Rollo targets podium as he gets ready for Brands Hatch test

The National Superstock 1000 rider came within just over half a second of finishing in the top three at Knockhill earlier this month and wants to go one step further in Kent this weekend.

The Royal Air Force Kawasaki rider felt the team was heading in the right direction, with the fourth and fifth races of the season coming up.

Speaking about the last round at Knockhill, where Rollo led before finishing sixth and fourth, he said: “I was disappointed because every racer wants to win.

“I think it was good for the team because they got a wee bit back.

“To see their bike leading the race, they were over the moon and they are there for the same reason as me.

“For my family, friends and sponsors, who only manage to get to Knockhill and cannot make it to the other rounds, to see me at the sharp end and fighting there was good for them and for me.”

The results at Knockhill were enough to propel Rollo up to sixth in the championship standings and only five points off third.

Lewis Rollo (right) is gearing up for Brands Hatch. Picture: Lee Hardy Racing

The Fife circuit is known for its undulating track, with the next round at Brands Hatch – which has been used for a wide variety of motorsport, including Formula 1 and British Touring Cars – following a similar theme.

Twenty-two-year-old Rollo was looking forward to another testing weekend.

He said: “It is such a strange track.

“It is such a hard track to learn and the thing with Brands Hatch is that where it is based means you only get so many ‘noise days’ a year.

“You can only really race there and you cannot do track days so nobody gets that advantage.

“One of the hardest things to do is you have got to learn the track on just the race weekends.

“It takes quite a bit to get used to it but, once you get used to it, it is one of the best tracks in the world.

“Once you get a flow you are going up and down, round fast corners, tight corners, cambered corners and you are dropping 50 metres, maybe even more, from the top of the hill at 100 miles per hour.”

Rollo finished third in the prestigious championship last year behind Chrissy Rouse.

However, the East Lothian rider, who lives between Gifford and Haddington, has since swapped the In Competition Aprilia for a Kawasaki.

Both the team and Rollo are adjusting to working with each other and the new bike but the rider felt the relationship was moving in the right direction.

He was keen to be strong at Brands Hatch “from the get go” and said: “I think we are in a window now where it is quite competitive.

“It is just getting those last wee bits together.

“We have been working on a lot of things and I think the more I get laps under my belt and get on the bike, the more confident I am getting.”