The championship was founded in 2005 and initially used the Ginetta G20, a compact two-seat sports car suited to novice racers. For the 2010 season the series switched to the Ginetta G40 Junior, which became the standard competitor through subsequent decades. The G40 Junior uses a sealed 1.8-litre Ford Zetec engine, a sealed Quaife six-speed sequential gearbox, a T45 tubular chassis with an integral safety cage built to FIA standards, and controlled Pirelli road tyres. The sealed specification keeps costs predictable and prevents wealthy teams from buying a performance advantage over younger or less-funded rivals.
In 2026, SRO Motorsports Group took over operational management of the series as part of a wider restructuring of Ginetta's UK one-make racing activities.
Each race weekend typically features multiple races. Under the 2025 sporting regulations, a driver's fastest qualifying lap determines the grid for race one, while the second-fastest qualifying lap sets the grid for race two. Where a third race is held, the finishing order of race two determines the starting positions. The format rewards consistent qualifying pace across an entire session rather than a single flying lap, encouraging drivers to develop composure under sustained pressure.
The Ginetta Junior Scholarship is an annual recruitment process that identifies young drivers before they have the budget to enter the series independently. Candidates are assessed on on-track driving performance, media and communication skills, and physical fitness. The winner receives a full championship entry, use of a G40 Junior Evo, insurance, tyres, fuel, and professional car preparation for an entire season. The scholarship has provided a route into circuit racing for drivers who might not otherwise have had access to the series.
The championship established itself as a credible first rung on the British motorsport ladder. Its position in the BTCC support package gives drivers experience of professional event organisation, large crowds, and television coverage from the very start of their car-racing careers.
Notable alumni who competed in the Ginetta Junior Championship before progressing to higher categories include Lando Norris, who reached Formula One with McLaren; Tom Ingram, multiple British Touring Car Championship race winner; Jamie Chadwick, W Series champion; Tom Gamble, GT endurance racing competitor; Luke Browning and Freddie Slater, who progressed through British single-seater categories; and Abbi Pulling, who moved into international touring car racing.
The series has also featured drivers from established motorsport families. Henry Surtees, son of Formula One world champion John Surtees, competed in the championship, as did Josh Hill, son of 1996 world champion Damon Hill and grandson of 1962 and 1968 champion Graham Hill. Enzo Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, also entered the series. Other drivers with notable motorsport lineage include Will Palmer, son of former Formula One driver Jonathan Palmer; Sebastian Priaulx, son of three-time World Touring Car Championship winner Andy Priaulx; Louis Foster, son of former BTCC driver Nick Foster; and Rocco Coronel, son of touring car driver Tom Coronel.
The 2025 season marked the championship's 20th anniversary. During that season the series reached its 500th race, a milestone that confirmed the longevity of the format and its continued relevance in British junior motorsport. The season ran to the same fundamental rules that had governed the series since the G40 era, reflecting the organisers' belief that stability of regulations serves young drivers better than frequent technical change.