Lewis Kent has confirmed he will return to the TCR UK series in 2019, with the 19-year-old once again racing a Hyundai i30 N TCR for his family-run Essex & Kent Motorsport outfit.
Kent tasted touring car racing for the first time in 2018 when he took part in the inaugural TCR UK season, claiming two podium finishes at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park in a learning year. He eventually finished the year in fifth overall in the drivers’ championship standings.
The Essex racer will race the same Hyundai as in 2018 and has already been testing ahead of the new season, having gone to Portimao in Portugal in December as part of his pre-season preparations.
His i30 N TCR has been rebuilt during the winter months and the youngster will embark on a pre-season programme within the UK, starting at Silverstone this Sunday before moving on to Snetterton, which is the host of the first round of this year’s series.
“I’m really excited about this season as we now have the data and also a great insight as to what TCR UK is all about,” said Kent. “Hopefully with that data, plus support from Hyundai Motorsport, 2019 is looking really positive.
“We said from the start that 2018 would be a learning year, so to get the two podiums was amazing.
“We’re now seriously aiming for the championship in 2019 but the beauty of TCR is that we’re also looking at maybe entering another TCR series, depending on budget.
“I really think that TCR is the future – I hope TCR UK goes a long way and we’re really pleased to have been a part of it from the very start.
“We’ve made the decision to announce our 2019 entry relatively early to hopefully start a snowball effect and encourage more drivers and teams to sign up.”