Teenage racer Jenson Mason will join the field for this weekend’s opening TCR UK event of the year at Brands Hatch, getting behind the wheel of a Vannin Motorsport-run Audi RS3 LMS TCR.
Mason, 16, graduates from racing in the MINI Challenge UK, where last year he took part in four rounds and impressed, scoring a win at Thruxton and a further five podium finishes.
Prior to that, Mason took part in the 2022 Ginetta Junior Scholarship, joining the Wera Alliance Racing Academy after impressing, and made his car racing début in the 2023 BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship in the MK6 class.
He then moved up to the Mk7 class in 2024, winning multiple times and scoring seven podium finishes, before moving into MINIs last year.
His team-mate in TCR UK will be the already-announced Barry-John McHenry.
“I can’t wait to be driving the Vannin Motorsport Audi RS3 at Brands this weekend and being part of the TCR UK Touring Car Championship,” said Cambridgeshire-based Mason.
“The deal was only signed last Friday, so I haven’t even sat in the car yet. I’m properly excited but also feeling the nerves ahead of Friday’s test.
“The car looks insane, and Vannin are a fantastic team with a great track record, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.
“It has been my dream to step up to touring car level at some point in my career, but I didn’t think that opportunity would come around at just 17 years of age. I feel very lucky and I am so grateful to everyone who’s helped me get to this point.
“At the moment, I’m only confirmed for the first round, due to budget, but we’re working hard to find new partners and sponsors for the rest of the season.”