Lewis Rollo won the inaugural BSB Pathway title for the IN Competition SENCAT Aprilia team, celebrating an incredible debut season where he also celebrated winning the R&G Rising Stars Award for claiming the top rookie position.
Rollo and the IN Competition SENCAT Aprilia team scored main championship points in 11 races, sealing the BSB Pathway title at Cadwell Park, with highlights including a first podium finish at Snetterton with a fine second place.
Rollo said: “It has been a brilliant season. We started the story at the end of last year at Donington Park, where we go talking about running the Pathway Superbike. We didn’t know what to expect but we got the ball rolling and got everything ready to head out to Spain for the start of the season.
“We did some testing and then went to Navarra for round one, which wasn’t the best start as we didn’t manage to finish a race, we qualified at the back, which after running at the front in Superstock for a few seasons was pretty hard. I was used to seeing my pit board with top ten positions most of the time, and we were outside the top 20 so it was a hard start to the season.
“We came back to Oulton Park and had a good weekend before a nice weekend at Donington Park where we scored our first points of the year so that was a huge thing. We didn’t set any targets but we wanted to finish in the points.
“We started fighting forward from then and we had another good round at Knockhill and then set personal best lap times at every circuit. Snetterton was incredible and we topped a session and then had to start from the back of the grid, it was red flagged and restarted before leading our first ever BSB race. We got a second and I couldn’t believe it as I have watched BSB as a kid so to finally stand on that podium was incredible.
“Thruxton was brilliant too, we had a good weekend but I don’t feel we showed our true potential as that was our closest finish to first place in the dry. We had a go, I was up to third and we dropped back in the end but it was brilliant to show what me and the bike could do in the dry on the fastest track in the country.
“We battled with Tommy Bridewell in the wet at Oulton Park and made Q2 at Donington Park, scoring points in most rounds, and the season has been incredible and I wouldn’t have believed it if you had said that when we were in Navarra. We have worked hard as a team, I have been working behind the scenes too and we are determined.
“We have had 25 wins in the BSB Pathway class and win that so that was brilliant to do that before the end of the season and then win the Rookies Award too at the final round, as that was nice. It has given us the chance to be able to learn BSB and race in the class. The support that we have had this season has been incredible.
“It is a great team and we have a good bunch of guys and we need to thank all of our sponsors too; we can’t thank everyone enough for their support. The hard work starts now as we get ready for next year.”