A year 11 student from a school in Warsop has signed a deal to ride for motorsport team Rich Energy.

Sixteen-year-old Lewis Jones attends Meden School, which is part of the Nova Education Trust, and is in his second season in the British Superbikes Series.

The teenager made an immediate impact on the club racing scene in 2019 by winning all four races in one Brands Hatch weekend — and has since gone from strength to strength.

Lewis has been riding bikes since the age of 12 and originally got involved in the sport through his father, Bryn, who is a fan of the sport.

Many weekends were spent attending meets, getting to know the riders and the teams, until one day someone said to him: “When are you going to start riding?”

That’s where it all began and once in the hot seat, it became clear that Lewis was a natural rider and he’s now fifth in the country in his age group.

“Stamina is so important and much of my time is dedicated to the training,” he said. “I do regular spinning and weights but, most important, is working on your core muscles.

“People don’t realise how much dedication it takes to train for racing and it is something you have to take seriously.”

Lewis is appreciative of all the sponsorship he receives from companies because it enables him to race, but Bryn pointed out there is a lack of general funding for young riders.

He said: “There is so much more funding available for sports such as football, tennis and golf, for example.

“When it comes to motorbike racing though, you are heavily reliant on sponsorship. The cost of everything is expensive and you don’t get paid to race.”

Jim Smith, Meden School head of school, said: “This is an amazing sporting achievement and we are so proud of Lewis.

“He puts a huge amount of effort into everything he does, allowing his dedication and determination to shine through.

“He is clearly a very talented young man. Lewis has a bright future ahead of him and we wish him all the very best.”