Ovenden upgrades to Polo Supercar for 5 Nations BRX title-challenge
Multiple rallycross champion and Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy event-winner Tristan Ovenden will race an ex-Kristoffersson Motorsport Volkswagen Polo in a 2026 title-challenge.
Ovenden will drive the Volkswagen Polo Supercar most recently campaigned in 5 Nations BRX by Mike Sellar, the car having been raced previously by Czech Republic driver Ales Fucik in the Czech, FIA Central European Zone and FIA European Rallycross Championships.
Kent driver Ovenden has campaigned a Citroen DS3 in the headline Supercar division of 5 Nations BRX since 2020, claiming multiple podiums and a pair of victories, both at Mondello Park. He finished third in the standings in 2022, but over the next two seasons, cruelly lost out on the overall podium by tying on points for third, but losing out on count-back.
Prior to his Supercar graduation, Ovenden was a twice a title-winner in the single-make Swift Sport Rallycross Championship, and three-times champion in the Supernational category, racing a V6-engined Renault Clio.
Ovenden Motorsport is currently readying the Polo for the opening rounds of 5 Nations BRX at Lydden Hill this weekend, Ovenden aiming to shake the car down prior to his first competitive outing behind the wheel.
Tristan Ovenden:
“Basically we need to go faster than we have been if we want to challenge for top results in 5 Nations BRX. We have had a few years with the DS3; that got us into Supercar and given us a lot of knowledge, and actually we still have been developing that car for the 2026 season. But ultimately, the competition keeps moving on and we need a big step to give us a chance of winning. This Polo is a car we have seen for the past two seasons and although very different to the DS3 we think it actually fits very well with us, especially with the longitudinal engine arrangement meaning the balance of the car will be more similar to the DS3 than perhaps some others that are available at the moment. It’s a very exciting opportunity for me and the team.”
As the British Rallycross Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, the headline 5 Nations BRX category runs over nine rounds with events at Lydden Hill, Mondello Park (Ireland), Loheac (France) and Pembrey Circuit (Wales), the campaign concluding with the annual fireworks weekend back at Lydden Hill.
