BTCC race winner inks two-year Supercheap Auto TCR Australia deal

British Touring Car Championship race winner and former BMW factory driver Tom Oliphant will contest both the 2023 and 2024 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series seasons.

Oliphant, now a resident of Wollongong, has linked with Ashley Seward Motorsport (ASM) for the next two seasons after a four-year stint in BTCC.

“I’m absolutely over the moon to announce I’m down under and I’ll be racing in the TCR Australia Series,” said the Briton ahead of his first round in ASM’s Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

“It’s been a dream of mine to race in Australia and I’ll finally get to live it out in 2023.

“TCR Australia is obviously a very, very competitive category with drivers such as Will Brown making a career in the class and it will be great to be competing against them. I see it as a real challenge and I’m looking forward to every moment.

“I’m very proud to be joining Ashley Seward Motorsport. The team do an incredible job and I was impressed when I met with them in Melbourne recently.

“The Alfa Romeo is a proven race winner and I’m proud to also be representing Autoglym in Australia. It’s such a big brand with great heritage.

“I’m excited to race at Symmons Plains as my first round. It looks a really interesting track and I’ve watched a lot of video, so I can’t wait to get started.”

The 32-year-old boasts two BTCC race wins during his time with BMW squad West Surrey Racing, while ASM scored a victory last year at Sandown with Michael Caruso.

ASM Team Principal Ashley Seward remarked, “It’s great to welcome Tom to our team, alongside Autoglym in our Alfa Romeo TCR.

“Tom has proven to be a leading contender in touring cars overseas, as well as other racing categories, and to have him choose TCR Australia is a real feather in our cap.

“There’s no doubt that the competition will be very competitive this year. There are some very strong driver and car combinations, and we feel that we have the right ingredients to make a strong tilt for the title.

“I also would like to thank Michael Caruso for his efforts last year. He was terrific to have as part of our team and I hope we can work together again in the future.”

Oliphant will be the first international to compete full-time in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series.

Round 1 headlines AWC Race Tasmania at Symmons Plains on February 24-26, an event which will be streamed live and ad-free on Stan Sport.