MotorcycleRaceParts | TYSERS
BSB Silverstone 2022
Tunstall Takes on Fresh Challenge
For 2022 Yorkshire rider Tom Tunstall embarked on a new challenge. Taking to the popular Ducati Cup championship and enjoyed a strong start. With a brace of 2nd place finishes aboard his MotorcycleRaceParts Ducati.
The Ducati Trioptions Cup runs alongside the British Superbike series, plus a support race at World Superbikes and consists of around 35 riders with a wide level experience. Each mounted on closely matched Ducati 955 V2 Race bikes.
Following a 2021 season blighted with technical issues and brought to an early finish with injury. Tom Tunstall was looking for a fresh challenge for his 28th consecutive season racing and explained the decision:
“It’s fair to say 2021 didn’t go to plan. We didn’t get any momentum in the season and a competitive push for a full season of Superstock became out of our reach financially. In some ways the opportunity in the Ducati Cup has been a blessing.
We’re very grateful to TYSERS Insurance brokers for their continued loyal support. It’s our 15th season together which must make them one of the longest standing commercial partners in the BSB paddock. And underlines their commitment and enthusiasm for Motorsports.
We’re racing under our own company MotorcycleRaceParts banner in 2022. Our business imports race parts including those developed alongside Ducati factory teams. And we’ve been supporting and supplying parts to many teams in the Ducati Cup for a number of years. Plus we support MotoRapido in BSB and they have been very helpful with the race bike build so it’s a been a great fit.”
Aside from an early preseason trip to Spain testing on the new machine had been limited in the UK. Tunstall was still very much on a learning curve as the opening round got underway at Silverstone over the Easter Weekend.
Placed 2nd in both free practice and qualifying behind seasoned Ducati racer David Shoebridge. The trend continued in the first of the weekends two races as he held 2nd from the first corner. Until a crash brought a red flag ending the race three laps prematurely.
Starting 4th on the grid for Sunday’s second encounter, Tunstall was soon up to third and on the back of Max Lofthouse. When another Red flag stopped proceedings meaning the result would be taken from a 5 lap dash!
A hectic and crash strewn race saw Tunstall cross the line in third but later promoted to 2nd as a technical issue saw Lofthouse disqualified from the results.
“Its been a good first weekend on the Ducati. It’s a great bike, good fun but quirky and I’m still learning how to get the best from myself and the bike. Although Dave [Shoebirdge] has got a few tenths a lap on me at the moment we are not a million miles away. And he’s got a 6 year head start on me in the class! Most importantly I’m enjoying my racing again. I can’t wait to get my teeth stuck into it with some more experience with the bike. Roll on round 2!.
The second round of the Ducati Cup is held at the Donington Park BSB round over the 20-22nd May weekend
