Jonathan knows what it’s like to struggle. Growing up in Bradmore, Wolverhampton, wasn’t easy. His dyslexia didn’t provide for the best educational experience, particularly in the 1970’s when little was understood about the condition. This saw Jonathan leave the schooling system prematurely at just 15 years old.

Added to this, he was only 16 when he lost his father and 4 years later, his mother tragically passed away. Quite a bit for a teenager to take on.

But his moto ‘Never quit, never give in’ survives even today and true to his word, he never did and never has. As a teenager and armed only with guile, determination and tenacity, he managed to get a job at Goodyear in Wolverhampton, a company which made tyres for the motor racing industry. Working his way up in the racing division, he talked himself into a position where he seized an opportunity to become the assistant to the racing Sales Manager. He continued pushing and was eventually chosen to become Goodyears tyre engineer in Formula One and was sent to South America to look after four Formula One teams.

This life experience allowed him to build up an encyclopaedic knowledge of grass-roots motorsport and when the company closed its UK competition department in 1979, that could have been the end of his journey. But undeterred and at only 21 years old, his ‘never quit, never give in’ moto kicked in. Rather than look for another job and armed with only £400, he set up his own business to become the European distributor for the little-known racing division of the Yokohama company from Japan, specifically to supply to the grass roots motorsport industry in Europe. It was a big risk. The tyres weren’t well known at the time and simply put, were not good enough.

Bringing in talent where he needed it, something Jonathan has always recognised is one of the keys to success, he employed, Derek Williams, who had been the chief compounder and Tony Chatterton, the chief designer at Goodyear racing division. Together they re-engineered the tyres and with what was now a competitive product, the business boomed and Jonathan was able to make his first fortune. He lost that fortune in 1988 but made it back by 1991. Still a young man with lots to learn, he lost that again but in typical fashion, made it back yet again and it is now in the safe hands of his wife Sally.

Today Jonathan splits his time between his bases in the US and UK, although his ROKiT group of companies also has a presence in Mexico, Los Angeles, Delhi, Germany, Japan and Hong Kong. The group has diversified over the years and now has interests in various business sectors including emerging technologies, drinks manufacturing with import and export, content creation and distribution for films, digital games and music, as well as E-bikes and mobile phones.

Jonathan is also Founder of the ROKiT Foundation, a charitable organisation established to help the most vulnerable people around the world.

ROKiT Racing Star is just another way Jonathan feels he is able to give back and help level the playing field for the young people who have the talent and motivation, but lack the opportunities afforded to so many others.