Lewis Rollo triumphant in the rain at Donington Park

The motorcyclist excelled in the treacherous wet conditions to build up a lead of eight seconds by the halfway stage.

Rollo was able to ease off in the second half of the race and took the chequered flag more than five seconds ahead of second-placed Davey Todd and a further two seconds clear of Tim Neave.

The race winner described the triumph as “unreal, absolutely amazing” after a difficult year.

The 22-year-old joined the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team ahead of the season and had expressed hopes of challenging for the National Superstock 1000 title.

However, mechanical gremlins have limited his time at the front of the pack.

Rollo was quick to praise his team for their efforts in turning the campaign around and said that the victory was as much for them as it was for himself.

Lewis Rollo en route to a first victory of the season at Donington Park in wet conditions. Picture: Tim Keeton - Impact Images

He said: “It has been a hard year for me mentally.

“I had gone into the season wanting to win the championship.

“When things are not going your way, it gets harder and harder, not just for me but my family, sponsors, supporters and the team.

“They never put pressure on me but we all want me to do as well as I can. They want me to succeed and then things are not going right, it is hard on everybody.

“The last seven or eight laps were the longest probably in my career but it has been such a hard year.

“I burst into tears crossing the line; it meant so much.”

Each of the teams lined the pit lane to welcome the victorious Rollo on his Kawasaki before he was greeted by his family and team owner Lee Hardy.

Rollo added: “They were emotional as well because it has been hard for them as well.

“It is my team’s first win in Superstock 1000 and they have only run it a few times and not run one in recent years.

“They have taken me on this year and it has been hard but it is good to get a victory for them.”

Lewis Rollo en route to a first victory of the season at Donington Park in wet conditions. Picture: Tim Keeton - Impact Images

Rollo, who lives between Gifford and Haddington, took third spot at the Leicestershire circuit in similar conditions earlier in the season.

However, despite the success, he revealed that he was not a fan of the challenging weather conditions.

He said: “I hate it!

“The wet is so hard because in the dry you have always got grip.

“It does change but you can understand it.

“You know the temperature, you know the wind and you know what it is going to be like.

“When you are out in the wet, every time it rains it is different.

“One part of the track is wetter than the other, one dries quicker, there are different types of tarmac round the circuit, some white lines you can use and some rumblestrips you can use, while there are others you cannot.

“It is trying to find where the grip is and sometimes in the dry you have a slide and can save it because you have got the grip.

“In the wet, 90 per cent of those slides cause you to crash.

“You need to be a lot more precise in the wet, you are gentle on the throttle and the brakes and work into it, but that’s hard when you have 30 boys on the grid wanting to get to the lead and win!

“You have got to work out the pace but not push hard enough that you crash.

“I don’t really enjoy the wet – it is horrible!”

The mechanical problems which have disrupted Rollo’s season returned in the second race on Sunday.

The racer told Courier Sport he was pushing as hard as he could but a spill at the hairpin brought his race to a premature close.

Now, attention turns to the season’s finale at Brands Hatch on October 17.

Weather conditions could again play a role in determining who is challenging not only for victory but for the championship.

Rollo added: “We will try to hit the ground running on Friday for practice and get a good place for Sunday’s race.”