News Archive

Championship Returns To Donington After Summer Break

The Ginetta GT5 Challenge returns to action after a two month break at Donington Park to complete the season, with Matt aiming to finish on a high.

Matt endured a torrid weekend at Spa, with diff issues and an engine failure causing two retirements, meaning Matt came out of the weekend with only 5 points to his name, dropping him down the standings. “It was a really difficult weekend” said Matt. “I had the pace to go well but it just didn’t work out, it’s frustrating but I’ll just have to make amends at the next one.”

After picking up 7 top six finishes in the opening 11 rounds Matt was sitting in a very comfortable 5th place in the championship. However, the results at Croft and Spa have seen him drop down to 7th with just 3 races to go.

“We’re on a bad run but I like Donington and I’m aiming to finish on a high. It would be great to finish the season on the podium and reclaim a top 5 finish in the championship.”

Matt has 3 races over the weekend of 10th-11th September.

More Solid Points At Croft

Matt didn't have the best weekend at Croft, but still scored two top ten finishes to keep fifth place in the championship.

Having not raced at the track since 2008, this was always going to be a tough weekend for Matt. After limited running in free practice, he was only able to manage 10th place in qualifying, giving him a lot of work to do in the races.

The first race saw Matt finish 8th, climbing two places from his starting position. "Given the circumstances, I'm pleased with that", said Matt. "I've found a lot of pace and we were in a fight for 4th right until the end."

Starting 8th for race 2, Matt expected further progress. However, it wasn't to be and a tough race saw him come home in 9th. "I didn't really have the pace in that one which was disappointing. It's been a tough weekend but at least I've come away with some points."

Matt stays in 5th in the championship and will be aiming for better when the championship visits Spa in 3 weeks time.

Best Result So Far At Silverstone

Matt arrived at Silverstone determine to improve on his performance from Oulton Park.

The weekend started strongly, qualifying 4th, his best position of the season. A solid start saw him hold 4th position at the start of the race before an accident brought out the safety car on lap 2. After the safety car pulled in, Matt managed to move past both Matt Chapman and Ryan Hadfield on the inside of Vale to claim second place, where he stayed for the rest of the race. "I'm delighted with that result" said Matt. "That's my best result in the car and I had really strong pace. We've made a step forward and hopefully I can keep this up".

Matt lined up on the front row for race 2 on a very wet track. He made a great start but spun challenging for the lead at Copse, dropping him to 40th place. Matt was able to re-join and set about a recovery drive, climbing to 10th place by the flag.

The top 10 finishers were reversed for race 3 so Matt lined up on pole but a poor first lap saw him drop down to 4th on a drying track on wet tyres. Matt dropped as low as 5th until the rain came again and he was able to move forward. Matt crossed the line in 3rd but a red flag after the race had finished saw him demoted to 4th on count back. "That's a disappointing end to the weekend but it's still a strong weekend and a great haul of points, I can't wait to get going again".

Matt moves up to 5th in the championship and returns to action next weekend when the series heads to Croft to support the BTCC on the 19th June.

Solid Haul Of Points From Oulton Park

Matt came away with 6th, 8th and 9th place finishes at Oulton Park over the Bank Holiday weekend, after his most challenging weekend of the season so far.

Matt qualified poorly, only managing 10th on the grid for race one. "I'm really disappointed with that", he said after qualifying. "I didn't get enough clear running during the practice sessions so I didn't feel up to speed come qualifying. I know I'm capable of a lot more so I intend to move forward from here in the races."

Matt did move forward in race 1, coming home in 8th place in a tightly contested race, just over 5 seconds off a podium finish at the flag. There was further improvement in race 2, making up a couple of places up to come home in 6th place.

The top 9 were reversed for race 3, which saw Matt line up in 4th place on the grid. A good start saw him move up to 2nd place but he was unable to take the lead and after being caught by the chasing pack he dropped to 6th in the space of 2 corners. A late spin saw Matt fall further down the order to 9th, which is where he finished. "That was a disappointing end to the weekend, but the pace has been good and improved as the weekend went on. I've come away with some decent points and hopefully we can get better results next time out.

Matt now lies 6th in the championship, the next round is at Silverstone on 12th June.

Great Start To The Season Continues At Thruxton

Matt's strong start to the season continued with two top 6 finishes in front of a bumper crowd at Thruxton, where the Ginetta GT5 Challenge supported the BTCC for the first time.

