Mike Epps has announced that he is to leave the British Touring Car Championship to compete in the Renault UK Clio Cup in 2018, joining Matrix Motorsport after two seasons in touring cars.
Epps, 25, joined the BTCC field in 2016 with Team HARD, initially at the wheel of a Toyota Avensis before moving to a Volkswagen CC for 2017.
The Hemel Hempstead racer was a consistent points finisher in his first two years in the BTCC and ended the 2017 season with his best-ever finish of fifth in the season finale.
Epps will move to new Clio Cup team Matrix alongside Aaron Thompson, Andy Wilmot and Jeff Alden.
“It makes complete sense for me to step over from the BTCC to Clio Cup this season,” explained Epps. “The championship is super competitive and keeps a driver sharp – it’s no coincidence that many of the top names in touring cars have come from the Clio Cup. It was the logical choice…
“Plus I’ve looked at the various opportunities the Matrix operation presents – its plans and its potential really stood out.
“Therefore, I’m excited to be involved and confident I can help the team achieve its targets. This includes its development in the Clio Cup and the prospect of a BTCC campaign in the future.”