Tom Oliphant will make his début in the British Touring Car Championship in 2018, racing a Mercedes-Benz A-Class with race winners Ciceley Motorsport.
Oliphant will team up alongside the outfit’s regular racer Adam Morgan in the second Mercedes, with the team’s self-developed car having secured six race wins to-date in the BTCC.
27-year-old Oliphant has spent the past two seasons racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, where he has been a consistent front-runner, finishing fourth overall in both seasons despite not claiming any outright race wins.
The Leamington Spa-based racer previously competed in Formula Renault in 2012, before moving into the Ginetta GT Supercup in 2013, dovetailing with British GTs in 2014, winning the Ginetta GT4 Supercup title in 2015 and then entering to the Porsche Carrera Cup in 2016.
“I’m delighted to announce that I will be stepping up to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this season with Ciceley Motorsport,” said Oliphant, who will be eligible to compete in the Jack Sears’ Trophy for drivers yet to score a podium finish. “The BTCC is the biggest championship in the UK and it’s a fantastic opportunity for me and my partners.
“I’m under no illusions as to the challenge facing me this season. It’s my first season in touring cars and I’ll be coming up against a hugely competitive grid filled with talented drivers, but we’re up for the challenge and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.
“I’m really happy to be working with Ciceley Motorsport. They are a proven front-running squad in the championship and the Mercedes is an established race-winning car, which combined is a perfect platform for me to be competitive in the series from the off.
“We’re currently finalising deals with sponsors moving forward and look forward to announcing our partners in March, while we’re are always looking to get new companies on-board as we enter the highest-profile series in the UK.”
Ciceley Motorsport Team Principal Russell Morgan is looking forward to working with Oliphant in the coming season.
“These are exciting times for Ciceley Motorsport with Tom joining Adam Morgan,” he added. “We have two gifted young drivers peddling our Mercedes-Benz A Class’ in the BTCC this year.
“As soon as I heard that Tom was available we moved mountains in our quest to sign him. He is exactly the type of driver I want in my squad: professional in and out of the car and blisteringly fast. I expect him to do well in both the Independents and the Jack Sears Trophy.
“Although Tom has no front-wheel drive experience, our cars are very well balanced and we have a comprehensive pre-season test schedule arranged. I am confident that Tom will soon get to grips with the car and be on the pace straight away.”