MOTORSPORT – ALI Almansoori was the star of the sixth round of National Race Day (NRD) in the 2025-26 season, held over the weekend at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir and featuring an exciting double-header with the Bahrain Touring Car Challenge (BTCC) and the Bahrain Motorcycle Championship (BMC).
Almansoori won both races in the BTCC’s penultimate event of this campaign and thus extending his perfect record so far to 12 wins from as many outings.
Saeed Al Sulaiti and Mohamed Alzaidan also had reason to celebrate, as they each emerged victorious in their respective classes in round four of the BMC.
Action in the latest edition of NRD was held along BIC’s 2.554-kilometre Inner Track under the circuit’s bright, state-of-the-art floodlights. The meeting was organised by BIC in cooperation with the Bahrain Motor Federation, the Circuit Racing Commission, and the Bahrain Motorcycle Commission.
In the BTCC, Moaaz Elzahrawi set the early pace in practice but then Almansoori took control in qualifying, bagging pole position for the weekend’s first of two races with a dominant fastest lap of one minute 15.218 seconds. He was more than three seconds quicker than the rest of the pack in his Honda Civic contender.
Almansoori then maintained his impressive form in the opening 15-lap sprint, going from pole to flag in a total winning time of 20:13.076. He finished a commanding 19.337 seconds from runner-up Elzahrawi, who was also behind the wheel of a Honda Civic, while James Taylor in an Acura RSX DC5 joined them on the podium 59.061s from first place.
Race two delivered a similar pattern, with Almansoori charging to a big lead en route to taking the chequered flag in 20:20.606 after 15 laps. He led the same drivers in the top three, with Elzahrawi going second 15.106s adrift and Taylor classified third two laps back.
In the BMC, Al Sulaiti and Alzaidan were the pace-setters in their categories from the opening session, with Al Sulaiti leading the 1,000cc field on his BMW 1000RR motorbike and Alzaidan at the front amongst the 600cc runners on his Kawasaki ZX6.
Al Sulaiti powered to overall victory in the night’s sole 14-lap race in a total time of 15:48.778. He enjoyed a comfortable 26.726s gap from Fahad Al Gharabally, who was the runner-up both overall and in the 1,000cc class on his Suzuki GSXR.
Alzaidan claimed third place overall while winning the 600cc category after crossing the line 29.535s behind Al Sulaiti.
Also stepping onto the podium amongst the 1,000cc riders was Fahad Algosaibi on his BMW 1000RR in third, while joining Alzaidan in the 600cc’s top three were Faisal Bader on his Honda CBR600RR and Nasser Alkhadra on his Yamaha R6.
Following the round’s exciting action, the winners in both the BTCC and the BMC were presented their awards in their respective podium ceremonies.
NRD returns with this season’s final meeting scheduled for May 8 at BIC.
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