TOM TUNSTALL heads to the season finale of the Mirror.co.uk Cup with third place in his sights – and the Denby Dale ace insists he won’t be resting until he has his hands on the silverware.

Tunstall has had eight appearances on the podium to be just 19.5 points off third.

Riders Racing rider Martin Jessopp is the man to topple but after an encouraging display at Round 11 at Silverstone, Tunstall is adamant he can pip him to the post.

“Silverstone was a good meeting for me and I have taken a lot of confidence out of it, especially with how well I qualified, and my pace in race one,” said Tunstall.

“The Cup has really improved this year and to be getting on the podium you have to be in the top 15 of the main championship which is a really good effort.

“What is really important for me now is that I go to Oulton Park and make sure I give everything I can.

“If I can get on the podium at Oulton Park and hopefully end up in the top three then that would be a good way to end the year.”

It will be all change in the British Superbike paddock next season with the Mirror.co.uk Cup competition being replaced by the BSB ‘Evolution’ class.

But with the big money factory teams allowed to pit their wits against the privateer teams in the all new ‘Evo’ class, Tunstall admits he may be forced to race elsewhere.

“I am not sure about the Evo class yet,” added Tunstall. “If we were to race in that then we would have to be making a lot of changes to our bike to make it compatible.

“Also with the factory teams allowed in against the privateers it is not going to be easy to compete on a level playing field, so I think we will wait and see exactly what the rule changes are before I make a decision.”

British Eurosport 2 has live coverage from every round of the 2009 British Superbike Championship. See Sky channel 411 or Virgin Media channel 525. Next races at Oulton Park on Saturday and Sunday, and for updates head to uk.eurosport.yahoo.com