Racing driver fuels Yorkshire motorsport business with "significant" investment

Racing driver Rupert Laslett, who competes in Great Britain’s acclaimed Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge, has become the latest director at Yorkshire based Hype Motorsport, after acquiring a stake in the business.

Hype Motorsport is the first company offering corporate customers and motorsport enthusiasts the opportunity to have a positive impact on the environment, whilst racing sports cars around top UK and European circuits.

Rupert will have an active role in the business, overseeing several “exciting” new projects that are planned for 2023, as well as promoting Hype’s events and track day car hire to his network in the world of motorsport and the Porsche community.

Hype Motorsport is the brainchild of Leeds based Ben Hyland and Southampton based co-founder Mike Jarvis. The pair launched the business earlier this year which is designated as ‘ClimatePositive’ thanks to carbon offsetting through SCB, which redresses and improves on the carbon footprint left by businesses and individuals.

Prior to launching Hype, Ben previously ran Pole Position Indoor Karting in Leeds before joining forces with Mike to launch want2race, which became the “UK’s biggest novice racing driver competition”.

In 2019, want2race was acquired by Ginetta and Hyland spent the next two and a half years continuing to develop want2race under the sports car brand’s umbrella, which is where he met Rupert, who was Ginetta’s 2021 G40 Cup Am Champion, before he made the switch to Porsche.

Rupert, who lives near Canterbury, previously ran a California based management consulting business, specialising in the oil, gas, chemicals, technology and pharmaceutical sectors, before selling the company in 2014.

He returned to the UK in 2019 and started racing in Ginetta’s competitions, renewing a love for the sport that he’d last been involved in 25 years ago. He has just completed his rookie season in the Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge, finishing in an impressive second place, in a race car that now displays Hype’s “distinctive” branding.

Rupert explained: “I met Ben through Ginetta and have always been impressed with his racing knowledge and ability to organise and host superb motorsport events. When he launched Hype with Mike, I immediately knew it would be successful.

“Partnering with ClimatePositive and making Hype’s events climate positive by at least 25 per cent, was a very shrewd move. It also mirrors what’s happening at the very forefront of motorsport, with F1 aiming to become net-zero by 2030 and developing a 100 per cent sustainable fuel that will soon be used in its cars.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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