Five championships to be held this weekend

Manama : One of the biggest race weekends of the year is set to take place on Friday and Saturday at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir, with five highly competitive championships making up the latest edition of National Race Day, including two regional series, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East and the TCR Middle East Series.

They will be joined in the packed programme of events by top local championships ,the BIC 2,000cc Challenge, the Bahrain Superbike Championship (BSBK) and the Bahrain Motorcycle Racing (BMR) 600.

Action will take place from 9am until after 5pm on both days at BIC’s 2.55-kilometre Inner Track.

Race enthusiasts are welcome to attend with tickets available at the gate at BD2 each for both days. Meanwhile, those with tickets to the 2017 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix can get in for free.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, the most successful GT series in the region holds the fifth and penultimate round of its 2016/2017 season. Race one on Friday is scheduled for 4.30pm, while race two on Saturday will be at 3pm.

TCR is a leading touring car championship that stages series in various continents. It is capable of offering close and exciting races and some of the world’s most prestigious car manufacturers are represented in the series, including SEAT, Honda, Volkswagen, Opel, Subaru and Alfa Romeo. This year’s TCR Middle East season is the first of the championship.

Bahrain marks the third and final round, following events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Races for TCR on Saturday are at 12.02pm and 3.45pm.

The BIC 2,000cc Challenge will be holding the fifth round of its season, with race one at 12.46pm and race two at 4.26pm.

The BSBK is a motorcycle championship and a first for the region. It involves 15 racers who battle over a season that includes 12 races. Riders compete on identical 899 Ducati Panigale sports bikes.

This weekend’s events will mark the fifth and penultimate round of the season. Both races will take place on Saturday, with the first at 10.50am followed by the second at 2.20pm.

Finally, in the BMR 600, competition is divided into two categories, including the Superstock Series and the Hornet Series. The Hornets participants will be in identical 600cc Honda Hornet bikes.

Also staging round five, BMR 600 will have both races on the final day of National Race Day. Race one will flag off at 10.25am while race two will begin at 1.55pm.