Oliphant Joins Reigning Champions HMO Customer Racing For TCR Australia 2024
Tom Oliphant is targeting a title challenge in the 2024 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series after signing a deal with reigning champions HMO Customer Racing for his second season in the championship.
Oliphant, who made history as the first-ever international driver to compete full-time in TCR Australia last year, will race a Hyundai i30 N TCR for the team, who are the most successful squad in championship history with two drivers’ title and three teams’ crowns to their name.
After emigrating from the UK to Australia in early 2022, the former two-time British Touring Car Championship race-winner returned to top-level motorsport last season after a year on the sidelines and put in some fantastic performances in the ultra-competitive series.
Impressing as he got to grips with a full calendar of new circuits and two different cars over the season, Oliphant scored a memorable maiden race victory at Winton Motor Raceway and regular top ten finishes on his way to the rookie class title.
The 33-year-old racer has more silverware in his sights this year as he teams up with HMO Customer Racing, who have accumulated more than 20 race wins and 50 podium finishes across the four seasons of the championship so far, as team-mate to reigning champion Josh Buchan.
Tom Oliphant:
“I’m very excited to be back in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series for 2024 and joining the reigning champions in HMO Customer Racing. They are a team that knows how to win and the Hyundai i30 N has proven its pace over the last few years. I gained lots of experience and made big steps forward in my debut season and I feel HMO will provide a great environment for me to progress further. I’ve already tested the car and I feel right at home, so I’m confident we can push for some strong results from the opening round.”
Barry Morcom – HMO Customer Racing Team Owner:
"As the defending teams' champions in the TCR Australia Championship, it is critical that HMO Customer Racing has race-winning drivers in race-winning cars, and we believe we have all the right ingredients to defend our title in 2024. Tom had a stellar debut last year with some outstanding results and I am confident that with Josh Buchan and Tom in our cars this year we have one of the most exciting and talented driver line-ups on the grid."
Rob Benson – HMO Customer Racing Chief Engineer:
"HMO Customer Racing is excited to welcome Tom Oliphant to the team for the 2024 TCR Australia Championship alongside our defending champion, Josh Buchan. Tom brings a wealth of knowledge to us from his previous experience racing in some of the most competitive touring car championships in the world. His race victory at Winton during his rookie season in the TCR Australia Championship was a standout performance, and we are confident that HMO Customer Racing and Hyundai will provide him with more opportunities to visit the winner's podium this year."
The 2024 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series season gets underway at Sandown International Raceway later this month, kicking off a seven round campaign which ends on the legendary Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst in November.
Images from HMO Customer Racing and TCR Australia.
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