The Pata Honda European Junior Cup will continue in 2014.

The Pata European Junior Cup, powered by Honda, will again feature at eight rounds of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship in 2014.

Designed specifically to identify potential future racing champions, the series is open to young racers from all over the world aged between 14 and 19 who will compete on identically-prepared Honda CBR500R machines.

The championship was launched a year ago at the EICMA show in Milan with the Pata Honda World Superbike team’s Jonathan Rea riding Honda’s new CBR500R on to the stage in front of the world’s media.

This year, the European Junior Cup has produced some of the closest and most exciting races of the 2013 SBK season, won by young Kiwi Jake Lewis.

“We are very pleased to continue working with Dorna SBK, Honda and Pata Chips,” said series director Gerry Bryce. “The European Junior Cup has grown in stature year-on-year and for 2013 we have been privileged to have some of the best young racers from around the world competing.

“Jerez will be a very exciting conclusion to what has been a great season for us all and it will produce a worthy champion. We look forward now to working with a new class of talented teen racers in 2014.”

Honda Motor Europe racing operations manager Carlo Fiorani is also excited to see the season resume for a second season in 2014.

“Honda’s involvement in the European Junior Cup has been an incredible success,” he said. “Even more than our expectations. This is not only from a sporting and technical aspect but also from a human point of view.

“The relationship between competitors and parents in the EJC paddock has been great and we are very happy to renew our own relationship with the series in 2014.

“From a commercial point of view, the Honda CBR500R has also been a great success in the market, based on its performance and its sporting appeal to young riders, so we are happy with all aspects of the relationship.”

Australian Zac Levy finished the season 15th overall despite sitting out the final rounds.