Combining impressive pace and supreme consistency to charge to the GTA title at the first attempt, Tom Walker certainly made a huge impression in the Ginetta GT Academy this year.
Following an impressive season in the BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Championship last year, in which he scored overall podium results and finished second in the Rookie Trophy, the Isle of Man-based racer chose the Ginetta GT Academy for the next step in his career.
“Last year I raced a Mazda MX-5, which was class, mega racing,” said Walker. “The guy I was running with was packing up and he recommended giving something else a go. We stumbled across the GT Academy and it’s high-quality single-make racing, which is where we wanted to go again.
“I spoke to a few different teams and they were all spot on, with great experience of the cars. I met with Jim [Edwards] at E3 Sport, got on really well and everything fell into place quickly. I’m really glad I made that the decision to come Ginetta racing.”
It’s fair to say that Walker has thoroughly enjoyed the GT Academy experience. He immediately established himself at the front of the field, settling into the top three overall and going on a brilliant run of four consecutive GTA class wins inside the opening six races.
That run included his personal highlight of the season, his maiden overall victory at one of his “favourite circuits,” Oulton Park. Podium consistency was the key to his title challenge from there, impressively finishing on the GTA class rostrum in all 15 races he contested.
Only twice did Walker finish outside the top three overall, and even then, he finished fourth on both those occasions. That consistent driving and perfect reliability from his E3 Sport-prepared Ginetta G56 GTA ensured he was able to wrap up the title with a weekend to spare.
“I’ve got to drive some great circuits and alongside British GT, which brings a real atmosphere to the events,” he enthused. “The racing has been great. I’ve had some fun back and forth with a few different drivers, and managed to stay out of any big incidents or drama.
“That’s been the key. The consistency speaks for itself, winning the title with four races to go with dropped scores. You come into a season wanting to do as well as you can, you want to win the title, but it’s pretty unexpected to go as well as it has.”
Will Walker be back to defend his title in 2027? He confirms it could be a possibility: “I’m a realist. At 28 years old, I know I’m not pursuing a big career. I run a business for myself, which partly funds this, so racing is fun for me. As long as I can keep racing in some capacity, I’m happy, and I’ve really enjoyed the GT Academy so hopefully I can come back.”
