Franco claims King of the Hill

KNYSNA, South Africa, 3 May 2024 – Franco Scribante wrote his name in the Simola Hillclimb record books once again by securing his seventh Classic Conqueror title at this year’s extremely competitive Classic Car Friday on May 3, 2024.

The intense battle between Scribante, who last won the title in 2021, and reigning champion Andre Bezuidenhout proved as thrilling as the thousands of attending fans expected. However, it was Scribante who held the advantage in each of the practice and qualifying sessions throughout the day in his rapid 1970 Chevron B19, and he repeated the feat in the Class Finals when he edged out his rival by 0.328 sec with a time of 41.796 seconds to claim the class H9 win.

In the final all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout, Bezuidenhout’s challenge faltered when the Lola’s gearbox got stuck in third gear coming out of Turn 3, and he was relegated to sixth place overall. In scorching hot conditions, Scribante’s car bogged down slightly as he launched the Chevron off the start line for the crucial last dash, but he gave it absolutely everything on the remainder of the tight and twisty 1.9km Simola Hill course. He recovered to cross the timing beam in 41.937 seconds (at an average speed of 163.1 km/h) to earn a hard-fought Classic Conqueror victory.

“After two challenging years we’re back and I’m very happy to take the win,” Scribante said. “Our game plan for today was to take the fight to our rivals from the first run and that’s what we did by leading every session. It all came together in the end and it’s a fantastic result.”

Charles Arton, the 2015 winner, enjoyed his trip back to the podium with second overall in the Top 10 Shootout with his 1979 March 79A, having set his best time of the day at 43.586 seconds. He also earned third place in class H9, behind Scribante and Bezuidenhout.

Rui Campos made history too by powering his 1974 Porsche 911 RSR to third place in the final shootout with a time of 46.730 seconds – making it the first-ever tin-top car to claim a spot on the Classic Conqueror podium. Campos was rewarded with the class H8 victory too.

James Temple finished fourth in the Top 10 in the roaring 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe and took the class H6 win, with Robert Wolk ending fifth overall in the 1979 Van Diemen RF Formula Ford. With Bezuidenhout having to settle for sixth place as he limped the car across the line, Anthony Rix ended seventh (50.586 sec) in the 1969 Lola T70 Mk3B, while Craig Wessels rounded out the results with a time of 51.179 seconds in his 1983 Porsche 911 RSR IROC.

In the other class results, Rob Prece won H7 in his 1980 Volkswagen Golf (51.170 sec), with H5 going to Ian Kilburn in the 1972 Datsun GX Coupe (53.856 sec) and Porsche specialist Gavin Rooke taking the H4 class win in his 1973 911 (52.204 sec).

While Andre Bezuidenhout endured a difficult 2024 Simola Hillclimb – including the withdrawal of his unbeaten Gould GR55 from King of the Hill due to engine failure during pre-event testing – the family name was held high by his son, Jandre. Driving his dad’s first race car, the 1985 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup, Jandre comfortably took the class H3 win with a time of 52.925 seconds.

In class H1 for the ‘golden oldies’, which is contested on a handicap basis, Callum Price emerged victorious in his 1946 Austin Special, after finishing closest to his target time (101.35%). He narrowly beat Gero Lilleike in the 1931 Ford Model A who ended on 101.83%.

Spirit of Dave Charlton Award

Each year the special ‘Spirit of Dave Charlton’ award is given to the person that reflects South African race legend Dave Charlton’s spirit of impeccable attention to detail, meticulous preparation and commendable performance.

For the 2024 Simola Hillclimb, the award went to Farouk Dangor, the owner of Speedy Car Sales and a former competitor in the South African Touring Car and Production Car championships. Dangor’s passion for racing is embodied in the Speedy Car Sales motorsport museum which features many of the cars that he raced over the years, as well as a host of racing memorabilia.

Words: Colin Mileman

Images: Rob Till

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Simola Hillclimb entries close soon

If you are hankering to get to the top and quickly, there are just a few days left to lodge your entry for the 2024 Simola Hillclimb, whether it be in the ‘Golden Oldies’ category or that rip-snorter you have been pouring your heart and soul into.

