Tom Ovenden the double Mini Challenge JCW Champion will be stepping up to join the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in 2027.
Ovenden will make the move with Team Vertu joining forces with former champion Tom Ingram in the second Hyundai i30 Fastback N running in the colours of Vertu, Britain’s fourth-largest automotive group.
Fellow debutant Noah Young and a fourth driver still to be confirmed will complete the four-strong line-up when the season gets underway at Donington Park in April.
Ovenden’s move into a race seat in Britain’s premier racing series marks the latest phase of a hugely impressive career that started on two wheels in motocross before he followed in the footsteps of father Tristan by taking up rallycross.
Having clinched the British Junior Rallycross Championship title in 2020, Ovenden moved into circuit racing in the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy the following year with EXCELR8, going on to lift the championship crown in 2023 before moving into the headline JCW class.
Becoming the first driver to win both the Trophy and JCW titles in 2025, Ovenden then defended his crown in dramatic fashion this year, winning the title by a single point at Brands Hatch.
Alongside his role in the MINI CHALLENGE, Ovenden has spent recent seasons as part of EXCELR8’s Young Driver Programme and was official reserve and development driver for Team VERTU during 2026.
Having already had the opportunity to sample the Hyundai in the past through that role, Ovenden will embark on a pre-season testing programme in the New Year in preparation for his touring car debut.
Speaking about the opportunity, Ovenden said: “I feel very lucky and very privileged to be making the move into the BTCC for 2027, and this really is one of those dream come true moments.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity for me, and is all the more special because of the fact that I’m joining the grid with the same team that I’ve been part of since I was 16 and took my first steps into circuit racing.
“When I joined EXCELR8 in the MINI Cooper, my goal was always to get to touring cars but I never imagined that things would go the way they have done. Winning three titles during my time in the MINI CHALLENGE has been amazing and it’s mental to think that I’m going to be a BTCC driver!
“I have to say a huge thank you to EXCELR8 and Vertu for putting their faith in me because there is no other team I’d want to do this with. I know and trust EXCELR8 and the people in the team, and in Tom Ingram, I have the perfect team-mate to learn from during my rookie season.
“I have no idea what to expect when it comes to results, but I know I’m going to have a good car underneath me and one of the best teams behind me. The Jack Sears Trophy will be an obvious aim, and if I could push for a podium finish then it would be amazing.”
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