Tom Oliphant has been confirmed as a Team BMW driver for a second successive season in the 2020 British Touring Car Championship, once again partnering defending champion Colin Turkington.
Oliphant, 29, joined the WSR-run team at the start of the 2019 season, having made his BTCC début the year beforehand with Ciceley Motorsport.
The Cheshire-born driver ended the year 11th overall in the drivers’ championship standings, having visited the podium on two occasions, with his results helping BMW to lift the Manufacturers’ title and the team to finish as the runner-up in the Teams’ classification.
“I couldn’t be happier to be continuing with Team BMW for the 2020 British Touring Car Championship season,” said Oliphant. “I loved every second racing with them this year, they are a fantastic team and have really helped me develop as a driver.
“With the experience and expertise of the WSR team behind me, I feel I made good progress as a BTCC driver across the campaign.
“Getting onto the overall podium a couple of times were the highlights of the year, and I can build on those performances in 2020.
“In Team BMW and the BMW 330i M Sport, I am racing with the best package on the grid. We’ve got an extensive pre-season testing programme scheduled for the new year and I’m confident I can hit the ground running and challenge for victories from race one onwards.”
Dick Bennetts, WSR Team Principal, was impressed with Oliphant’s pace in his first season in rear-wheel drive touring car machinery, with Oliphant having notched up three fastest race laps, only being beaten by one other driver, to demonstrate his pace.
“From the first time Tom drove the new BMW 330i M Sport in March, it was clear he was someone who would really benefit from being back in a rear-wheel-drive car,” said Bennetts. “His progress during the year was strong as he learnt the car and developed the relationship with his engineer.
“Nobody qualified inside the top ten more often than Tom, he set more fastest laps in the second half of the season than any other driver and led a race for the first time.
“Taking what he’s learned in 2019 and adding in a winter of development for the 3 Series, Tom will be an even stronger proposition in 2020.”