Entries close on January 31 and slots for what will be the 14th running of the event from May 02 to 05 are filling up fast. 

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“The Simola Hillclimb is an invitational event where all of the applications are reviewed according to strict criteria to ensure we deliver an exciting and diverse line-up of cars and drivers across the various classes,” says sporting director Geoff Goddard.

“We have had a superb response from Simola Hillclimb regulars and several new competitors, which has no doubt been bolstered by the high profile and success of the 2023 even and to date we have received around 140 applications, split between Classic Car Friday and King of the Hill.

“The more applications we receive the better we are placed to choose a line-up that keeps the event fresh and engaging for the spectators that attend, as well as for the many fans around the world that watch the livestream.”

Classic Car Friday allows for a maximum of 65 competitors while King of the Hill is restricted to 84 entries. Successful applicants will receive a formal invitation by February 9.

The Simola Hillclimb showcases some of the most extreme, valuable and fastest cars in the country and an equally impressive line-up of local and international drivers. Competitors vie for glory on the tight and twisty 1,9 km Simola Hill course which is located in one of South Africa’s most scenic towns along the world-renowned Garden Route.

The event comprises Classic Car Friday on May 3 for the ‘golden oldies’, as well as two days of roaring King of the Hill action on May 4 and May 5 for modern road and race cars that range from mild to completely wild.

One of the big innovations for this year is the addition of the new class B10 for Modified Street Cars. This allows enthusiast owners with modified or tuned street-legal cars to compete for class honours.

One of the main drawcards for fans attending the Simola Hillclimb is they can get close to all the action, with numerous spectacular viewpoints located along the  course, either in the formal grandstands or the open grassed areas. For the ultimate Simola Hillclimb experience, VIP Hospitality packages are available with an unrivalled view of the start line complemented by first-class catering.

The main event is supported by an extensive array of activities and attractions to enthral fans of all ages throughout the weekend including car shows and displays, the extremely popular parade laps through Knysna, regular demonstration runs, a variety of vendors in Gasoline Alley and a delectable range of local food and beverages.

Ticket sales and upgrades are open and are all seamlessly processed through the event website for General Entry, VIP Hospitality, VIP Parking, Turn 2 Grandstand or Esses Grandstand seating, as well as Pit Access tickets.

Colin Windell

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Solberg to star at Simola

Rallycross ace Petter Solberg will be adding spice to the upcoming Simola Hillclimb behind the wheel of the fiery Volkswagen Polo R WRX Supercar.

“We are very excited Petter Solberg will be making his way to South Africa to race in the Polo R WRX Supercar. Solberg’s partnership with Volkswagen started in 2017 where he set up the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team in partnership with Volkswagen Motorsport. Solberg won the Team's Championship in both 2017 and 2018 before his retirement from full-time racing. We are thrilled to have Petter come out of retirement to race for us in South Africa,” says Mike Rowe, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport.

Petter Solberg

The Simola Hillclimb is renowned as South Africa’s premier motoring and motorsport lifestyle event, garnering significant interest from local competitors and petrolheads, and from around the worldand takes place in Knysna from 4 to 7 May 2023.

Solberg is one of the best-known drivers in the World Rally Championship (WRC), becoming the first Norwegian to win the title in 2003 and wrapping up his career in 2009 with a total of 13 wins. Aside from his success on the WRC stage, Solberg stamped his mark on the World Rallycross (WRX) scene by claiming its first-ever championship crown in 2014, which he went on to repeat in 2015.

Two years later Solberg partnered with Volkswagen Motorsport to create the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team, which dominated the sport by scoring an astonishing 19 wins from 24 events over the course of 2017 and 2018. Solberg finished third overall in 2017, while the team won both the Driver and Team championships on both occasions – a remarkable success story.

