BSSO Rookie racer’s report – round 1: CROFT | SCOOTER RACING

The 54-year-old Manchester-based locksmith (pictured above during the Blyton Park track day 2021) is going to be sharing his rookie year experiences with SLUK readers this season.

Stefan was a late starter in the scooter world, having passed his Direct Access 13 years ago he was planning to buy a BMW GS… until he bumped into an old scooter riding friend. Stefan ended up buying a Lambretta TV200 for his first scooter, followed by a GP 200 22/2. He soon swapped over to Vespa though after trying a friend’s P 210 and preferring the riding style, comfort and posture. That lead to him buying his first P Range and riding it to Mantova in Italy for Vespa World Days where the countless smallframes really caught his eye.

Having seen videos of an M200 smallie hooning around the Italian mountains he ended up buying a Primavera from Hornet Racing boss, Dave Bristow and the pair became friends. Since then Stefan has become a very proficient engine builder and has numerous fast and tasty scooter projects under his belt.

Fast forward to the Blyton Park test day in 2021 and Stefan decided to try his hand on track using a 30bhp PX 200 with 244c Quattrini engine. He’d built the scooter himself but had just sold it for £6500, the new owner allowed Stefan to use it for the day and thankfully it went home in one piece (despite a little excursion onto the gravel). Before getting on track himself, he watched some of the racers in action, Stefan told us “I’ve watched scooter racing before, when you’re watching it, knowing that you’re going out there shortly you do really start to take things a little bit more seriously. It’s so easy to look at someone on a race scooter and go ‘God I could do better than that.’ You can’t underestimate these people”.

Before long it was Stefan’s turn and the anti-clockwise track layout worked well for the PX, he was riding well and was quickly moved from ‘Novice’ to ‘Intermediate.’ Later in the day, Dave Bristow asked if he wanted him to mentor him for a couple of sessions. By the end of the day Dave had asked him to Join Hornet Racing for 2022 in Production Class. Stefan said “There were certain things that worried me though. My business was still the main concern. But when you think about the risk against reward, because that’s what it is. It’s not just me that has to worry, everyone who goes out there on the track is pushing themselves to their own personal limits. Never mind the people, you know, at the top end of the scale, your Conneeleys, your Bristows, Prices, John the Greek, Graham Tatton, Stuart McKenzie, John Woods. And there’s loads more. All those guys go out and they’ve all got work on the Monday. So, you know, risk against reward. I decided the risk was worth it and crashing on track in theory should be safer than it is on the road”.

Over winter Stefan bought a race van and built himself an MHR Production Class engine, which he put it into a V90/SS90 replica frame (sprayed in Hornet colours by Hob Nob Race Paints). He had the scooter set up at Wilkinson Racing and also built himself a spare Malossi MHR engine. Then got through the ACU course to gain his first race licence.

We’ll let Mr Manoli carry on the story for us…

Round one March 26th-27th Croft

So here we are… First of all, we went through all the bits and pieces (signing on/scrutineering) and we’re lining up for the noise test. as he checked over the scooter, I shouted to John Woods ‘what happens?’ And John said “Do your noise test and WHEN you get out on the track take your time on your first lap then leather it and get a good grid place if you can but take it easy.” Great words of advice. I did the noise test, went through the gate and joined the track… Only I was out with all the superbikes! I’m the only scooter out there and the superbikes were qualifying. On my second lap there’s a flag with a round circle and ‘62’ in it. And a guy looking rather angry pointing at me and shouting “GET OFF!” The superbikes were passing me at phenomenal speeds. And literally, oh my God, it was terrifying. Talk about jumping in at the deep end.

Group five

In Group Five there are only four scooters but at least we’re racing for points and not just track time. We’ve got Harry Smith, John the Greek, Michael Leicester and myself. I was really up for this. I got a good grid time, really good. Then went and did the Production Class qualifying. Again, I got a really good position, 13th on the grid. This was superb, I was so happy. I got a really fast lap in and then my exhaust snapped, John’s exhaust snapped as well, he’d already broken one and had borrowed my brand new spare off the other engine. Dave got the brazing tackle out but we missed the first Group Five race. However, Mike Leicester went out, he was the only Vespa rider out in Production because Harry Smith’s clutch cover broke. Mike went out, took his time and he came home with some points, which was really nice. And he got some useful track time.

