Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Championship – World Champion Kart star takes the Challenge

Ginetta have confirmed an extended partnership between themselves and the Easykart UK and Formula KGP S1 Championships, as Super One karter Luca Hirst has announced an entry into the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge.

After unveiling an academy-style ladder to uncover and support future stars in karting at the Autosport Show in January 2013, Hirst was the ideal candidate to kick start the scheme following his Easykart World Championship title in 2011, and the Easykart UK honours in 2012. Having progressed into Super One KGP for 2013, the 19 year old from Leeds finished inside the top five and made the decision to graduate into sports car racing for 2014.

Speaking of his initial attraction to the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge, Hirst said; “It’s a one make championship which ties very nicely with my background in Easykart as in both, it is possible to be competitive on a budget, without worrying about the equipment.”

With extensive experience both as a mechanic and driver, Hirst’s his father owns the Raceway Indoor Karting centre in Pontefract, Yorkshire which is where the British and World Champion honed his skills from an early age. No stranger to Ginetta, Luca competed as part of Team LNT in the Henry Surtees Charity Endurance kart race at Brooklands in June 2013, alongside current Michelin Ginetta GT4 SuperCup champion Tom Ingram, former Michelin Ginetta GT4 SuperCup frontrunner Tom Sharp and Easykart racer Nicole Firth.

Ingram, Hirst, Sharp, Firth - Henry Surtees Karting

Looking forward to the season, Hirst added; “My goal is to finish all the races I start and gain as much experience as I possibly can, as it is my first year in sports cars I expect to be off the pace to start with but I hope to improve as the season progresses.”

Easykart and Formula KGP share a similar racing ethos to Ginetta in that each series is intent on controlling racing costs and promoting karters into car racing, UK boss for Easykart and Formula KGP Andy Cox commented; “I’m delighted to see Luca progress into cars with Ginetta – I know he will be able to demonstrate in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge, the talent that he has honed through racing karts in Easykart and Formula KGP . Easykart is a big family, like Ginetta itself. I know all our Easykart members will be following Luca’s progress in Ginetta GT5 with great pride!”

Ginetta Chairman Lawrence Tomlinson continued; “We are delighted to have Luca on board in the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge for 2014. He has shown tremendous talent in karting and has been on the Ginetta radar for a while, so we look forward to seeing how he gets on behind the wheel of the G40.

Ginetta already have a strong motorsport ladder in place, but the partnership with Easykart and Formula KGP allows us to nurture young talent even before they are eligible for our championships. All of us share the same values when it comes to offering good value racing, as well as bringing new people into the sport.”

Ginetta’s initial aim of the partnership with Easykart UK and Formula KGP S1 Championships was to find a young karter who possesses the ability and drive to succeed throughout the world of racing, from karting, into the Ginetta championships and ultimately as a driver who can represent Ginetta in its future assault on the Le Mans 24 hrs.

Many thanks to Ginetta & Jakob Ebrey Photography

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