Tadworth youngster Wesley Pearce will make the step up to the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship in 2012 after signing to ride for the Guisborough-based SMR Performance team.

Twenty-two-year-old Pearce spent last year in the Ducati 848 Challenge where he was a regular points scorer but now wants to make the switch to national level racing and be a regular in the  British Superbike paddock. He will have Tommy Hill and Ian Hutchinson as team-mates as they also race in the team’s Swan Yamaha colours, so he will have plenty of experience on which to call.

“This season was my first in racing and after a couple of runs out with Bemsee, I moved to the Ducati 848 Challenge halfway through the season. I decided to stick with it when I raced at Monza but I really felt like I wanted to move into a national class and spoke to Shaun at SMR,” said Pearce.

“We mulled over the options and decided that going into Superstock 1000 was the way forward given my age. The package we have under us is proven as Tommy Hill is British Superbike Champion, so I can’t wait to get out there and see what I can do in with the big boys.”