A tight qualifying session saw Matt qualify 8th, just half a second off third place. " I was slightly disappointed with that - there was only a small window to set a good time with the temperature rising and I didn't manage to get a great lap in. But it was solid and gave me something to work with."

After a good start off the line in race 1 saw him move up to 7th, Matt struggled on the first couple of laps, dropping back to 8th. However as the race developed the pace improved and he was able to move up the order, finishing 6th and catching the battle for 4th at the flag.

Matt lined up 6th on the grid for race 2, which was shown live on ITV4. Again he didn't have the best start, dropping back to 8th in the opening laps. Matt was involved in a battle for 7th for most of the race, trading positions throughout, until contact in front of him at the last bend saw him promoted to 6th, his fourth top 6 finish in a row.

After the weekend, Matt commented "Two more solid positions lifting me to 4th in the championship which I'm really pleased with. I've given myself a good platform for the season, I just need to find a bit of pace to pick up podiums on a regular basis, which I know I can do."

Matt rises to 4th in the championship, the next round is at Oulton Park on 28th May.

Strong Return For Matt At Brands Hatch

Matt Flowers returned to racing at Brands Hatch, with a successful weekend that included his first podium finish in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge.

The track was slightly damp for qualifying and the difficult conditions saw several cars off the track.

Matt managed to find some clear track and get a respectable 7th place start out of 36 for the first race of the weekend. Afterwards Matt said "I'm pleased to have survived that session and to come away with a solid position. I should be able to get some good results from there."

A rain shower shortly before the first race saw many drivers, including Matt, change to wet tyres. Matt had a strong opening lap and moved up to 5th place before the first safety car of the season came out for an accident at the start. While the safety car was out the sun came out and the track dried, giving those who opted for dry tyres a chance to progress. Matt managed to keep it on the track for the rest of the race, but had to settle for 8th place.

Lining up in 8th place for race 2, Matt again had a great opening lap, avoiding the carnage at the front of the field to take 3rd place at the end of lap 1. Despite heavy pressure for the whole race, Matt was able to hold on to take his first podium position. "I'm delighted to get my first podium place. It was a really tough race but we've shown good speed and hopefully this can be the first of many."

The top 9 finishers were reversed for race 3, seeing Matt line up in P7 for the final race of the day. Matt gained of couple of places on the opening laps and ran in 5th place for the majority of the race, however he dropped down to 6th on the penultimate lap and stayed there until the flag.

Matt ended the weekend in 5th place in the championship, the next round is at Thruxton on 7th/8th May.

Matt Flowers To Return To The Ginetta GT5 Challenge With Academy Motorsport

Matt Flowers will be returning to the Ginetta GT5 Challenge in 2016 after taking a year out in 2015. He will be running with Academy Motorsport, who are also returning to the championship this year.

"I'm excited to be back in the championship and to be back on the track again. I missed being involved last year and while it will be a tough couple of opening rounds, I hope to get some solid results and improve as the year goes on."

The championship kicks off at Brands Hatch on 16th April and will again support the British GT series. In addition to this, two rounds of the GT5 Challenge will join the BTCC support bill, as the SuperCup sits out Thruxton (07/08 May) and Croft (18/19 June). As a result, the GT5 Challenge will drop the Rockingham (30 Apr/01 May) and Snetterton (06/07 Aug) British GT support slots.

The GT5 Challenge will also introduce a PRO and AM format for 2016. This will be in addition to the GRDC+ subclass who race at Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Spa Francorchamps and Donington Park.

The championship will also see an updated qualifying format. The race one grid will be based on the qualifying result, race two on the results of race one and where three races are scheduled, the final starting order is to be determined by a reverse grid draw.

Each British GT meeting will be shown live on Motors TV, while the two BTCC meetings will be shown live on ITV4.

Full Calendar:

16-17 April Brands Hatch

7-8 May Thruxton

28 May Oulton Park

11-12 June Silverstone

18-19 June Croft

8-9 July Spa-Francorchamps

10-11 September Donington Park

Challenging 2014 Season Comes To A Close

November 2014 - Matt Flowers

Matt finished the 2014 Ginetta GT5 Challenge at Donington Park this weekend, bringing home a best result of 8th in what proved to be a difficult end to a challenging season.

