Sam Hignett only set up JOTA Sport to allow himself to compete as a driver in some of the world’s top car races.

He could not raise the funding to earn a drive for another team so he launched Team Jota, as it was then known, in 2000 with himself behind the wheel.

That was until 2005, when he competed in Le Mans.

“Then I decided I had achieved all I wanted to achieved,” said Mr Hignett, who lives in Tunbridge Wells and went to Sutton Valence School , Maidstone.

“I was not going to set things alight as a driver, so I thought it would make more sense to look at the business side.”

Less than a decade later, the team won its class at Le Mans, beating other cars built at the same cost cap. It also managed to come fifth overall in the 2014 race, against giants like Porsche and Audi.

“To go up against them and finish fifth is a great achievement,” said Mr Hignett, who runs the business with partners David Clark, a former McLaren director, and Simon Dolan, the serial entrepreneur and racing driver.

Success has come both on and off the track. JOTA Sport is now part of the JOTA Group, which employs nearly 100 people and has a turnover of more than £10 million.

The racing team, based in Frant, on the Kent and Sussex border, has doubled in size in the last year. It brings in revenues of £5 million from commercial sponsors and income from drivers, who pay to drive either through their own sponsorship or from personal wealth.

Alongside this is an engineering business, JOTA Design, which develops and makes parts for racing cars, with a turnover of £500,000.

Major growth has come from its airline, JOTA Aviation, which runs flights from Southend Airport for other travel companies on a white label basis, usually if they are testing new routes.

Employing 70 people, it also runs chartered flights and brings in between £5 million and £10 million annually.

Another division, JOTA Historic, restores and runs classic and vintage cars for major events.

“Each division of the business has been born from racing,” said Mr Hignett.

“Aviation came about in 2008 because we were chartering aircraft to fly people and parts around and it made sense to have our own aircraft.

“The engineering business came about from the need to develop and respond quickly with our own parts.”

Mr Hignett acknowledged the vast improvement in the company had coincided with the appointment of his business partners.

Mr Dolan’s businesses and investments include SJD Accountancy, PHA Media and She Who Dares.

He gained attention for investing in start-up companies via Twitter in 2010, initially offering a £5 million investment pot for successful business pitches.

This season, JOTA Sport announced a landmark sponsorship deal with Russian energy giant, Gazprom. It has two cars taking part in the Le Mans 24 Hours on Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19.

“Simon has helped us to build the business through his advice and investment,” said Mr Hignett.

“David is very experienced and has an address book you would dream of having.

“Having those two on board gives a great second and third leg to the stool.”