Tom Oliphant has confirmed that he will return to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2017. The Ginetta GT4 Supercup champion of 2015 claimed a staggering fifteen top six results from sixteen outings in 2016, and will be aiming for similar consistency as he returns for his second season in one of the most competitive single-make GT competitions anywhere in the world.
Oliphant will once again be supported by Redline Racing, the sixth addition to their line-up alongside double-champion Dan Cammish, Porsche Scholar Charlie Eastwood, another former Ginetta race-winner in the form of Jamie Orton, and the McKay siblings Euan and Dan.
The twenty-six-year-old has competed in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East during the European racing off-season, where he has claimed a podium at each of the four events hosted so far. His final outing comes in Bahrain this weekend, having been ruled out of the FIA Formula One supporting season finale due to a calendar clash.
Enthused about his return to Carrera Cup GB, Oliphant commented, “2016 was a great first season for us. I learnt a lot and I’m feeling confident I can take that forward to compete for the championship in 2017. There will be a lot of tough competition, I know most of the front running drivers from last year are returning, but I’m confident that with Redline I have the right package to fight for the win.”
He concluded, “I’m very thankful to be supported once again by Horizon Specialities and Mulgari Automotive for 2017. Creating long term successful partnerships has been a big focus of mine over the last few years, so it’s great to welcome both companies back.”
Oliphant confirmed that further announcements regarding additional partners will be confirmed soon.
Author’s Comment: “Add another name to that list then. Redline Racing’s line-up for the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup GB is possibly one of the strongest in the championship’s history. Tom Oliphant adds another facet to it. One of the most spirited overtakers in 2016, Oliphant’s style of driving his Type 991 911 GT3 Cup made him stand out on track, and often his bravery yielded deserved results. With more experience of the quirky GT3 Cup gained over the winter, this season his undoubted consistency could well combine with increased pace to create the perfect combination for a potential championship challenge.”