After qualifying 9th and 10th for the two races, Matt was hoping to finish the season on a high with a set of top 6 finishes and a challenge for the podium.

He did not get off to the best of starts when an incident through the Craner Curves on the opening lap resulted in him dropping down to 29th place. The car was undamaged and it gave Matt a chance to show his pace, working his way past 15 cars on his way to 14th place.

The second race was slightly less eventful and Matt was running comfortably in the top 10 before a spin in the closing stages at Macleans resulted in a drop down the order, coming home in 12th.

The final race of the season brought Matt's best result of the weekend, coming home in 8th, just over 10 seconds off the podium.

It brought to an end a tough season, which saw mechanical problems at Rockingham and Silverstone, along with racing incidents at Snetterton and Brands Hatch and an error at Spa. "It's been a frustrating season, but I have to take the positives. With no testing all season I have regularly shown top 6 pace and I'm just one step away from being a regular challenger for the podium and wins. I hope to be back next season to show what I can do".

Strong Pace But Little Reward At Spa

July 2014 - Matt Flowers

Matt showed good pace at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in July, although he wasn't able to convert the speed into the results he was aiming for.

Qualifying saw Matt get his highest grid position in a G40 so far, qualifying 5th for both races. "I'm pleased with that and I'm confident that I can get some good finished this weekend. I love the track and I feel like I've made a step forward."

Race 1 was a hard fought race and saw Matt come home in 9th, only a few seconds off of the top 5. Aiming for better in race 2, Matt made a strong start, only to lose control on the opening lap, hitting the wall and dropping down to last place.

That meant starting from the back of the grid for race 3 where Matt again showed his strong pace, overtaking 15 cars on his way to finishing 8th, his best result of the weekend.

I'm really pleased with the pace this weekend, but disappointed not to turn it into the results I felt I deserved. I think I've improved a lot over the summer and I am looking forward to the next round at Brands Hatch on 31 August.

A Return To The Top Six At Snetterton

June 2014 - Matt Flowers

After a disastrous weekend at Silverstone which saw multiple mechanical problems, Matt returned to Snetterton with good pace and was able to secure another top six finish.

After a strong day of testing on the Friday, Matt was confident going into qualifying that he had the pace to get into the top 6. The result was that he ended up qualifying 8th and 6th, just 2 tenths off the top 5. "I was hoping for higher, but at least I'm in a good position and can move forward and hopefully pick up some strong results."

Race 1 was a close, incident packed race and Matt was able to work his way through the pack, running as high as fourth at one stage. He dropped to sixth in the closing stages but Matt was pleased to finally bring the car home in a strong position. "It's been a tough run and I'm pleased to bring the car home, I had the potential to come higher but I'm pleased to finish in the top 6."

Race 2 saw Matt again running in the top 6 during the opening stages, only for contact to dislodge the bonnet, forcing Matt to pit. It was a disappointing end to the weekend which had promised so much, however there were positives to take. "My pace was strong and it was good to get a solid result. Hopefully we can take this to Spa in three weeks and challenge for the podium."

Progress At Rockingham

June 2014 - Matt Flowers

Matt secured his best result of the season so far at Rockingham, coming home in a strong 5th place in round 5, just 7 seconds behind the winner.

After good running in testing on the Saturday, Matt went into qualifying feeling confident that he could improve on his showing at Oulton Park. "I like the track and the car is feeling really good. I'm hoping that I can break into the top 6 this weekend."

Matt went on to qualifying 8th for the first race of the day, which was converted to 7th place in the race. "I'm pleased with that", said Matt. "The pace was strong and there was potential to finish even higher. Hopefully I can do that in the next race."

Matt did improve in race 2, bringing the car home in 5th. Lining up in 4th for the final race of the day presented a great opportunity to take the first podium of the season but unfortunately it wasn't to be as an electrical problem saw the car stop on the way to the grid. Matt was able to get going again and ran in the top 6 for the first two laps before the problems struck again, forcing him to retire.

That DNF dropped Matt to 9th in the championship. He'll have the opportunity to move back up the table at Silverstone on 1st June.

