Double MINI CHALLENGE JCW champion Tom Ovenden will move up into the British Touring Car Championship next season after signing to make his series debut with Team VERTU.
Ovenden, who successfully defended his JCW title this year, will partner former champion Tom Ingram in the second Hyundai i30 Fastback N. Fellow newcomer Noah Young and a fourth driver yet to be confirmed will complete the line-up when the season begins at Donington Park in April.
This is the latest step for a competitor who started in motocross before following father Tristan into rallycross. He won the British Junior Rallycross Championship in 2020 before switching to circuit racing in the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy with Team VERTU.
Ovenden won the Trophy title in 2023 before progressing to the headline JCW class, where he became the first driver to win both the Trophy and JCW titles in 2025. He defended his JCW crown this year in dramatic fashion, winning the title by a single point at Brands Hatch.
As part of Team VERTU’s young driver programme, Ovenden has already sampled the team’s Hyundai and will undertake a pre-season test programme in the new year.
"It's an unbelievable opportunity for me, and it's all the more special because I'm joining the grid with the same team I've been part of since I was 16 and took my first steps into circuit racing," Ovenden said.
"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. The Jack Sears Trophy will be an obvious aim, and if I could push for a podium finish it would be amazing."
Team owner Justina Williams said Ovenden had developed hugely as a driver since joining the team at 16.
"To win multiple titles in such a competitive one-make series is no mean feat, and he has worked really hard both on and off the circuit to earn this opportunity," Williams said. "We are all excited to see what he can achieve as a BTCC driver."
Earlybird tickets are available for all of the 2027 BTCC meetings at MSV venues now, with a guaranteed lowest price this side of Christmas. Click here to book now.