“What I always say to myself is, if you put your maximum effort in, no matter what the result you have nothing to regret knowing that you did everything you could. I don’t want to look back in the future and say, I could have done more. And that goes for whatever I put my mind to.”

Cameron Fraser, Quattro Group British GP2 Cup Champion 2023, BA (Hons) Business Management with Entrepreneurship, 2021

It’s fair to say that Cameron Fraser has had a successful 2023. This year he has already won the Quattro Group British GP2 Cup, and he’ll be following that up at the end of the year by launching his new company, GYN Drinks, with fellow Hull alumnus Ben Mackay. He’ll be selling a hard protein seltzer which mixes sparkling water, gin and vegan protein, aimed at health conscious consumers who look to strike a balance between health and social life.

In the interview below, we get to the bottom of what makes a good racer, how that mentality can help in business, and what it was about the University of Hull that inspired Cameron.

Find out more about GYN Drinks >>

Find out more about Cameron >>

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Could you tell us a bit about your time at Hull?

I had a fantastic time studying at the University of Hull. What drew me to Hull in the first place was the fact it was a very traditional looking University but with all the modern facilities to make it an outstanding place to learn. The teaching standards were extremely high which was maintained throughout my time studying and ultimately leading to the completion of a successful degree (achieving a first class) in Business Management with Entrepreneurship (and Placement Year). I remember the first time entering the University of Hull business school thinking the building looks hundreds of years old but was very quickly surprised how modern it was inside with some huge lecture theatres and teaching rooms. The library was another massive benefit to studying, having hundreds of rooms to book for any group project with some incredible views on the top couple of floors!

How did you get into racing?

I was intrigued with motorbikes from a very young age because my Dad used to ride his motorcycle a lot. On top of that, he would occasionally ride on bike track days across the UK where I would watch him go round race circuits such as Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park and Silverstone which grew my interest in the sport.

When I was 11 years old, I was lucky enough to get my first mini-bike which is where I developed my craft, learning corner speed and braking on Go-Kart tracks around the UK. I found success pretty quickly so we progressed rapidly through the classes over the next couple years and entering the KTM British Championship in 2015, where I would become the first ever KTM British Champion at the age of 15. Having recently turned 24, I have now been doing this sport for over 12 years and more recently having success in the British GP2 Championship finishing in 1st place in the Championship, a successful follow on from last year’s 2nd place finish.

What does winning this title mean to you?

Winning the title means a great deal to myself, my family and my team. We have been putting everything into racing since I started and to have achieved 2 British Championships together it is incredible. Of course we have faced our challenges over the last couple years, but to pull through them together and come out on top is an amazing feeling. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into racing away from the track, prepping the bike before race weekends, setting up race awning prior to weekends racing and trying to gain as much sponsorship as possible on top of our full time jobs to ensure that we can compete at the highest level. Without the support of my family and sponsors, I wouldn’t have got to this level for sure.

Next year I am hoping to compete in British Supersport which is a similar style bike to that which I have been racing for the last couple of years. It would be great to build on this year’s success and try to take that competitiveness into a new class where I’m confident I can fight at the sharp end. With Motorcycle racing being a very physical sport, outside of working full time I train extremely hard 6 days a week to ensure my fitness is at its peak, so when it comes to the race weekends I am in the best shape possible and therefore the only thing to concentrate on is how to go faster.

My long term goal in racing is to win as many titles as I can, in whatever class that is World or British level. My short term goal is to get to the British Superbike Championship on a competitive package as soon as possible. British Superbikes is the best Domestic Championship in the world where it would be incredible to mix it in with the best racers in Britain on the quickest bikes. However, you have to take each race at a time and I believe that if you can remain consistent, opportunities will present themselves eventually.

You have started a business, Gyn Drinks, with your friend from University Ben Mackay – how did you and Ben start working together and why did you set up this company?

Myself and Ben met through the University where we both completed a degree in Business Management, inevitably we shared a tutorial together which led to group projects developing a friendship further down the line. We both shared a passion for health and fitness due to my racing and Ben previously being a semi-professional footballer. Over the years we started training together and being students, we would of course go on student nights out which is where the idea of GYN began. Having a passion for both business and sport, we wanted to come together and develop an idea which would allow people living healthy lifestyles to enjoy a night out as well as enjoy a beverage that can offer added benefits such as protein and vitamins. Everyone also has the dream of working for yourself and doing something you’re passionate about, so that is what also drives the both of us.

Following the initial idea, we thought it would be best to test the waters with our idea to see if it was something that people would actually be interested in. So in the final year of our studies, Ben and I entered a University supported Big Ideas competition. The idea certainly turned some heads and we came out on top taking victory for our category, winning a small cash injection which we immediately invested into the idea. Fast Forward 2 years and we have invested a lot of personal finance into developing the product properly with a well renowned drinks development company, having our first 2,000 cans produced in August. It has been a long process but we’ve enjoyed every step of the way and can’t wait to strat selling the product in the coming weeks.

Why should people take a look at Gyn Drinks?

If you are an individual that leads a healthy lifestyle but also likes to drink an alcoholic beverage, this is the product for you.

People definitely need to check GYN out, we are going to be launching our product through our website in the coming weeks after partnering with a well renowned 3PL company. GYN Hard Protein’s Berry Blast Hard Seltzer is a gin based drink (5% ABV) with 10g vegan protein and 85 calories per 250ml can.

Our hard seltzer is an infusion of gin, sparkling water and natural flavourings with no added sugar and containing key vitamins. You can find us on all social media platforms through @gyndrinksuk and via our website gyndrinks.co.uk

Does your career as a racer impact and influence different aspects of your life?

Racing has definitely had a huge impact on my life in a number of areas which has positively affected my approach in business and in life. I have to be very disciplined in my training to be able to perform at the top level in my sport which means dedication to training every day, eating, sleeping and recovering well all of which help bring focus and energy into my full time job, GYN and racing. I’m a very competitive person and always have been, which is important in business because there will always be that will to win and doing whatever it takes to succeed. The same attitude was taken when it came to my studies at the University of Hull, I always wanted to do the best I could in my individual assignments as well as group projects. What I always say to myself is, if you put your maximum effort in, no matter what the result you have nothing to regret knowing that you did everything you could. I don’t want to look back in the future and say, I could have done more. And that goes for whatever I put my mind to.

What makes a good racer?

In my opinion, there are a lot of things that make a good racer. You have to be fit physically but after that you have to have a strong mental approach. There will always be ups and downs within a race season and you need to be able to embrace both sides and show resilience to bring a good end result. Confidence is one of the most powerful things in the sport, when you have confidence, you are fast. Most importantly, a great racer will always enjoy it as that is the reason we do. Of course it can be hard when you are not winning, but if you don’t enjoy it then why are we here? Racing motorbikes is my passion, has been all my life and I want to continue doing it for as long as I can.

I’m always on the look out for sponsors and new partners, so if anyone would have any interest in joining me in the British Superbike Championship, please check out:

My website https://cameronfraserracing.com/get-involved/

Or contact me directly at @racercam66@gmail.com#