Rules are rules

This is where it all changed, motorcycle rules were enforced by the track, meaning if you miss your race you have to start at the back. BSSO don’t usually use these rules. So I’d automatically lost my fantastic fourth slot on the grid. In the next race I started at the back of the pack and fought through the traffic as best I could and came second in my group. Really, really pleased with that but I was listening out all the time for the exhaust breaking again.

Then I went out in Production and I developed some serious clutch drag. They haven’t got numbers on the grid, so if you’re 13th on the grid, there’s no grid space with ’13’ on it to line up on. You’ve got rows. Row one obviously is 1,2,3 etc. I knew I was behind John the Greek and I rolled up next to Alexander Vandyke and he said ‘No, you can’t go here’ so I started to push my scooter back with it still in gear. With the clutch drag it stalled so I missed the start and they pushed me into the pits. I had a word with the clerk of the course and he said ‘Does it still run?’ I said ‘Yeah’ so he bump started me and I joined the track, literally half a lap, a mile behind everyone else. So that’s what happened in that race and because I came last in that, in my next race I had to start at the back of the grid again. I’d not lined up on my earned 13th spot at all. So the chips are down. But we’re still out there, our backs aren’t on the canvas. And in the last race, I managed to have a right good set to with Shaun Nickells. I think it was on the last lap I got in front of him so I didn’t come last in that.

Sunday

I must admit, it was great to come across the finish line in front of Harry in one of Saturday’s races. Harry’s gearing was set up at 28 and I’m on 27 on the small primary, so I had better acceleration. I knew Sunday’s racing was going to be a little bit harder because Harry has now gone 27 so he’s going to have the acceleration that I had yesterday and with Harry’s experience, I don’t expect to get past him. However, as we know in racing – anything can happen. I didn’t expect my exhaust to snap and I didn’t expect my clutch to go. It’s a brand new build engine. So the carbon plates have gone (I swapped the clutch late on Saturday evening) and today’s another story.

The good thing about today is I start in front of Harry on the grid and a few other people. So if we can get a good start… because yesterday I was having to start in neutral, get the revs up chop it into gear and by this time anyone at the side and behind of me had gone. I wasn’t able to start in gear and rev up and slip the clutch and away we go. But you know, hey ho, it was a great day yesterday and the weather was great.

Warren Wilkinson seems to be doing well with his lads and it was great of Warren to help me to push start the bloody thing with the clutch slipping in the paddock. It was also really nice to see Warren rooting for me on the line (I clocked you, thank you very much). My engine has been dialled in by him. Again, I carry his stickers on my scooter. What a nice person. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful.

Lee Abraham, another new Production lad who’s on his own camped up next to us. He had terrible, terrible problems with his engine, I felt so sorry for him. But you know what? The friendliness of the other teams on the race circuit is really heart-warming. DSC (pictured above) actually lent him a production engine. Come on, you don’t get that at club level do you? Absolutely great to see.

Hornet Racing

The whole Hornet Team were bonding over the weekend. Last year they had Scuttie (he’s still part of the team) and Danny Loder. He’s still part of the team but isn’t racing this season as I believe so we’ve got two brand new heads in there. So 50% of the team has changed this year. We’ve also got a new lad, young Ben who’s going to be joining. We’ve got Maxwell who went out on his auto 35bhp Zip, (another brand new engine and his variator snapped). Luckily he found another one and he was back out. He also had an off on the hairpin, the hairpin here is very, very vicious.

I had a coming to, side-on with Shaun Nichols. I went and apologised to him after and basically it was more 50/50 but the main thing is we both carried on.

Brakes only slow you down!

John the Greek told me he doesn’t use his brakes and uses his gears instead but this guy is poetry in motion, a bit like Graham Tatton, Dave Bristow, Smithy and Justin Price. Sorry if I missed any of you guys. Watching them ride is a lot like listening to a lovely harmony. A bit like John the Greek snoring in my van, he snores lovely. It’s like your mother rubbing your head when you’re a kid saying ‘everything will be good.’ So yeah, fantastic day. Am I’m glad I’ve done it? Early days yet. Yes, everything is ticked. The ups and the downs, the spanners are out, the oily fingers… Everything’s just been really, really good.

