Baghdad:Ali Almansoori emerged victorious in both Bahrain Touring Car Challenge (BTCC) races during the opening round of the 2026/2027 National Race Day season held at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) over the weekend. Almansoori, driving a Honda Civic, continued his winning streak from last season, securing pole position with a qualifying lap of 1 minute 16.307 seconds and winning both races with significant leads.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the event also featured the Bahrain Time Attack competition, with both events taking place on BIC's Inner Track, which is 2.554 kilometers long. The opening round was organized by BIC in cooperation with the Bahrain Motor Federation, the Circuit Racing Commission, and the Auto X and Drift Commission.
In the BTCC, Moazz Elzahrawi recorded the fastest practice time in a Honda Civic. Almansoori won the first race by finishing 48.124 seconds ahead of Isa Ebrahim, also in a Honda Civic, with Isa Mahmood taking third place in an Acura RSX DC5. In the second race, Almansoori secured victory, finishing 4.704 seconds ahead of Freddie Taylor, who drove a Volkswagen Scirocco, while Hamad Khamis placed third.
The Bahrain Time Attack saw winners across seven classes. Notable winners included Omar Adel Khuder in the MA class with a BMW M3 and Sultan Turki Alsoud in the SU class driving a Porsche GT3. The event concluded with trophy presentations for the winners of both championships.
The 2026/2027 National Race Day season consists of seven rounds, with the next round scheduled for November 13. Further information on the events can be accessed via BIC's official website and social media channels.