Solid Start To 2014 Season

May 2014 - Matt Flowers

Matt had a solid start to the season at Oulton Park on Easter weekend, recording 3 top 10 finishes. While aiming for better as the season progresses, the pace was reasonable given the lack of running over the winter. Matt was unable to do any pre-season testing and as running in practice on Friday was very limited, qualifying was a challenge, with Matt only able to set the 13th fastest time.

"Qualifying was a massive disappointment, it's vital to get a good grid position and both myself and the car are clearly capable of more. It was the first time this year on new tyres and I just didn't hook up a lap."

Some set up changes for race 1 saw Matt improve and he was able to bring the car home in 9th. He followed this up with 10th in race 2 and by race 3 the pace was much improved, seeing him pick up his best result of the weekend in 8th.

"Overall the results weren't great as I should be fighting the top 6. However, my times kept improving as the day went on and I was much closer to the pace by the end of the weekend. It was a real challenge to come her without any testing as all of my rivals have been out a lot. Hopefully I can build on this at the next round."

The Ginetta GT5 Challenge returns in 2 weeks at Rockingham on the 4 May.

Mixed Fortunes In Final Round At Donington Park

October 2014 - Matt Flowers

3/1/2020 Matt Flowers

Matt completed the season at Donington Park in a round that saw mixed fortunes to end his first season in a G40 car.

Matt had to settle for 11th on the grid after a frustrating qualifying session, losing nearly a second at the final corner to wreck his chances of a top 8 start. A strong performance in the first race and some competitive lap times saw him progress up the grid and despite losing a place on the final lap he was able to take 7th place.

After the second race was cancelled due to an accident on the first lap, there was a long wait for the final race of the season that would again see Matt start from 11th. After avoiding a spinning car on the first lap and the oil left as a result, Matt worked his way up to 4th and began closing in on a podium place. However a red flag saw him drop back to 8th for the restart and despite working his way up to the battle for fourth place, he soon had to retire due to a throttle failure.

It was not an ideal end to the season and saw Matt finish 9th in the championship after looking set for 7th at the half way point of the final race. "It was a frustrating end but I'm really pleased with the pace I showed throughout the weekend. I made a good step forward and I just didn't get the results to show for it. It's something to carry into next season and I'm confident that I can have a strong season next year if I can put together the budget to return."

"I'd like to thank Academy Motorsport for all their work. They've prepared a great car and I've really enjoyed working with them this season."

Solid Weekend At Brands Hatch

August 2013- Matt Flowers

Matt had another solid weekend at Brands Hatch, picking up another top 10 finish in the final race of the weekend.

The weekend got off to a difficult start in qualifying when the brakes failed half way through the session. Even though he was running in the top 10 at the time of the failure he dropped down the order as he had to watch the rest of the session from the pits, eventually finishing 15th.

The first race saw an action packed first lap that Matt managed to survive and make up a couple of places. He continued to move forward during the race, just missing out on a top 10 place, ending up 11th.

Race 2 saw Matt spin while trying to make a move on Gary Duckman, dropping him down to near the back of the pack. Four laps of overtaking followed, bringing the car home in 13th.

The final race of the weekend was the strongest for Matt and after a good start from 13th he was able to bring the car home in 9th place.

"Overall I feel a bit disappointed with the weekend", said Matt. "We had come on a long way at Spa and were fighting for the top 6 again and my pace in qualifying felt good here until the failure. Unfortunately we didn't have much luck and by the end of the weekend I wasn't where I wanted to be. This year is a really steep learning curve and I hope I can finish strongly at the final round at Donington."

The next and final round at Donington Park is on the 6th October.

Brands Hatch Up Next For Matt

August 2013 - Matt Flowers

The weekend of the 10th to 11th of August sees Matt's home event at Brands Hatch for the penultimate race weekend of the Ginetta GT5 Challenge and after a strong showing at Spa last time out, Matt is hoping for more progress.

After returning to the top 6 at the Belgium track Matt is hoping to move further up to the grid and consistently finish in the top 6 and challenge for the podium places. "Spa was really good and a big step forward but I don't want to stop there. I need to be consistently in the top 6 now and pushing for the podium".

Matt currently sit's equal 8th in the championship and there is a close battle between 4 drivers for 7th place. "My main focus is to improve the results in the races and getting a podium is the main aim, however I do want to finish as high in the championship as possible."

Qualifying is on Saturday 10th at 9.00 with a race at 12.25. The races on Sunday are at 10.20 and 16.10.

