Jake Lewis' European Junior Cup Winner
Tuesday 22 October: First, Jake's blog and then the video. No commentary but watch for #29 with the red banner under the screen, he comes from 14th on the grid and in the lead at Lap 2. Share in Jake's excitement and podium presentation.
#29 Jake Lewis. Image - europeanjuniorcup.com
Jake Lewis: "Round 8 of the European Junior Cup at Jerez in Spain was a fantastic
weekend for me claiming the championship title European Junior Cup
Champion!! After an amazingly hard fought race I also won my 3rd EJC race of the year becoming the only rider in the championship to do so.
Friday practice we came to grips quickly with track on the CBR 500R and put ourselves in a strong 4 position.
Saturday was time for Qualifying, I struggled most of the session just
being a little bit off the pace in each sector which added up and in
such a tight class we were only 1 second off the front row but 14th on
the grid.
This race was the most important race of my life and I knew that it was
going to be hard work getting to the front where I needed to be to have
any chance of winning the championship.
I got a great start taking a couple places into turn 1, I looked ahead
to see my championship rival Augusto had already pulled a small gap in
the lead. I said to myself - s*** now I have to really push on -. So I
put everything I had into the first lap to catch the front guys putting
in some pretty hard moves but it got me to where I needed to be, sitting
in 4th right on the top three tail by the end of lap 1. I kept pushing and got into the lead halfway through lap 2 and did not
look back. It was a hard fought battle at the front with Augusto,
Michael and Josh Harland, but fair which is why it was also so much fun
!!
It came down to the last lap, I had the lead and going into the final
corner I just went a little too deep and Augusto put his bike in the gap
I left with a little rub on the way past. I tucked in right behind him
down the front straight to pull out at the last second and grab the lead
just before the line to take the championship win !!!
It was the most amazing feeling to realise that you have just won a
European Championship and then to stand of the top step of the podium
with the New Zealand National Anthem playing in front of my team,
friends, sponsors and fellow competitors just topped it off.
I would like to say a very big thank you to my Dad for the amazing
amount of time and effort he has put into this year, I could not have
done it without him and I certainly wouldn't have achieved this result
without him. Also to Phil and Cheryl of WIL Sport Management for their
fantastic help and support it has been a great season working with them
and travelling Europe together has been awesome. Thank you to Avalon as
well, she has been truly amazing, with all her help and support, it has
been great to be able to have her at the
track with me and also being my
umbrella girl on the grid.
To the whole European Junior Cup community, thank you for this awesome
year, especially to Gerry, Susie and Irina for all the hard work they
have put in to give us young teenagers an opportunity of a lifetime to
be in the WSBK Paddock alongside the riders we look up to and dream to
be.
Also very special thank you to all my sponsors, Stadium Finance, WIL
Sport Management, Race Supplies NZ, Arai Helmets, RST Leathers, Charlton
Hurrell Drainage, MotoVudu, Budget MC Spares, Get Routed, MPH TV and
also to my family back home and all my supporters in NZ you have been
fantastic.
Now I look forward to going back home and training hard to come back to
Europe in 2014, fitter and stronger ready for the new challenge ahead.
Jake Lewis # 1"