Huddersfield's Tom Sykes has been crowned the new World Superbike champion.
And the emotional Fenay Bridge rider admitted he shed tears after winning the championship in Spain yesterday.
The 28-year-old Kawasaki rider bagged the title after finishing third in the opening race of the final round at Jerez.
It was Tom’s crown after missing out on the 2012 title by only half a point.
He was cheered on by family who flew to Jerez for the moment, including proud grandad Peter Brook, 74, from Lepton, who is the driving force behind his grandson’s success.
After the race Sykes said: “I’m absolutely over the moon, so emotional. I was shedding a few tears on the slowing down lap, I was shaking.
“There have been lots of sacrifices to get here. Finally we’re here and what a feeling.
“Luckily this is our moment. I was so close last year. I’ve been waiting a long time for this and she’s finally here.”
Back home his grandma Elaine Brook said: “We are all thrilled, each and every one of us.
“It’s a fabulous feeling because he’s been doing it for so long and it’s something he’s dreamed about.
“He’s a very determined young man and very focused.”
Sykes won enough points to clinch the championship at the Spanish circuit as he finished third behind Ireland’s Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) and the Gold Bet BMW of Italian Marco Melandri.
Sykes, who now lives in Coventry, became the fourth British winner of the title after Carl Forgarty, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland.
Earlier this week his proud grandad Peter told the Examiner how the champion’s interest in bikes grew: “Tom took an interest in bikes from the age of six when I had an old bike I did up for him.”
Aged 15 he was named best novice of the year by the East Midlands Racing Association and a year later continued to make a name for himself when he recorded consecutive victories in the Dunlop Junior Superstock Championship at Brands Hatch.
TOM SYKES
1985: Born on August 19 in Huddersfield.
2002: Races in British Superstock Championship.
2003: Makes British Supersport Championship debut, finishing in eighth overall.
2004: Takes fifth place in British Supersport.
2005: Places sixth in the championship standings.
2006: Placed second in the British Supersport Championship behind Cal Crutchlow who has since moved on to MotoGP.
2007: Moves to British Superbike Championship with Stobart Vent-Axia Honda, finishing sixth overall.
2008: Finishes fourth in British Superbikes for Rizla Suzuki, taking his first two races wins at Oulton Park.
2009: Moves to World Superbikes with Yamaha Motor Italia and finishes in ninth.
2010: Spends the season with the Paul Bird Kawasaki team but struggles to 14th on an uncompetitive machine.
2011: Takes his first World Superbike win in Germany but finishes 13th in championship.
2012: Takes four race wins but loses out on the world title by half a point to Italian Max Biaggi.
2013: Wins the World Superbike title after taking nine race wins, his first championship win.
