Something to Crowe about for Chrissy
North motor sport with ZOE BURN
CHRISSY Rouse is making a full-time move into the Bennetts British Superbike Championship (BSB) this season after confirming a return to Crowe Performance.
Rouse, 26, will embark on his first full season in the world’s leading domestic motorcycle racing championship as he joins forces with the team which helped power him to his 2020 National Superstock 1000 crown.
Crowe Performance, headed up by roads and short circuit racer Phil Crowe, stepped in to save the maths teacher’s season when his ride fell through two years ago, building and loaning him a BMW at the 11th hour.
Rouse rode faultlessly all season and didn’t crash once as he stormed to the championship win at Brands Hatch at the end of the year.
Now, after a further season in Superstock 1000 on Kawasaki machinery with a different team, Rouse has finally raised the budget needed to make the step up to the pinnacle of British motorcycle racing.
“We are going to be running a very similar set-up to what we had in 2020, with our own team running a Crowe Performance BMW,” he said. “I know it is going to be a huge commitment but I’m really excited and both mine and the team’s aim this year is to just get stuck in and do our best.
“I’m under no illusions and know this is going to be a massive step up for all of us. We have lots of things still to get sorted out before the first round but I’m confident we are in a good position.
“Although we don’t have a title sponsor, we have a consortium of loyal original personal sponsors along with some new partners coming on board, more of which we plan to reveal in the coming weeks.”
While 2022 will be his first full season in BSB, it won’t be the first time Rouse has graced the headlines in the top class.
Back in 2018 he rode a handful of rounds for the Halsall Racing squad when he replaced Tommy Bridewell mid-season but he was sidelined with injury after just two rounds which ruled him out of the remainder of the year.
Last year, fans were disappointed when the Chasin the Racin podcast host didn’t step up to BSB after securing the Superstock title, but Rouse, as a critical thinker and intelligent racer, was playing the long game.
The plan was always to start raising the money to enable him to compete at the top level and now he feels the time is right.
“It has always been my dream to get to British Superbikes and I feel that this is the perfect time in my life and career to make that step,” he added. “This is something I’ve been planning and working towards for a long time and I’m delighted to be making this next part of my journey with Crowe Performance once again.”