Multiple rallycross race winner Tristan Ovenden will move from the Super1600 Rallycross Championship to the MSA Supernational class in the MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with ODYSSEY Battery this year, driving a rear-wheel drive Renault Clio V6.

Ovenden, who won the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship in 2014 and 2015, has bought the Clio originally built by Mick and Jamie Bird, and most recently raced by Steve Covens. Bird claimed the Supernational category title in 2008 and 2009 with the machine.

“Our decision to move class is all about the car really. I would have done whichever class suited the right car, but the numbers are good in Supernational and I really enjoyed racing with them in the Super1600 car last year,” said Ovenden. “I've had to opportunity to drive an LD Motorsports Citroen DS3 Supercar and that is such an amazing car, but the budget to run a Supercar isn't where we are able to be just now, so I spent the winter looking at other options. The Clio became available and it's such an awesome car, we just had to go for it.”

The Kent driver has only previously raced front-wheel drive cars in rallycross, and finished second in the Super1600 category last season. He hopes to get up to speed quickly in 2017. “It's very different from anything I've driven before, so I'm hoping to do some testing before Croft (British RX Round One, March 19). I've had a little go in it and I think it will be a challenge to get the most from, but that's why it's so cool and it'll be a lot of fun in the process. Hopefully I'll get comfortable with the car quickly and we can be fighting for podiums early on.”

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