5th In European Ginetta GT5 Challenge

July 2013 - Matt Flowers

Matt competed in the European Ginetta GT5 Challenge at Spa-Francorchamps in July, finishing 5th overall. It was a stronger weekend for Matt, with results of 6th, 8th and 7th moving him up to 8th in the championship table.

Matt started the weekend well, qualifying 8th with a time 1.4 seconds off of pole position, a much stronger performance than the previous two rounds. An incident at Eau Rouge on the first lap of the race saw Matt drop well down the order, however he recovered to make his way up to what would have been a season best 4th place, however after running wide he had to settle for 6th.

Race 2 was quiet and Matt was only able to get 8th place, however changes for race 3 saw a much stronger performance. Matt came through from 9th to finish 7th and crossed the line at the end of the race right behind 5th and 6th.

"I'm really pleased with my pace this weekend, I've moved a long way forward after a disappointing couple of weekends. I hope this leads to a strong end to the season for me"

Matt now heads to Brands Hatch on the 10th and 11th August for the penultimate weekend of the season.

Ginetta Championship Heads To Spa

July 2013 - Matt Flowers

Matt heads to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium this weekend for the European Ginetta GT5 Challenge and Rounds 13-15 of the UK Championship.

"It's an honour to race at such an amazing circuit, arguably the best in the world, against other Ginetta drivers from across Europe. It is a big challenge and a great opportunity for me."

Matt is hoping for a big improvement on his last performance at Snetterton, where he could only manage a best finish of 11th in race 3. "Snetterton was really poor for me, that was the worst weekend I have had in a while. I didn't feel right in the car and needed some testing, which I have not been able to do since the start of the season."

"I have now been able to get some time in the car since then and I feel much happier, so I am expecting a major improvement in my performance. I was fighting with the top 6 a couple of meetings ago and so I expect to be back there now. It's a competitive field and everyone is improving each time out, but I really believe that I can get back to the sharp end at Spa."

Qualifying and the first two races take place on Friday 12th July, with the final race on Saturday 13th July.

Tough Weekend At Silverstone

June 2013 - Matt Flowers

Matt secured another strong set of finishes at Silverstone on Bank Holiday weekend to move further up the GT5 Challenge table.

Matt arrived at Silverstone with high hopes of a strong weekend, building on his 5th place at Rockingham, with eyes on a podium finish. After a wet test day before the meeting Matt was unable to deliver his full potential in a dry qualifying session, only managing 10th and 9th for the first two races. "I'm disappointed with that but it was always going to be difficult to put together a good time for my first attempt in the dry. Hopefully I can move forward in the races."

Race 1 went well and saw progress up the field, finishing 7th, just a couple of seconds from a top 5 finish. "I'm relatively pleased, I haven't had the pace I was hoping for today but at least it was another strong finish."

Sunday saw the final two races of the weekend and it was a difficult day for Matt, managing only 9th and 10th place finishes. "I'm really disappointed with my pace today, I should be finishing a lot higher than I am but I struggled today. I need to spend more time in the car as I am still adapting from the G20, but the budget is tight. I've just got to move on from this weekend and put in a better performance next time out. I still believe that I can challenge for podiums and wins before too long."

Matt's next race is at Snetterton on the 16th June 2013.

Matt's Ready For Silverstone

May 2013 - Matt Flowers

Matt heads to Silverstone on 26th May for rounds 7, 8 and 9 of the Ginetta GT5 Challenge.

Speaking about his chances ahead of the weekend he sounds in confident mood. "For the first time this season I am going into the weekend full of confidence. I come in on the back of a strong set of results and a real improvement in pace at Rockingham. I've put my crash at Oulton Park behind me and now I am only looking ahead. I know that Silverstone will be tough and competitive but I believe that I can challenge for the podium."

Matt was strong at Silverstone last year, qualifying on pole for all the races and taking 1 win and 2 second places. "I enjoy Silverstone and have generally run well there, it's an honour to race at such a great track. I've been on the podium four races in a row there now and I want to continue that run!"

Saturday 25 May: Qualifying 10.15. Race 1 14.35

Sunday 26 May: Race 2 10.35, Race 3 17.4

Positive Return To Action At Rockingham

May 2013 - Matt Flowers

Matt returned to action at the Rockingham Motor Speedway on the 6th May with a rebuilt car after a difficult weekend at Oulton Park.

