‘Lightning Lewis’ relishing BTC debut

NEWMILLS ace, Lewis Mullen, is counting down the days – and he has been for around two years – until he makes his British Talent Cup debut.

The 14-year-old won’t have long to wait now, however, with the first round of the 2025 series taking place at Donington Park this coming weekend.

Having shown his considerable abilities during his formative years in the Irish and then British Minibike Championships, Mullen had hoped to join the BTC ranks at 12 years of age, but when the rules changed a few years ago, he and dad Adrian had to come up with another plan to fill the additional two years.

In order to further develop his on-bike skills, they decided to take the big step and compete in the Spanish Superbike Championship, which has been a hot-bed of talent for many years and Lewis believes not only has the wait been worth it but so too the experiences picked up in the ESBK.

“I’m really excited!,” Lewis beamed ahead of this weekend. “It’s been a long wait until the season starts, it’s been a long gap but it’s finally nearly here.

“I’ve always watched it, I’ve watched all the races, so to be finally get on that grid is rally good and to race those tracks that I’ve been watching for so long is a dream come true.”

Having enjoyed two seasons in the sun, racing in Spain, Lewis is confident he can impress during his maiden BTC campaign.

“I think the time in Spain has really helped me because rather than just chucking me on a big bike with no experience,” he explained.

“it’s shown me how to ride a bigger bike instead of jumping straight up from a Minibike to a Talent Cup bike and it’s also helped me learn tracks easier because I had to do a full season in the Next Generation on all new tracks and do reasonably well as well.

“I’m going to try and prove a point and, yes, learn the circuits, but as well, do the best that I possibly can. I just want to be up there with the top men and I believe I can do that this season because in the test I was up there near the end and I felt I had much more pace in me.”

This year, Lewis will race for Wilson Racing in the British Talent Cup and he’s already feeling at home in his new surroundings.

“I’m enjoying being with them,” he added. “When racing in Spain last year, we met Ian, who is the rider coach and his son races in England in the class below me, so that’s how we got tagged along with them.

“We know them reasonably well and it’s nice to have that connection, I really like them.”