directorate are among the public bodies listed by the federation as supporting the organisation.
Three stages shape Saturday's programme
Competition on Saturday, August 22, is scheduled to continue on stages carrying the names Otokar, Remed Assistance and the Cappadocia Area Directorate. The official programme says each of the three stages will be run twice during the day. Crews will finish the Saturday schedule at the service area located at Hacı Bektaş Veli University. Service periods form an important part of the timetable because teams can inspect their cars and prepare them for the next group of stages.
How the rally classification develops
The official event website describes rallying as a motorsport contested on a set route across different surfaces. A driver and co-driver work as a crew and aim to complete the scheduled stages in the shortest time. That means the appearance of one spectator stage does not establish the final outcome. The overall classification will emerge only after the competitive sections have been completed and official times have been combined. Interim information circulating while the event is running should not be treated as a confirmed final result.
Sunday finish planned at Paşabağları
On Sunday, August 23, the Nevşehir Governorship and Petrol Ofisi Maxima stages are each scheduled to be contested twice. Under the timetable announced by TOSFED, crews that complete the rally are expected to reach the finish podium at the Cappadocia Area Directorate's Paşabağları site from 5:40 p.m. The plan therefore combines a ceremonial opening, a spectator stage, two full days of competition and a final podium across the three-day event.
Official spectator instructions matter
The rally's official website says spectators can watch without charge from designated viewing areas and that details will be provided in a spectator guide. Rally stages require safety controls that differ from ordinary traffic conditions, so visitors should remain only in places identified by organisers and marshals. Access times, road arrangements and any changes to the schedule should be checked through the official channels of TOSFED and the event organiser rather than unofficial posts.
Cappadocia's landscape is part of the event
The organiser describes the route as using roads that highlight Cappadocia's distinctive natural and historical setting. TOSFED's programme also places the service area, spectator stage and finish podium at different locations around Nevşehir. That gives the event significance not only for championship points but also for Cappadocia's place on Türkiye's motorsport calendar. Final classifications, however, can only be treated as confirmed after the stages are completed and official timing information is released.
The verified details in this report were cross-checked against TOSFED's August 17 announcement, the rally organiser's official website and a notice from the Nevşehir Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports. Because the competition is still under way, this article does not claim a winner, podium order or final result. It is limited to the published schedule, confirmed venues and the structure of the event.
