Photo: PSP Images

Tom Oliphant remains with West Surrey Racing for 2020

Tom Oliphant will look to challenge for a maiden win in the British Touring Car Championship after extending his stay with West Surrey Racing for a second season.

The former Ginetta racer switched to the BMW team for 2019 after making his series debut with Ciceley Motorsport a year earlier and secured second in the Jack Sears Trophy – earning his maiden series podium en-route.

The 29-year-old also secured three fastest laps and qualified inside the top ten more than any other driver over the course of the campaign.

Oliphant will once again race under the Team BMW banner alongside defending champion Colin Turkington, with his focus on now trying to fight for a first win in the series during the 2020 season.

“I couldn’t be happier to be continuing with Team BMW for the 2020 British Touring Car Championship season,” he said. “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 for 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.”

Team boss Dick Bennetts said he was confident that Oliphant would be a strong contender during his second season with the BMW.

“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,” he said. “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.”