Oliphant joins BTCC with Ciceley Motorsport

Ciceley Motorsport has announced Tom Oliphant will join the team’s expanded driver line-up for the 2018 British Touring Car Championship. 

Oliphant, 27, who won the Ginetta GT4 Supercup in a record-breaking 2015 season, has contested the Porsche Carrera Cup GB with Redline Racing for the last two years, and is the current championship leader of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East series.

The British driver has also competed in selected rounds of the Porsche Supercup at Barcelona and Silverstone, supporting Formula 1 Grands Prix. He finished fourth in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2016 and 2017 with six podium appearances, and will partner multiple BTCC race-winner Adam Morgan at Cicleley as he steps up to the BTCC. 

 “These are exciting times for Ciceley, with Tom Joining Adam Morgan. We have two gifted young drivers peddling our Mercedes-Benz A-Class in the BTCC this year," Russell Morgan, Ciceley Motorsport team principal, said. “As soon as I heard that Tom was available we moved mountains in our quest to sign him. Tom is exactly the type of driver I want in my squad: professional in and out of the car and blisteringly fast.

“Tom will be eligible for both the Independent Drivers’ championship and the coveted Jack Sears Trophy. I expect him to do well in both. Although he 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 Mercedes and be on the pace straight away.”

Oliphant, who will make his BTCC debut in the series’ landmark 60th campaign, is confident he can be competitive from the off with Ciceley, which has recorded six wins and 21 podium finishes across the past four seasons with its Mercedes Benz A-Class. 

“I’m under no illusions as to the challenge facing me this season,” Oliphant said. “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. 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.”