Banstead motorhead Matt Flowers is preparing for the biggest season of his career so far, and he has no idea what to expect.

The 24-year-old won the Ginetta G20 Championship last year and has taken a step up to the G40 class this year.

Known collectively as the GT5 Challenge, the Ginetta championship supports the British F3/GT meetings at, among others, Silverstone and Brands Hatch and is a feeder series for the British Touring Car Championship.

The season gets under way this weekend at Oulton Park, with Flowers – who is training to become a chartered accountant – in the dark about how he will fare.

The former Sutton Grammar School pupil said: “I don’t know how well my car will compete in terms of pace, it is very difficult to tell until I get out there for the first qualifying sessions.

“It would not surprise me if I finished first or last on Saturday. But looking at the season as a whole, I would hope to get some wins as the races go by.”

The GT5 Challenge is a one-car competition featuring sealed Ford Zetec 1.8l
engines, with Flowers driving for Academy Motorsport.

Flowers won last year by virtue of nine wins, however, the hard work had started in 2011 when he started a run of consistent performances that resulted in 52 races without a retirement and 33 consecutive top six finishes.

He said: “It has taken three or four seasons to get to his point.

“I’ve been developing as a driver and getting on better with the car and it all came together last year.

“But this is now going to be my most competitive season yet, but I am really looking forward to the challenge.”

Flowers has aspirations beyond the GT5 Challenge to the BTCC, however, financial constraints are holding him back.

“Racing is a hobby of mine, a serious hobby, and one I would like to take on full time.

“But the trouble is money, you need a lot to get to the top. There’s no limit to it really, you will always need more.”

If you are interested in sponsoring Flowers, visit mattflowersracing.com.