Testing on Saturday was weather affected with some track time lost due to some heavy showers. However the car felt good and there was encouraging signs for the weekend ahead.

Qualifying went well with Matt setting times good enough for 8th and 7th on the grid, comfortably beating his target of a top 10 start on his return to action. Race 1 saw Matt recover from a bad start to work his way up to 7th place, only for him to drop back to 9th in the closing stages of the race. Matt said "I'm disappointed with the result but there are real positive signs as my pace is improving and it was good to keep out of trouble, hopefully we can build on this in the closing two races".

Race 2 proved to be a big improvement as Matt pulled off a string of overtaking moves to match his best result of the season of 5th. "I'm delighted, I'm improving in every race and that is a good haul of points and it gives us a good starting position for the third race". That result saw Matt start 5th for race 3, a position he wasn't able to keep but he still came home in a respectful 7th place, completing a strong weekend. "That was a tough race, I'm disappointed to drop back but I was within a second of the fastest lap of the race and much closer to the podium". The aim was to get three finishes this weekend and we've done that. I can go into Silverstone feeling very positive.

Matt moves up to 10th in the championship table and the next round is at Silverstone on the 26th May 2013.

Easter Weekend Finally Saw Matt's Debut In The G40 At Oulton Park In Cheshire In The Ginetta GT5 Challenge

April 2013 - Matt Flowers

This was arguably the toughest weekend of the year with qualifying and all three races on one day at one of the Country's most challenging tracks.

Testing on Friday was positive with Matt posting some quick times, continually improving as the day went on. Matt said "It was a successful day with a lot of track time. It was hard work but I'm pleased with the progress and am much more confident now than I was coming into the weekend. I'm hopeful of being in the top 6 right from the start."

Qualifying was at 10.15 on Saturday morning and after running comfortably in the top 8 in the first half of the session a clutch failure forced Matt to watch the remainder from the pit wall. A frustrated Matt eventually dropped down to 13th, "It's disappointing but the weekend is not over yet and I can still score some solid points from here, even if top 6 finishes and podiums will now be difficult".

An incident at the first corner in race 1 allowed Matt to move up the order and after overtaking a few more cars he found himself in 5th, a position that he held until the end of the race. "I'm delighted, that's a fantastic result from 13th on the grid. I'm really pleased with my pace for my first ever race in the car, all the drivers ahead of me have raced these cars before. Academy Motorsport have prepared a great car and I'm hopeful we can improve this afternoon and in future weekends."

Matt was at the heart of a massive crash at the start of race 2. After a spin from Jason Kenny created chaos in the middle of the pack Matt was spun round and collected by two cars. The damage put him out of both the race and the rest of the weekend. All drivers walked away from the crash but it was a disappointing end to the weekend for Matt. "It's a massive blow, the car is badly damaged, you can't predict or budget for this, particularly when it is completely out of your hands. I hope to be back on the grid at the next round, we have a lot of work to do in the Championship now."

Matt Flowers And Academy Motorsport Set For Ginetta GT5 Challenge

January 2013 - Matt Flowers

Current Ginetta G20 Challenge Champion, Matt Flowers, will graduate into the headline Ginetta GT5 Challenge class for 2013, after signing up for a season in a G40 with Academy Motorsport.

Flowers, who secured the G20 title by chalking up a 125 point advantage over his nearest rival with 10 overall wins and a spot on the podium in every race he entered bar one, is the second driver announcement to come from the 2012 Ginetta GT5 Challenge Teams Champions, and will join Will Burns at the squad for the forthcoming season.

Matt said; "I'm delighted to join Academy Motorsport and to make the move up to the G40 class. Last season was fantastic for both myself and Academy and I am confident that together we can build on that and have a great year."

Having ran eventual drivers champion, Sean Huyton, to success last season, Matt Nicoll-Jones, Academy Team Manager said; "We are very happy to have Matt on board this year, having won the G20 championship and graduating into the G40 is a natural progression.

“Matt’s progression into the G40 class is proof that the Ginetta motorsport ladder provides drivers with the opportunities they require. Matt is a great driver and we are confident we will see some great things from him this year"

Lawrence Tomlinson, Chairman of Ginetta said; “Matt had an incredible run last season, and it’s great to see him returning to the championship, and in doing so, progressing into the next class of Ginetta racing. He’s a great addition to the Ginetta paddock and we are looking forward to seeing how he gets on in the G40.”