Hopefully, this will give you an insight into what being a rookie is and I’ve got to say this track is fabulous, I’ve been going flat out down the back straights. I’ve not got me knee on the ground but I’ve not got a lot of chicken strip left on my tyres. Just superb, lovely, lovely bends. I am dreading the rain when that comes, with the wets, I’m sure we can’t ride like we did here in the sunshine.

Before the next race Dave went over the exhaust for me and checked it was all good. I was just really happy to go out. I started my warm-up lap and got round the first bend and the exhaust started to blow again! These Malossi 136 MHR pipes are dreadful. Luckily, Dave found somebody who had a spare one to lend me, it had already been welded up as well. It certainly wasn’t a human error by us.

I finally got out again and because I didn’t start the last race I had to start at the back again. I went out at the back of the grid and had a blinder, I managed to do several 4E bikes. Fitzgerald was one of them, Phil Hallam, Shaun Nicholls, I managed to get past them and had a right tussle doing it, really living on the edge and really taking some chances. I realised that the Vespa smallframe is far quicker around the bends, and I was able to brake later. That’s where I had to do my damage and make the move and go up the outside, the inside whatever you can do to get around these lads. Bear in mind this is my first event as well, it’s quite daunting. I had a great tussle with all of the lads. Even though I’m duelling against them, I’m also learning from them. I could do them approaching the chicane if I had the bottle. But once we came out of the corner, there was a good long run into a lovely right-hand bend. I’d find the Production Lambrettas are back past me again there. Then you’ve got three right flat out right-handers, it’s very hard to get around the Lambrettas on the back straight, it’s probably a mile long. Then there’s two nice right-handers. Again, I can go about trying to get these guys behind me. Then there’s a real nasty left, right, and a real nasty hairpin. And again, it’s like a bottleneck. So I managed to get past seven scooters, and obviously those that retired, which was absolutely superb. That was the last group five race.

Production Class

I went out in the Production race and again, it was pretty much rinse and repeat. I did what I had to do and got past several people. I was really happy that the scooter was absolutely buzzing and giving me what I’ve gone to race for – some pure adrenaline and excitement.

Going into the last race I started on grid position 15 on row six. I’m in the middle of the pack. And now in my head. I’m thinking I’ve not got to fight from the back of the grid to get past some of the lads now, I might get a good result from our last race of the day. However, things didn’t pan out. We hit the first bend, a real big heavy pack of scooters. And I saw someone hit the gravel way in front of me, which I now know was Steve Wright, (who was winning some races by half a lap). As I’m coming round the outside a scooter appeared, I’m not sure who it was but he had every right to be doing what he did. He got pushed wide, which had a knock-on effect to me and I got pushed wide, I either had to hit him or throw it into the gravel, so I threw it into the gravel and kept it upright for quite a while. My motocross days had come back to me but unfortunately, the gravel got sadly deeper and I was in down to my engine so that was the end of that race. I lifted the scooter off my legs, I’d twisted my neck and shoulder so went to see the medics. The ACU doctor made me do five press-ups in leathers, I’d not done them for 35 years but hey ho, what a weekend.

I’ve never done drugs and never done anything like this in my life but Monday morning I felt like I was coming down. I’d like to say a massive thanks to the people that attended and just came to cheer me on, Paul Donnelly, Stephen, the lads from Leeds and everybody else. The lad who borrowed me the exhaust, just everyone was so bloody friendly. Warren Wilkinson for doing a fantastic job on the scooter on the tuning side and helping me to adjust shockers. People going out of their way really. Coming across the finish line, Justin Price and Warren you know give it the thumbs up. I’ve not won anything but I came from last and overtook a good seven scooters, three or four of them were in the 4E class. Mission accomplished. I had a right good set to with Harry Smith. Unfortunately, he had to retire due to scooter problems on the day which I was pretty sad about because I can see me and Harry having some really good times together and Phil Hallam. Again, Phil had problems with the stator.

Packing up after racing had finished was odd with a sore shoulder. I woke up the next morning and yeah I was in a bit of pain but I’ll be fit for purpose for this coming weekend. Mallory Park, Leicester.

Stefan Manoli #61 signing off

Photos: Main photos Col
Blyton images: Iggy

Video: Ella Bristow,
On-board video: John Chitoglou

Calling experienced racers

If any of you more experienced racers want to gain some exposure for your team and sponsors, we’d love to have your race reports during the season. If you want to get involved email: editorial@scooterlab.uk