WSR BMW retains Oliphant alongside Turkington

The 29-year-old stepped up to the WSR-run attack this year for his second campaign in the BTCC and scored points in 21 of the 30 rounds on his way to 11th in the overall drivers' contest. He scored two podiums during the year.

He also finished in second place in the Jack Sears Trophy, which was contested this season for drivers who had not previously finished on the rostrum in a BTCC race. It was a division he won 12 times.

The Leamington Spa-based driver, along with the sister Team BMW machine of Colin Turkington, helped BMW to win the BTCC manufacturers competition.

Oliphant said: "I loved every second racing with [Team BMW] this year, they are a fantastic team and have really helped me develop as a driver.

"With the experience and expertise of the WSR team behind me, I feel I made good progress as a BTCC driver across the campaign. Getting onto the overall podium a couple of times were the highlights of the year, and I can build on those performances for 2020.

"We've got an extensive pre-season testing programme scheduled for the new year and I'm confident I can hit the ground running and challenge for victories from race one onwards."

Oliphant was the 2015 Ginetta G55 Supercup winner joined the BTCC in 2018 at the wheel of a front-wheel-drive Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes-Benz A-Class and finished 22nd in the standings.

WSR team boss Dick Bennetts said: "From the first time Tom drove the new BMW 330i M Sport in March, it was clear he was someone who would really benefit from being back in a rear-wheel-drive car, and his progress during the year was strong as he learnt the car and developed the relationship with his engineer.

"Nobody qualified inside the top 10 more often than Tom, he set more fastest laps in the second half of the season than any other driver and led a race for the first time. Taking what he's learned in 2019 and adding in a winter of development for the 3 Series, Tom will be an even stronger proposition in 2020."

The 2020 British Touring Car Championship season kicks off at Donington Park on March 28-29.