Matt is the second driver to be announced for Academy Motorsport’s three-car Ginetta GT5 Challenge squad for 2013 and will join his teammate Will Burns on the Ginetta GT5 Challenge grid, plus confirmed drivers including, current Production Touring Car Champion Gary Duckman and Double Olympic Gold Medallist Jason Kenny.

Ginetta GT5 Challenge To Visit Spa Francorchamps

January 2013 - Matt Flowers

Ginetta have today announced plans to hold their annual Ginetta GT5 Challenge ‘feature’ race at the famous Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, in support of one of the longest continuous motor race in the world; the 25 Hours at Spa on 12/13 July.

Taking a one-off break from supporting the British GT / F3 championship, Ginetta chose to revisit the circuit which proved so popular in 2009, as the inaugural Ginetta G20 Eurocup paid a visit there with the British and Swedish G20 racers.

Ginetta GT5 Challenge drivers were keen to travel further afield in 2013, and with the might of the championship behind them, the opportunity to travel to Spa, at the same cost of a UK race, provided the perfect solution.

Ginetta GT5 Challenge Season Review

January 2013 - Matt Flowers

It seems only a few weeks ago that we were heading to Oulton Park for the opening rounds of the Ginetta GT5 Challenge Championship 2012, but as we prepare to begin a new season this Easter, we still have time to look back on last year.

Relive the highs and lows of the 2012 Total Quartz Ginetta GT5 Challenge, as Ginetta offer you a behind-the-scenes look at the season last year, featuring appearances from Ginetta GT5 Challenge Champion Sean Huyton and his G20 counterpart, Matt Flowers.

Keep your eyes peeled for paddock antics from Rick Parfitt Jnr and his Piranha Motorsport teammate Ryan Ratcliffe, as well as podium appearances from Gary Simms, Stewart Linn and Matt Nicol-Jones.

With just a few weeks until the fun begins again, this coverage courtesy of HayFisher Productions, Motors TV and Ginetta should hopefully keep you going until the 2013 action gets underway.

Matt Flowers G20 Champion

October 2012 - Matt Flowers

Matt Flowers clinched the Ginetta G20 title at Donington Park, winning the championship by 125 points.

The weekend started well for Flowers who took pole position from 2011 champion Stuart Pearson by 0.3s. Flowers was unable to convert this into a win, despite a last lap lunge around the outside of Pearson at the Craner Curves, and had to settle for second place. The second race brought Flowers' ninth win of the season thanks to a clash between Pearson and Mark Wania bringing a conclusion to an exciting three way battle for the lead.

The season started well for Flowers at Oulton Park taking all three wins and building a lead in the championship that he held all season. More victories followed at Rockingham and Brands Hatch before another great weekend at Cadwell Park saw a nearly perfect meeting with two victories and a second place from three pole positions.

A difficult weekend at Snetterton saw Flowers fail to take a win for the only weekend of the season. Silverstone saw some great races with Mark Wania that resulted in one win and two second places before finishing the season at Donington.

In total Flowers netted 18 podium finishes from 19 races, taking 9 wins and 13 poles along the way. He said; “It's been a fantastic season, it's gone better than any of us could have predicted. We feel we've been the quickest car at every track which was reflected in getting pole in all but one of the races and our reliability has been superb, finishing off the podium in only one race.

“My Dad and I have managed to prepare a quick car that always makes it to the finish – we've managed 33 consecutive top 6 finishes and it's been 52 races since a retirement. I'd like to thank my Dad for the work he has done over the season.

"I'd also like to thank Reflex Racing for helping us on numerous occasions and Academy Motorsport for their help at Rockingham. It's been a pleasure racing with Brian Murphy and Mark Wania, we've had some great clean battles this season, I didn't want the season to end!”

Flowers now turns his attentions towards the 2013 season, “I'm hoping to be able to move up to the G40 class, I get the use of one for winning the championship and I have started talking to a few teams. It will be a big step up but I'm confident that I can carry my form from this season into it. I'm hoping to raise the money to do it but could do with another sponsor!”

Flowers Edges Closer To Title

August - Matt Flowers