Rouse’s deal is one to Crowe about
North motor sport with ZOE BURN
BURNOPFIELD’S Chrissy Rouse will contest this year’s Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship with BMW power after his season was saved at the 11th hour.
The Geordie maths teacher had been left without a ride this year when the MSS Kawasaki team he had signed for announced it was withdrawing from the season to concentrate on 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
However, last week, TT and roads rider Phil Crowe stepped in to offer Rouse a BMW S1000RR to race in the championship.
Rouse said: “It has all been very last-minute but Crowe Performance has come in to save the day.
“Crowe Performance will provide the bike as well as full technical and electronics support which I will hire from them and then run myself.
“I have had the most amazing support from my sponsors and now we are in a position to hopefully have a good stab at the championship.
“Crowe Performance has kindly invested a lot of money in building me a Superstock bike and the team will be looking after me on the technical side of things and have put my own little team together and will be selffunding the racing.”
Rouse has support from his own long-term sponsors and fans who have helped him out his team together.
He has also won unexpected support from fans of his Chasin’ the Racin’ podcast partner in crime, Northumberland’s Dom Herbertson.
Rouse added: “NGK, one of my long-term sponsors, has loaned me an awning, MAC Tools Newcastle have sponsored me with a tool box, someone has loaned me flooring and loads of my personal sponsors have chipped in.
“Dom has a 130 Club and someone posted in his Facebook group they would like to help me and a few others said they would too, which is just amazing.
“I did not expect anything like this and I just cannot thank people enough for their generosity.”
Rouse has a long-standing relationship with Crowe Performance, having worked closely with the BMW specialists in the past.
Phil Crowe is also contesting this year’s Pirelli National Superstock 1000 series along with Matt Truelove and will be on hand to offer technical help at all meetings.
Crowe said: “It has been a hectic three weeks.
“We were all set to run Matt and I was going to tag along and do a few rounds to keep myself fit and get ready for Macau and then Chrissy called out of the blue asking if we could help.
“Now we are heading into the season with three bikes and riders and although it has been hard work I believe it is worth it to help someone as talented as Chrissy get back on the grid this year.”