In April 2022, British scooter racing suffered its first-ever fatality when Stefan Manoli was killed during his debut season. Stefan was widely known as a kind, enthusiastic figure within the smallframe Vespa racing community and a proud member of Team Hornet, a team dedicated to racing smallframe machines.
The tragedy sent shockwaves through the sport. Dave Bristow, head of Hornet Racing and chair of the British Scooter Sport Organisation, found himself in the impossible position of losing a close friend while also being responsible for managing the organisational response to the incident. Dave has since described the period as deeply distressing for everyone involved.
Following Stefan’s death, his wife Shelley and daughter Nat made a remarkable request: that Stefan’s badly damaged race scooter be given to Dave, in the hope that it could one day be rebuilt and returned to the track. They believed Stefan would have wanted his machine to continue racing.
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When the wrecked scooter eventually arrived at Dave’s workshop, it was in a severely damaged state. The engine was salvaged for Team Hornet spares, something Dave felt Stefan would have approved of. The frame, however, was harder to face. For over a year, Dave could not bring himself to work on it.
Eventually, the chassis was dipped and sandblasted. While much of it was beyond repair, the main frame spine was deemed salvageable. It was sent to John McLoughlan, who carefully jigged and straightened it. New legshields and a replacement rear end were sourced, and with just nine weeks before the new season, the rebuild began in earnest.
The scooter was painted by Essex Italia, and after three days of intensive work — encouraged throughout by Shelley — the machine was completed. Dave admits the emotional complexity of racing a bike that once belonged to a fallen friend, but believes Stefan would have wanted it back on the circuit.
Today, Dave races the rebuilt Vespa wearing a black armband in Stefan’s memory. He says that while racing, his focus is purely competitive, but once back in the paddock, the significance returns. After each meeting, he cleans and checks the scooter carefully, often thinking of Stefan.
The machine is currently leading its championship — a possibility that brings mixed emotions. Whether it ultimately wins or not, Dave believes Stefan would be smiling either way.
Scooters may be metal and machinery, but within the racing community they carry something more. As Dave puts it, the soul of the scooter lives in that frame — and a part of Stefan’s spirit rides with it every time #63 takes to the track.
Original article from Scootering Magazine, written by Paul Green. To subscribe, please visit https://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/scootering
