Rangiora’s Jake Lewis is counting down the days until he’s again twisting the throttle.

The 18-year-old finished third in the 600cc supersport class at last season’s New Zealand Superbike Championships, but a lot has happened since that series wrapped up in March 2013, certainly enough to rank Lewis among the favourites to win races, and possibly a major title, again in 2014.

It has been a sparkling past 12 months for the Canterbury teenager.

He headed overseas immediately following his domestic campaign in March and went straight into battle against some of the brightest young stars from all around the world as he tackled the European Junior Cup.

Lewis quickly reaped international glory as he impressed in Spain, Holland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and France – racing at such famous venues as Assen, Monza, Imola, Silverstone, the Nurbergring and Magny Cours – eventually clinching the title at the final round at Jerez, in Spain, in October.

That victory earned him a paid-up ride in the European Superstock 600 Championships for next season and he’ll head straight back to Europe following his brief holiday at home.

“I learned so much from my year in Europe,” said Lewis.

“There is just so much to take in. The European Junior Cup riders share the pit paddock with the World Superbike Championship racers and you learn so much just by watching and listening to them.

“There is an age limit of 21 in the European Superstock 600 Championship, so I still have plenty of time on my side. I really want to progress to a full World Supersport 600 ride or a place on a European Superstock 1000 team.

“I’m trying to follow in the footsteps of (fellow Kiwi internationals from the 1990s) Simon Crafar and Aaron Slight. Simon (Crafar) is often trackside at these European events giving advice and pointers … he’s brilliant,” said Lewis.

“It has definitely been a dream of mine to race internationally like this, but I never thought it would become a reality so soon.

“I have achieved this after only five years of road-racing. I started riding motocross when I was aged three and then had a break from motorcycling when I was about 12.”

He stepped into the road-race scene “just to give it a go” and tasted almost immediate success.

Lewis won New Zealand 125GP title as a 16-year-old in 2011 and then he secured the 600 superstock crown in 2012, collecting the New Zealand GP titles in both classes along the way.

The four-round 2014 New Zealand Superbike Championships kick off in Christchurch this weekend, on January 5, with rounds to follow at Levels Raceway, Timaru, on January 12 and Taupo Motorsport Park on March 23, before wrapping up at Manfeild, on the outskirts of Feilding, on March 30, but the series will go ahead without Lewis’ participation this season.

Lewis had originally planned to race the opening two rounds of this series, but that won’t happen now and he’ll shortly be heading back to Europe.

“I have to get back to Europe to begin bike testing,” he explained.

Meanwhile, he has been shortlisted among the top four finalists in the Westpac Halberg Awards Emerging Talent category.

The exceptional performances of New Zealand athletes and teams in 2013 has resulted in 25 finalists being named for six categories at the Westpac Halberg Awards – the country’s leading event to honour and celebrate sporting excellence.

A Voting Academy comprising 30 former athletes, coaches and media representatives selected the finalists from a list of 58 nominations. When selecting the finalists, the Voting Academy had to determine whether the achievements represented excellence in sport at the highest level.

They also considered if it was in that sport’s ‘pinnacle event’, whether it was a world record, a world ranking or recognition, the quality of the field or competition and the global nature of the sport.

The Westpac Emerging Talent award finalists for 2013 are surfer Ella Williams, up-and-coming rower Tom Murray, motorcyclist Jake Lewis and swimmer Gabrielle Fa’amausili.

The Westpac ‘Emerging Talent’ award is designed to identify and assist a young athlete in their quest to become an Olympic, Paralympic and/or World Champion, and hopefully one day win the Halberg Award. Finalists must be aged under 20 years at November 30, 2013 and the winner also receives a $10,000 Westpac sporting scholarship.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com