Formula One Racetrack In Turkey To Become Used Car Dealership

A report in the Sözcü daily revealed that Istanbul Park, built at a cost of $290M in '05 to hold races that "sputtered to a halt" in '11 due to a lack of interest, "is to become a used car dealership," according to TODAY'S ZAMAN. The park, "built with great fanfare and millions of dollars in public funds," was once described by F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone as the “best track in the world.” The track "has remained out of use since the Formula 1 Grand Prix races failed to catch on" in Istanbul. Though now widely viewed as a failure, "the racetrack was built with high hopes" as a means of promoting Istanbul in the int'l arena. The facility, which is located on the outer Asian side of Istanbul in the quarter of Kurtköy, "will be leased by car rental company Intercity for 10 years." The Istanbul Park Auto Market "will open its doors on Sept. 9" (TODAY'S ZAMAN, 8/28).