It's not just Solberg’s participation at the 13th Simola Hillclimb that’s of great interest, but also the car he will be driving. Volkswagen is shipping the Polo R WRX Supercar that the team campaigned in the 2018 season to South Africa for this event. Rated as one of the most successful cars of the modern Rallycross era, it is a 419 kW/650 Nm monster that is capable of launching from a standstill to 100 km/h in a mere 1,9 seconds – so it’s guaranteed to shake things up for this year’s King of the Hill challenge in the Modified Saloon Car category!

“Having a star driver of the calibre of Petter Solberg competing in this year’s Simola Hillclimb is a thrilling prospect which significantly elevates the status of our event,” says Ian Shrosbree, MD of the Knysna Speed Festival which owns the Simola Hillclimb. “We appreciate the immense amount of work Volkswagen SA has put into securing Solberg and the remarkable Polo R WRX Supercar, and its commitment as one of our partners for 2023.

“Solberg has a huge following around the world, and it will be great to see him in action in Knysna,” Shrosbree says. “For many people, it will be fascinating to see how the championship-winning Polo R WRX Supercar performs on the 1.9 km Simola Hill, and how it fares against the wild locally-developed cars that dominate the Modified Saloon Car category.

“The participation of Solberg and the Polo, together with another six car brands having official entries in the event, is a vindication of our change of strategy in 2020 to facilitate greater involvement by South African OEMs in the Hillclimb.”

Fierce home-bred competition

The Solberg VW entry certainly ramps up the excitement and anticipation for the epic King of the Hill battle set to play out in the Modified Saloon Car category, but it will be up against a formidable armada of some of the world’s most extreme and powerful tin-top race cars, many of which are purpose-built for the Simola Hillclimb.

Franco Scribante’s radical Nissan GT-R is already a hillclimb legend around the world, using its time attack-inspired multi-wing design along with huge power (estimated to be capable of around 1 500 hp) to devastating effect by claiming the 2019 and 2022 King of the Hill titles. Last year Scribante threw down the gauntlet and set a new record of 38,129 seconds at an average speed of 179.4 km/h – from a standing start!

And, as a four-time King of the Hill (and six-time Classic Car Friday winner), Scribante arguably knows the tight and twisty 1,9 km Simola Hillclimb road course better than anyone.

“We have continued with the development of the GT-R since last year and hopefully sorted out the gearbox so that we can add more boost,” Scribante says. “The competition is always tough, but I believe that a 37-second time is possible, so that’s what we will be striving for this year.”

Scribante’s most fervent challenge is once again expected to come from Reghard Roets in the mean BB Motorsport Nissan GT-R, referred to by the team as ‘Armageddon’. As a three-time Road Car and Supercar King of the Hill winner, Roets had his first outing in the Modified Saloon Car category in 2022 and was regularly trading fastest times with Scribante. Unfortunately, several technical problems hampered the car last year, and Roets wasn’t able to contest the all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout.

Dawie Joubert

“Although the chink in our armour has been reliability issues, there is no team or driver that has spent so much time over the last year ironing out the niggles with many late nights and early mornings toiling in the workshop, and long days at the track getting Armageddon to turn lap record times for lap after lap,” Roets says. “The engine power, suspension and aero package have been optimised, with car and driver going on a diet to boot. I believe this year is going to be one of the biggest battles yet.”

There are numerous other Nissan GT-Rs sure to be in the mix for the overall title and the class B5 honours for unlimited four-wheel drive cars, including the wild Nissan GT-Rs driven by Martin and Jody van Zummeren, competing against the pair of highly tuned Audi S4 machines of Aldo and Silvio Scribante, and a turbocharged Audi R8 V10 driven by Dayne Riley.

Class B3 is home to the four-cylinder 4WD beasts – and yes, the headline act will be Petter Solberg in his VW Polo R WRX. He will be up against regular Top 10 contender Anton Cronje in his powerful Subaru WRX STi, along with Pierre Bester in a Mercedes-AMG A45 and Knysna resident Tanya Watts in her Subaru Impreza.

