By Mick Palmer

Hyundai racers Brad Kent and Alex Ley will race in TCR UK as part of the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Junior Driver programme for the 2023 season.

Both drivers have a winning pedigree in the series with the pair having taken three wins in their 2021 and 2022 debut seasons respectively, and the selection is considered to be a recognition of their on-track achievements and off-track professionalism.

The Junior Driver initiative aims to grow the careers of selected drivers, and help nurture the next steps in their future racing.

Kent will remain with his family run Kent and Essex Motorsport team for a third year, making a move to the Hyundai Veloster raced by brother Lewis in 2022. After taking those three victories at the wheel of an i30N in 2021 Brad suffered heavily with unreliability in 2022 and moves to a machine that triumphed twice last term.

Ley joined the TCR UK series after the first round of the 2022 season and still topped the wins column in a i30N run by Daniel James Motorsport. For the final round of the year the squad joined forces with Area Motorsport as a precursor to the 2023 campaign where the teenager will aim to add to the success of his debut season.

The news comes a day before the official launch of the 2023 TCR UK season at Donington Park where both drivers aim to kick off what is expected to be a championship challenge from both racers.