TCR Middle East: 2017-2019
Multiple regional touring car championships have also utilised the TCR regulations debuted by the TCR International Series in 2015, including TCR Middle East. These regulations provide a relatively accessible means of racing full-on customer tin-tops, with models available from a wide range of manufacturers.
Run between 2017 and 2019, the TCR Middle East series was a short championship held at the very start of the year. Each season consisted of three rounds, with visits to Yas Marina and the Dubai Autodrome in all three seasons and a round at the Bahrain International Circuit in 2017 and 2018.
The series attracted a mixture of international drivers and local racers, but generally had small fields. Josh Files and Luca Engstler won the first two titles, while René Münnich won the third in a season that introduced endurance-style races. Having been cancelled after the 2019 season, it was announced in 2022 that TCR Middle East would be revived with a new format.
Focusing on hour-long endurance events, the series was set to re-launch for a 2022/23 winter season; which was then pushed back to 2023/24. This seemingly fell through however, as there hasn’t been any further information since.