Anton Cronje

At the opposite end of the 4WD performance car spectrum is the unusual unlimited SUV and bakkie (pick-up) class. This year sees Ford South Africa taking up the Simola Hillclimb challenge with its recently launched Ranger Raptor, which employs a 3,0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine to produce an astonishing 292 kW. Ford has teamed up with a media partner for its showroom-spec Ranger Raptor entry, and called on circuit racing and cross country ace Anthony Taylor to occupy the driver’s seat.

A second Ranger Raptor V6 will also take to the start line, driven by Knysna’s Fred van Heerden.

The two Fords will face off against BB Motorsport’s Arnold du Plessis in the mean-looking modified Nissan Patrol Black Hawk, which features a 396kW supercharged 5.6-litre V8 engine.

Two-wheel drive action

Several of the two-wheel drive unlimited class B4 entrants will be vying for the King of the Hill crown against the most extreme 4WD machinery, including last year’s runner-up, Charl Joubert in the turbocharged 3,5-litre V6 Honda-powered Lotus Elise, his brother Dawie in the Ferrari 488-engined Lotus Exige, as well as 2021 winner Pieter Zeelie in this Toyota MR2 Super GT.

With constant improvements Zeelie has developed his car into a serious challenger for overall honours and his experience of racing the car, and winning his class, in an international hillclimb in Germany will stand him in good stead for this year’s event.

For the most spectacular on-the-ragged-edge driving, you won’t find much better than Wade van Zummeren in his manic rear-wheel drive Nissan GT-R which he powered into an impressive third place last year.

Two-wheel drive four-cylinder cars slot into class B2, featuring Graeme Nathan who will be back again in the VW Polo SupaCup car, Hyundai South Africa’s Josh Lowe who will compete for the first time in the Hyundai i30N that he races in the Vilaca time attack series, Clare Vale in her Subaru BRZ, and another Knysna local, Mike Verrier, who returns to the Simola Hillclimb this year in a hot VW Golf GTi.

The naturally aspirated race cars in class B7 (eight cylinders and up) comprise Ricky Giannoccaro’s Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, Giacomo Giannoccaro’s BMW Z4 GT3 V8,  Pieter Joubert’s thundering 6,2-litre V8 AMG-powered Lotus Exige and a 1985 7.0-litre Cobra.

As the lone entrant in class B6 for six-cylinder cars, Geoff Goddard Jnr will be behind the wheel of the iconic BMW 325i Shadowline that was raced by the likes of his father, Geoff, and Tony Viana during the heydays of Stannic Group N.

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Colin-on-Cars - Simola Hillclimb gains new backing

Since inception, the size, status and relevance of the annual Simola Hilclimb has grown exponentially along with the speed, ferocity and technical innovation of the vehicles that clamour for inclusion – with all available slots taken up well before the event itself.

This motoring and motor sport lifestyle event has been given a further boost for this year’s 13th edition, as a record number of vehicle manufacturers are set to join the action. The 2023 Simola Hillclimb, which takes place from 4 to 7 May, will see six manufacturers supporting the event with official entries, with four of the brands also signing up as event partners.

“For the past three years we have been working exceptionally hard to expand the manufacturer support and participation in the Simola Hillclimb to broaden its appeal for spectators and competitors, and give the vehicle brands an unrivalled platform to highlight their latest products,  performance and heritage,” says Ian Shrosbree, managing director of the Knysna Speed Festival which runs the Simola Hillclimb.

“Moving away from having a manufacturer as a title sponsor from the 2021 event onwards allowed us to engage with other brands, and we have been encouraged by a steady growth in involvement each year,” Shrosbree says. “We are delighted to have six manufacturers lined up for this year, which elevates the profile and status of the Simola Hillclimb to even greater heights.”

Suzuki

Suzuki Auto South Africa is a Tier 1 partner for 2023, marking its third consecutive year of sponsoring the event.

“The Simola Hillclimb provides a platform to showcase Suzuki’s fun, exciting and passionate personality that stretches beyond our repertoire of providing affordable, fun and sporty compact cars and motorcycles,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager at Suzuki Auto SA.

