Racer's investment drives Southampton’s Hype Motorsport

By Sam Pither

23 December 2022

Share

Southampton-based Hype Motorsport has welcomed Rupert Laslett as its new director after the racing driver, who competes in the Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge, acquired a stake in the business.

Hype Motorsport, the brainchild of Mike Jarvis and Ben Hyland, uses carbon offsetting through low-carbon commodity company SCB to enable its customers to positively impact the environment while racing sports cars around circuits in the UK and European mainland.

The ClimatePostive label assesses that each event Hype Motorsport hosts will emit approximately 1.66 tonnes of CO2. This includes the Hype team’s travel, accommodation and electricity, as well as its guests’ racing, travel and accommodation.

These emissions are offset and another 25 per cent is also added to give back more to the environment than is emitted. Further, everyone attending Hype’s events will benefit from offsetting the carbon from their road car for 12 months.

Laslett will actively contribute to the business, taking responsibility for managing a number of new projects and promoting Hype's events and track day car rental services to his connections in the motorsports and Porsche communities.

Laslett said: “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% sustainable fuel that will soon be used in its cars.

“In addition, Hype’s BMW M2 Competition, Porsche Cayman GTS and Alpine A110 all offer a superb motorsport pedigree and are perfect for drivers of all abilities, when combined with the professional guidance of Hype’s instructors.

“Six months after launching, Hype has already hosted countless events for hundreds of drivers at circuits including Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Spa in Belgium, and I’m really looking forward to helping the team build on this impressive start.”

Mike Jarvis said: “Rupert is passionate about motorsport, has enjoyed a successful business career and is a superb racing driver, which all made him a perfect fit for Hype and we’re very pleased to welcome him to the team.

“With Rupert on board, we’re also looking forward to offering tailored corporate partnerships as the Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge races exclusively alongside the British Touring Car Championship from next year.

“This will mean millions of viewers on ITV, as well as tens of thousands of spectators at each event, and we can now offer brands exposure on the car and hospitality at race events, in addition to corporate track day event options, which is another exciting prospect.”

Featured image: (L-R) Mike Jarvis, Rupert Laslett and Ben Hyland.

By Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset.

A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise.

Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.