Xentek Motorsport will once again enjoy a large presence on the Ginetta grids next season, with reigning GT5 Challenge champion Luke Garlick their first confirmed driver as he makes the exciting step up to the headline GT Pro class of the Ginetta GT Championship.
Garlick continued Xentek Motorsport’s phenomenal winning record in the GT5 Challenge this year, becoming the team’s fifth drivers’ champion in the series alongside Ollie Chadwick (2016), Scott McKenna (2019), Josh Steed (2021) and Mikey Doble (2022).
The South Yorkshire squad ended a hugely successful 2023 Ginetta campaign with three titles to their name; adding the GT5 Challenge Am crown with Bal Sidhu and becoming the inaugural Teams’ champions in the GT Championship - taking their overall total to 10 Ginetta titles.
In only his first full season of car-racing, Garlick enjoyed a brilliant run of results behind the wheel of his EU Tags-backed Ginetta G40 GT5. Securing 18 podium finishes from the 26 races contested, he excelled with eight victories to win the title with a race to spare.
The teenage talent will now follow in the footsteps of his older brother Conner, an overall race-winner in the GT Championship this year, and race the 310bhp thoroughbred G56 GT Pro car next season in the top class of Ginetta’s renowned ladder of championships.
Christopher Richards – Team Principal: “We’re over the moon that Luke will be racing with us again next season as he graduates to the top class in the Ginetta GT Championship. We’ve had a long association with the Garlick family and we’re delighted that will continue into 2024.
“Luke was fantastic this year in the GT5 Challenge and richly deserved his title success. He’s conducted an initial test in the G56 GT Pro car and his pace was quick from the off, so with a good pre-season underneath him, we’re excited to see what he can achieve.”
Luke Garlick: “After winning the GT5 championship this year, I am thrilled to be progressing along the Ginetta pathway with Xentek Motorsport into GT Pro next year. I’m looking forward to the new challenge and will be making sure I bring everything to the championship I possibly can. Bring it on!”
Image from Jakob Ebrey Photography.