Tristan Powell has confirmed that he will make the move from Karts to Car racing this season, joining Area Motorsport for his first year in the Civic Cup.
Tristan competed in national and international championships from 2022, finishing 5th in the Daniel Ricciardo series and 10th at the Easy Kart World Finals in his rookie year.
Competing in the Wera Tools British Kart Championship last year, Tristan finished in the top 10 all year, including a podium at PFI International.
Taking the step up to Car Racing, the Buckinghamshire-based driver will get his first taste of the championship, driving for front-running team Area Motorsport. Tristan, who will be supported by Britmet Lightweight Roofing and Flegg Projects, joins the already announced Alistair Camp, Wesley Swain, Sean McGovern, Francisco Howitt and Charlie Budd.
The Civic Cup has already seen young drivers make the immediate jump from karting in previous seasons as they work their way up the UK Motorsport ladder.
With the season getting underway at Brands Hatch on 4-5 April, Tristan is eager to get started but is also aware of the challenge ahead.
“I’m really happy to be joining the Civic Cup this year and taking my first steps into Car Racing. The championship has a huge reputation for fast, exciting and fair racing, and this is where I wanted to be after several years of competing in karting,” explained Tristan.
“Having seen the following that the Civic Cup has and that it is part of a great racing package, including TCR UK, this offers me a chance to learn more and expand my ability as a driver as I look to achieve my goal of becoming a Touring Car driver. This year is all about learning the car and the team, so getting to the finish will be important.”
Championship Manager Jack Finlan is pleased to see Tristan move into the Civic Cup in his first year of car racing.
“It’s great to see Tristan graduate to the Civic Cup after a successful career in karting and choose this series as his first step in car racing. His decision demonstrates a clear pathway for many young drivers to follow,” explained Jack.
“2026 is already raising the bar further as new drivers and teams are signing up to take on the toughest single-make tin-top championship in club racing. As a number of new drivers sign up for next year, this shows that the Civic Cup is the way forward for new talent in UK Motorsport.”
To find out more about the Civic Cup, visit https://civic-cup.co.uk/ for more info and how to get involved.
To find out more about the events on the 2026 Civic Cup Calendar, visit https://civic-cup.co.uk/2026-season-calendar/ for more info.