TCR promoter WSC has unveiled the calendar for the 2018 TCR Middle East series that will be contested over four racing weekends.
Launched in 2017 with a three-event promotional season, the TCR Middle East series is now set for its first real racing year and will visit three of the region's main racetracks: the Dubai Autodrome, Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit and the Bahrain International Circuit.
The series' calendar spans from the beginning of January to the end of February, when most of the other TCR championships have their winter break, which makes it attractive for European teams and drivers.
The event format provides two Free Practice sessions and the Qualifying on Friday and the two 60-kilometre Races on Saturday. The Sporting Regulations allow two drivers to share the driving duties during the weekend.
Two titles will be awarded: for Drivers and Teams; the scoring system will be the traditional one for TCR with 5-4-3-2-1 points to the top five in Qualifying and 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 to the top ten classified in each race.
In 2017, Josh Files won the series at the wheel of a Honda Civic run by the Dubai-based team Lap57 Motorsports. The Briton’s top contenders were Luca Engstler and Brandon Gdovic with the Liqui Moly Team Engstler Volkswagen Golf GTI cars who shared race wins in the opening event at Dubai. Other podium finishers were Michela Cerruti and Davit Kajaia (Mulsanne Racing Alfa Romeo Giulietta), Mat’o Homola (Liqui Moly Team Engstler Volkswagen) and Giacomo Altoè (Top Run Motorsport Subaru WRX).

2018 TCR Middle East calendar
5 / 6 January – Dubai
19 / 20 January – Abu Dhabi
2 / 3 February – Bahrain
23 / 24 February - Bahrain