Tarporley-born British Touring Car Championship racer Tom Oliphant is taking a sabbatical from motorsport as he embarks on a new chapter in Australia.
After four seasons in the UK’s biggest motorsport championship, Oliphant is to step back from active competition in 2022 to support his fiancée Gen in her career.
The former Ginetta GT4 SuperCup champion debuted in the BTCC in 2018, running with Ciceley Motorsport for one season before joining Team BMW for the past three campaigns.
During that time, he’s contested more than 100 races, recording two wins and eight further podium finishes.
Oliphant said: “In some ways, this was the hardest and easiest decision to make.
“I’ve worked hard for many years to build my career in motorsport and establish myself as a front-runner in the British Touring Car Championship, so to step back from that is naturally hard.
“None of that would have been possible without Gen, though, and her incredible support for the last decade.
“She’s made a lot of sacrifices to help me achieve my goals, and the time is right for me to repay that and support her successful career.
“Moving to Australia is a big and positive life change for our family.
“While I may be based on the other side of the world, I will still be working in the TOCA paddock and across UK motorsport with my PR and design company Next Level Motorsport.
“Our team will still be on the ground at all events, ensuring our clients will receive the same fantastic service they always have, and I’ll be making some trips across to the UK through the year to work directly with them all.
“I want to make clear that this is not my retirement or the end of my career.
“While I won’t be racing next year, I fully intend to get back behind the wheel again and will be looking at offers for 2023 and beyond, whether in the UK or potentially Australia.
“At this point, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the teams that I’ve raced for in recent years, including Century Motorsport, Redline Racing, Ciceley Motorsport and West Surrey Racing. The mechanics, engineers and everyone else in the teams have made it a really enjoyable experience.
“Thank you also to all the volunteers that have made it possible for me to race, to all my fans and supporters for their backing over the years, to the photographers and media personnel, and to my friends and family, especially my Dad, for all their incredible support through my career.”
(Images courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography and Hills Speed Images)
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