Work is going on behind the scenes as Ducati UK prepares the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup for another season of close racing.

The Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup began in 2010 as the ‘848 Challenge’ at a club championship before going on to join British Superbikes as a support series the following year. It has since evolved with riders racing the Ducati 848 Evo, 899 Panigale and 959 Panigale. The 2020 season saw the debut of the Ducati Panigale V2, powered by the twin-cylinder 955 cm³ Superquadro engine.

It proved a successful year for the new V2, taking every single win of the season, with Josh Day and Levi Day sharing the victories between them. David Shoubridge, who finished third in the Championship, switched the new motorcycle mid-season in his bid to stay as competitive as possible.

The Panigale V2 delivers an increase in power (+5 hp) and torque (+2 Nm) over the 959, with a maximum power of 155hp at 10,750rpm and a maximum torque of 104Nm at 9,000 rpm. The looks of the V2 is much closer to the bigger capacity Ducati V4.

The bike features sophisticated electronics based on a 6-axis inertial platform. The electronics package consists of Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2, a system already employed on the Panigale V4 R and V4 R SBK, ABS cornering evo, Ducati Wheelie Control and Ducati Quick Shifter EVO 2, with up/down function. The V2 has a new fairing design, an under-engine silencer, which terminates in an extremely compact right-side-only end pipe and the double-sided swingarm has been replaced with a sophisticated, fully die-cast aluminium single-sided swingarm.

Due to Covid, use of the older 959 Panigale alongside the V2 has been extended to one more season but you can expect to see all the top runners competing on V2 bikes for 2021.

A recent addition to the Ducati Cup has been the inclusion of the R&G Ducati Shield, won this year by Michael Tustin. This sees the crash protection experts support the Ducati Cup series with an additional tier of racing, with the R&G Ducati Shield open to all entrants who have not finished in the top 10 of any previous BSB support classes.

The 2021 season will see the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup contested at eight British Superbike rounds (16 races in total), with more details released in the coming weeks. The race format remains unchanged with the exception of a 110% qualification ruling coming into force.

The success of the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup has been generated from the affordability and competitiveness of the racing, but also from the camaraderie of the Ducati Cup paddock. Ducati UK directly backs the series with a race support package and is assisted by Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup Ambassador Steve Plater who attends all the rounds, where is able to give advice and act as a representative for the riders.

Steve Plater, Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup Ambassador, said: “2020 was obviously a tough year for many, but what a great year we had on track. We had five rounds at BSB, with 10 of races throughout the Championship. The pace was up there at the front and it was a great battle with the top riders, with the Championship not put to bed until Josh Day retained his title at the last round.

"It was a very successful year, following the groundwork put in to bring in some younger riders such as Elliot Pinson and Edmund Best. The good thing was that everyone who had entered prior to Covid, remained in the Championship, it was brilliant that all the guys could still get out there and compete.

"Looking forward to 2021, all the hard work at the end of 2019 has paid off. It looks like we’ll have the full subscription on the grid. It will be a strong crowd, with some younger lads coming in. Of course, in 2020 we had John McGuinness join us and he really enjoyed the Championship. It also looks like we’ll be having one or two other big names coming into the Championship which will spice it up a little bit. They will be ready to take it to the other riders on the grid, including the main man, Josh Day, who looks like he’ll be coming back to try and retain the title once again.

"It’s going to be fantastic with a good mixture of racing stars and hungry youngsters coming through. And with the strength of that grid, we’ll be making a change for the new season and enforcing a 110% qualification ruling to ensure even closer racing.

"The grid is filling up and people are contacting us to order their Panigale V2 machines, but there are a few spaces on the grid still up for grabs. People are looking ahead and making plans for next season.

"The Championship is looking really strong, made even better with the inclusion of the R&G Ducati Shield. I’d say the Ducati Cup is the best value support series for BSB. We can’t wait to get started, hopefully this time round with the fans back and cheering everyone on.”