Cycle News

INTERVIEW JAKE LEWIS P102 Hayden has been the little brother so long, he may in fact enjoy playing the part of a big brother for a change and having someone he can mentor instead of the other way around. When asked how he thought being buddies with his teammate might work out if the racing starts getting competitive between them, Lewis said it would be no different from their current dynamic. "We're already competitive in everything we do," Lewis ex- plained. "Both of us hate to lose and whether it's playing basketball at the house or bicycling, every- thing... we just try to take it to a whole new level. Maybe I can also help him by pushing him a little harder. So hopefully being under the same tent we can raise each other's game, but at the same time maintain good chemistry with the team." Hayden agrees, adding that if Suzuki is to fully close the gap on Yamaha it's going to require all hands on deck, including the feedback he and Lewis can share to bring the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike with the more open MotoAmerica regulations up to full potential. "Our goal with Yoshimura is to be a contender every week," Hayden said. "We know it's going to be a challenge and it's going to take a team effort to get there." For Lewis getting the factory Superbike ride feels to him like a pinnacle he's been striving to reach for years. "Ever since I was a four- year-old this is what me and my parents worked for," Lewis said. "To get to the top level of racing here in the U.S. and having a factory ride, it's the payoff for all of those years of hard work. And to be on a team like Yoshimura Suzuki, it's a huge opportunity for me." Sakakura explained that the Yoshimura squad gave Lewis a two-year deal specifically so he could feel less pressure in his first season, using it as a learn- ing year. And while Lewis appre- ciates the well laid out path the team has given him, he added that just being a student in year one is not all he's shooting for. "Having a two-year deal puts a lot less pressure on me, and gives me some time to learn," he admits. "but I still expect a lot out of myself and want to be able to prove I can run up front even in my first season in Superbike. Roger and I are good friends and he's been a mentor and training partner, so I think learning from him will help me along this year. While we're buds off the track, we're both competitive and I know we'll have some fun battles out there." CN "HAVING A TWO- YEAR DEAL PUTS A LOT LESS PRESSURE ON ME, AND GIVES ME SOME TIME TO LEARN, BUT I STILL EXPECT A LOT OUT OF MYSELF AND WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVE I CAN RUN UP FRONT EVEN IN MY FIRST SEASON IN SUPERBIKE."

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