Introducing SLUK’s BSSO rookie – George Fielder | SPORT

At the start of each race season, ScooterLab tries to give rookie racers a platform to show what they’re doing during their first year.

For 2024, we’ve got the youngest BSSO rider in years writing blogs for us. George Fielder is still only 14 years old.

George hails from Southampton and comes from a scootering family. His dad, Rob runs TeamGeorge Scooters and both parents are scooterists, although mum doesn’t do rallies any more. Rob also races under the TeamGeorge banner and will be competing in Group 4e alongside his son.

Here’s how George got the racing bug and helped change the BSSO regulations to allow him to race a geared scooter.

Iggy

My name is George Fielder – the youngest BSSO racer since 2009.

I’ve had a dream ever since watching my dad race his P-range Vespa around fast tracks like Lydden Hill and Cadwell Park. After last year I thought ‘Its finally the year for me to accomplish this long-held dream of racing’. I approached Dave Bristow from Hornet Scooters, he helped me find all the rules and regulations about how to build my scooter. At first, I was limited to a 70cc Piaggio Zip with a 19mm carb, which wasn’t safe compared to today’s modern motors and capabilities. Also, I don’t know much about the newer scooters. I contacted Dave again looking for some more advice and answers. The ACU states that anybody aged 13 onwards can race a 125cc scooter. I asked Dave whether I could race a 125cc, and he replied “Give me a few days.” Almost a week later and after various meetings, he came back and gave me the go-ahead to race a 125cc geared scooter. 

Rob Fielder’s old race bike…

TeamGeorge

I dragged down an old Vespa PK that had been lying around in my dad’s shop. It was already prepped as it used to be one of his race bikes.

Thanks mum!

All I needed now was an engine – my mum had an old smallframe which she did rallies on. She decided to give me her engine for the 2024 season as it was a Parmakit 125. As soon as I heard that news I got straight down to the shed and dragged her scooter out from under all of the mess and took it straight back to the shop, took the engine out and rebuilt it.

ACU theory

Once my scooter was done, I approached the Auto Cycle Union about getting my licence. They set me up with a test day on the 4th of March. Conveniently, we had arranged to do a stall at the Mammoth Parts Fair that day. Me and Adie Horrocks then set up in the pub on site where we had to take a Zoom call and test to complete our licenses.

George leads Adie during the test day

Out on track

We passed the theory with flying colours. The next part was the fun bit. Me and Adie were accompanied by my dad (Rob) and Andrew Sharkey to the Darley Moor test day on the 3rd of March.

The day went better than planned with two ‘races’ after that, me and Adie had passed our ACU tests and got the approval for our licenses. This was the next big step to getting out racing. After that, I waited a couple of weeks until the 22nd of March, which was my first official BSSO event – the Darley Moor test day. I had an amazing day and all the help from the community in the pits was fantastic. The scooter played up, teaching me a lesson that racing never always goes your way. Even after breaking the casings I still had an amazing day completing a few races and an amazing start to my BSSO journey. I’ll be out at Lydden Hill for my first race meeting on 20th-21st April.

Cheers George #229

Track images: Paul Naylor

You can see the full list of race dates here.