That is a massive break. According to Autosport, double Mini Challenge champion Tom Ovenden is stepping up to the British Touring Car Championship for 2027 with Excelr8 Motorsport.
The 22-year-old stays within the very same organisation where he secured his BTCC-supporting Mini crown in 2025 and 2026. This season, he served as the reserve and development driver for the team's Hyundai i30 N Fastbacks. Now, he takes over the second seat backed by Excelr8's BTCC title sponsor Vertu, which opened up when veteran Tom Chilton decided to hang up his helmet from professional racing. This places the newcomer right alongside two-time BTCC champion Tom Ingram in the colours of the automotive giant.
All the more special because of the fact that I'm joining the grid with the same team that I've been part of since I was 16 and took my first steps into circuit racing.
Unfortunately, that development appears to create a roadblock for Ricky Collard. Collard enjoyed an impressive 2026 season with Excelr8 but fought through budget struggles and had hoped to land a Vertu-subsidised drive.
Ovenden hails from Kent, close to Lydden Hill, and originally started out in motocross. He eventually followed in the footsteps of his father Tristan by switching to rallycross, grabbing the British Junior Rallycross title in 2020. Circuit racing came calling in 2021 when he joined Excelr8 for the Mini Challenge's entry-level Trophy series, a championship he won in 2023.
"This really is one of those dream-come-true moments," said Ovenden. "All the more special because of the fact that I'm joining the grid with the same team that I've been part of since I was 16 and took my first steps into circuit racing."
He already knows the machinery from his testing duties as a development driver and will kick off his pre-season test programme in the New Year. With Ginetta Junior graduate Noah Young also making the leap into the BTCC, Excelr8 now has three drivers confirmed for its four-strong Hyundai squad for 2027.