“Globally, the Suzuki brand has a very strong heritage and enviable reputation of building crazy, and often record-breaking, high-powered hillclimb monsters such as Monster Tajima’s Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak and the Suzuki SX4 Pikes Peak Special,” Carpenter says. “The Simola Hillclimb gives us an opportunity to dabble in the South African motor sport scene, and has become a highlight on our annual event calendar.”

Along with its Tier 1 sponsorship, for the second year in a row Suzuki will feature two standard Swift Sport entries competing in the standard production class. The company will also display the latest addition to its SUV line-up, and fans can look forward to demonstration runs with its newest motorcycle offerings.

BMW

Following its participation as an entrant last year, BMW South Africa has stepped up its involvement to become a Tier 1 partner for the 2023 Simola Hillclimb.

“We had a very enthusiastic response from the BMW team last year, and we are delighted to welcome the company on board as a Tier 1 partner for 2023,” Shrosbree says.

While the vehicle and driver line-up is still being finalised, fans can be assured there will be lots to look forward to.

“BMW’s presence at this year’s Simola Hillclimb will be a celebration of our heritage in South Africa on Classic Car Friday, as well as a look towards our future and our expanding electromobility portfolio in the King of the Hill Shootout,” says Thilosh Moodally, General Manager: Group Communications and External Affairs, BMW Group South Africa.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen has progressively stepped up its participation in the Simola Hillclimb over the past couple of years, and has signed up as a Tier 2 partner for 2023.

“This event is the most fun one can have in Knysna! It is a showcase of both driver capability and the incredible engineering in our Volkswagen products,” says Mike Rowe, Volkswagen Driving Experience Manager. “We use it as an opportunity to entertain important guests as well as to demonstrate new Volkswagen products and motorsport drivers to the elite motoring fanatics.”

The Volkswagen line-up will include the powerful Polo SupaCup race car that featured in the 2022 event, along with two Golf R entries in the production vehicle class.

“There will be a fourth very exciting car, but we can’t reveal the details yet,” Rowe says.

Honda

Joining the fray for the first time as a Tier 2 partner is Honda Motor Southern Africa.

“This is the first time that Honda will be participating in the Simola Hillclimb, and we are delighted to be a Tier 2 partner for this prestigious event,” says Letitia Herold, Marketing and PR Manager, Honda Motor Southern Africa.

“For King of the Hill, we are entering a highly anticipated new performance car that will be launched just before the Simola Hillclimb. It will be driven by one of South Africa’s best-known racing drivers, so we expect that there will be lots of interest from the enthusiastic spectators. Fans can look forward to demo runs up Simola Hill as well, and we will be involved in the Fan Fest activities too, so there will be lots to look forward to.”

Hyundai

Hyundai South Africa returns as the media shuttle partner for the second consecutive year, supplying the Staria buses to transport the press contingent to designated photographic locations along the Simola Hill course.

More noteworthy for hot hatch fans, though, is the official entry of the Hyundai i30N, which will be driven by Joshua Lowe, Hyundai’s Regional Sales and N-sport Manager.

“Hyundai N products such as the i30N and Kona N closely align themselves to motorsport and were developed to be track stars for the road,” Lowe says.

“We have entered our i30N which we raced in the Johannesburg-based Vilaca Racing time attack series in 2022, where it finished second in the FWD modified class in stock form,” Lowe says. “For this year the vehicle has a few basic modifications for the track, but is essentially what you can expect from the factory vehicle. We look forward to showing the South African public what the i30N is capable of.”

Ford

Fresh from its South African launch, the new V6-powered Ford Ranger Raptor will provide an unusual twist on the performance vehicle theme with the backing of Ford South Africa, and will compete in the unlimited class for sports utility/activity vehicles and bakkies.

“We are excited about participating in the 2023 Simola Hillclimb for the first time with a media partner,” says Minesh Bhagaloo, General Manager, Communications at Ford South Africa. “The Simola Hillclimb is a fantastic event, and fans will get to see the exhilarating Next-Generation Ranger Raptor in action. It is powered by a 292 kW 3,0-litre V6 EcoBoost engine which makes it our most powerful Ranger yet. We are confident that the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor will be a great attraction at this year’s event, and on our media partner’s social platforms.”

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