Following a sensational first season in the championship in 2019, Josh Malin will return to the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge this year and he has a title challenge in his sights with leading team Richardson Racing. The Dorset racer made the transition to one-make Ginetta competition last year as a two-time class champion in the BARC Max5 Racing Championship, and he immediately showcased his raw speed once again behind the wheel of his Ginetta G40. Malin, who celebrates his 20th birthday later this month, secured a superb podium finish in just the sixth race of the season at Silverstone. He followed that up with a standout meeting at Donington Park, with a brilliant podium double including a breakthrough maiden victory and a new GT5 lap record for the circuit. A consistent presence at the front of the field throughout the rest of the campaign, Malin made his mark on track with some eye-catching overtakes on his way to three more podium results in the final four races of the season, and with it a top five championship finish. With a season of experience under his belt, the Ferndown-based driver heads into the new campaign with a clear ambition of challenging for title glory in the ultra-competitive series, which this year will once again race in support of British GT and the British Touring Car Championship. The upcoming season will mark the latest chapter in an inspiring journey for Malin, who is Type 1 Diabetic and was told at an early age that he could never be a racing driver. He will continue to defy the odds this season as he competes with the support of loyal partners TheCarGuys.tv, Digital Motorsports and Motorsport UK Academy. Josh Malin: "For a while I had serious doubts that we’d be able to get the funding together to return for a second season in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge, so I feel like a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders that we’ve now been able to get a deal done. “Twelve months ago, the first few rounds in the GT5 Challenge were a bit of a baptism of fire as there was a lot for me to learn, but I started well and was able to build on my results as the year went on. With a season of experience and knowledge under my belt, I can take a lot of confidence into 2020 “Having taken my first win last year, the goal has to be to add to that and challenge for the title, and I have a lot of hunger and desire to push for that goal during the year ahead. The aim is to hit the ground running when we get to Oulton Park for the opening rounds.”
Gwyn Richardson, Richardson Racing Team Principal: “Josh’s results last year were hugely impressive and he really made a mark on the series. We were keen to try and keep him onboard for 2020 and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be one of the drivers to beat on track this season.” The 2020 Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge will be contested over seven events, with three outings on the support bill for both the BTCC and British GT at the biggest circuits in the UK. Alongside that, the series will enjoy an overseas outing to Zandvoort in Holland.