Stockbridge Motorsport
We do not just talk about being a real company. We put our name on a race bike.
Since early 2026, Stockbridge Trading has been a proud sponsor of British motorbike racer Tom Vaughan. Tom races the number 74 Yamaha R6 in the Bemsee Clubman 600 championship, and our name rides on the bike's livery, on his leathers and on his helmet, at circuits around the UK.
Meet Tom Vaughan
Tom always loved bikes but spent years assuming he was not good enough to race. He started doing track days in 2010, and after enough people told him he was wasting his talent, he took the plunge in 2018 – lining up in Rookie 600s at the age of 46.
Today he races a Yamaha R6 in the Bemsee Clubman 600 championship, a nine-round series running the length of the season. He carries the number 74 in tribute to Daijiro Kato, the 500cc Grand Prix rider Tom admired in the early 2000s as much for his laid-back style off the bike as his riding on it. He also ran the Aprilia RS660 pictured here in the Supertwin class earlier this season, under the number 94 because 74 was already taken in that class, before a run of bike problems led him to drop it and concentrate on the 600.
Ask him for a favourite circuit and the answer comes straight back: Cadwell Park. It is where he did his very first track day, and it is still the one he looks forward to – narrow, tight and twisty through Lincolnshire parkland, and home to “the mountain”, the crest that launches bikes into the air if you are carrying enough speed.
His proudest result came this year, away from the championship. Tom was invited to contest the Anglesey International 12 Hour endurance race on Saturday 11/07/2026, partnering Paul Beard in the Trophy Sport 600 class – nine in the morning until nine at night, one rider on track at a time. They finished 8th overall and first in class.
In the championship he is chasing a top-three finish. Tom is a slow starter who builds through the year, and the results bear it out: 8th after round one, then 6th, then 5th, and now 3rd with just eight points covering him and the rider behind. It will likely go to the wire at Brands Hatch in October.
Next season he steps up to the Clubman 1000 class after nine years on 600s. The Yamaha R1 is already in the garage being built into a race bike, due to be finished in October ready for winter testing in Spain. It is a serious jump: the R6 makes 118bhp, the R1 will make over 200. “Different lines, different corner entry and exit, and definitely different braking markers,” as Tom puts it. Number 74 is already reserved for it.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity appears on Tom's leathers and his helmet, and the reason is personal: the hospital has cared for two children close to him. Carrying their name is his way of saying thank you, and of putting their work in front of a few more people.
Racing is never a solo effort. Duncan Stanton has sponsored Tom for years and works the pits on race day, changing tyres and running the pit board. Matt Wetherell, his team mate for two seasons, still passes on advice and knows more than most about suspension and tyre pressures. And the encouragement from those closest to him – including a kick up the backside when it was needed – is a big part of why he is moving up to 1000s.
Why a trading company sponsors a race team
The honest answer is that we wanted to raise the profile and credibility of Stockbridge Trading.
As an online trading business, most people only ever see our name on a website, an invoice or a delivery label. We wanted to put the brand behind something real, visible and exciting, and sponsoring a racing motorbike gave us the perfect opportunity to do that.
It allows us to support a grassroots racing team while building recognition for Stockbridge Trading outside of the online marketplaces where we operate. The team's connection with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity also made the partnership even more worthwhile, helping to bring attention to an important cause alongside the racing.
Follow the journey
The 600 championship runs to its final round at Brands Hatch in October, with Tom third and fighting for a podium finish. After that, attention turns to the R1 build, winter testing in Spain and a new helmet and leathers carrying our logo for the move up to Clubman 1000. Keep an eye on this page for photos and updates.
In the meantime, you can shop our latest clearance deals, read more about us, or get in touch.