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Oliphant set for Australian racing debut

British Touring Car Championship race winner Tom Oliphant is set to make his racing debut in Australia later this month.

Tom Oliphant, Team BMW BMW 330i M Sport

Oliphant walked away from the BTCC at the end of the 2021 season to relocate to New South Wales with his Australian fiancee.

That meant he spent the 2022 season on the sidelines, although was known to be exploring options for a return to the cockpit.

That return is now set to take place with Oliphant expected to be a regular in TCR Australia this season.

Motorsport.com understands he'll be on the grid for the season opener at Symmons Plains on February 24-26 driving an Ash Seward Motorsport-run Alfa Romeo.

Coincidentally, Oliphant's fiancee is Genevieve Gordon, daughter of Bruce Gordon who is a significant shareholder in Nine Network and Nine Entertainment Co, which share the TCR Australia broadcast rights.

A four-year stint in the BTCC yielded two race wins for Oliphant, the first coming in 2019, his sophomore year, when he won the reverse-grid race at Brands Hatch for West Surrey Racing.

He won again on the Indy layout at Brands Hatch in 2021 before parting ways with WSR to make his move down under.

The 32-year-old said at the time of his move that he had no plans to permanently walk away from racing.

“Racing is in my blood and it will be part of my future forever – it will be very difficult to get away from it, and I’ve got to take a little bit of time to see what options come my way," he told Autosport in late 2021.

“My dream has always been to race a V8 around Bathurst, so if I get that opportunity I’ll happily welcome it.

“I’m packing my helmet and racesuit, let’s put it that way."

Should Oliphant complete the full TCR Australia season as expected he will get to experience Mount Panorama with the Bathurst International the eighth and final round.

It will also be the second round of the two-event Australian swing for the TCR World Tour.

The other World Tour event down under will either be at Sydney Motorsport Park or Sandown.

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