A Special Moment at Donington 2009

1994: SuperSport 600

Few people know that my father, Octavian Vrăjitoru, took part in several rounds of the European Supersport Championship in 1994. At that time, there was no 600cc World Championship, so the European Championship served as a support class for WorldSBK. The last race he competed in was at Donington Park. There, after not receiving rain tyres, he was forced to race on slicks in wet conditions and suffered a highside crash in The Esses chicane, breaking his collarbone.

2009: UEM Superstock 600

In 2009, together with my brother Mircea, I competed in the European Superstock 600 Championship, a junior class within the WorldSBK structure, with one of the rounds taking place at Donington.

After an official practice session, a man named Mike came to our team tent. He was carrying a film camera and a printed list of all riders entered in the championship. He told us he wanted to take a photo of my brother and me standing together, as collecting rider photographs was one of his passions.

He then mentioned that he had noticed the name Vrăjitoru on the entry list and had specifically come to find us to ask whether we were related to Octavian. We told him that he was our father — and that he was actually there with us. We introduced them, as my father had just returned to the tent, and Mike then took a photograph from his pouch: a picture of my father taken in 1994.

We were deeply impressed, especially because we ourselves didn’t have any photos of our father from that period. The fact that someone in the UK had preserved that image from 1994 until 2009 helped us better understand the scale and culture of motorsport there.

Two weeks later, we received the developed photographs by mail. Every time I look at them, I remember this unexpected and meaningful moment.