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.

https://bit.ly/43rZgIV

Colin-on-Cars - Electric Volvo truck on the road

The first electrically-powered extra-heavy Volvo truck is on South African roads as part of the homologation testing ahead of delivery to the first customer, KDG Logistics.

Eric Parry, Volvo Trucks SA’s sustainable solutions manager, took the Volvo FM 4x2 truck-tractor through its paces on a trip from the company’s dealer in Durban to its facilities in Johannesburg – a 600 km journey, with only one stop for charging.

“We aimed to prove that an extra heavy electric truck like this, can drive long distances. Even though we did not carry any payload, it still gave us a good indication of just what this truck is capable of,” says Parry. “Generally, battery electric trucks are used in regional distribution, operating in and around cities, running from distribution centres to stores, etc. But with proper planning, customers will be able to do so much more.”

Volvo Trucks South Africa is bringing in its complete extra-heavy electric truck range, which includes FH, FM and FMX models in truck-tractor and rigid configurations. Axle combinations will also include 4x2 through to 8x4 models. The full load on the first FM units will be 44 tonnes GCM (Gross Combination Mass). With a drive line that has 490 kW of power and 2 400 Nm of torque, it will definitely not struggle to get the job done.

“Locally, there has been a lot of activity and interest around electromobility, a lot quicker than we anticipated, and the enthusiasm and opportunities in South Africa are there,” says Sally Rutter, Volvo Trucks South Africa’s sales director. “Irrespective of local challenges when it comes to loadshedding and infrastructure, a lot of customers are looking at setting up their own charging infrastructures to accommodate electromobility and their own sustainability goals.”

“These trucks can run meaningful kilometres in a day and if you have your charging set-up optimised, you can extend that range quite comfortably and match your operations to it,” added Parry. “Within regional operations, public charging is not relevant for these types of fleets and having control of their own charging will allow customers to fix their energy costs.”

Volvo Trucks electric trucks are designed to operate in a wide range of climates and environments. This includes higher altitudes and warmer conditions typically found in South Africa.

“These electric trucks will be working commercial vehicles, and are designed to be treated and driven as such,” said Parry. “We are excited about Volvo Trucks’ electromobility future in South Africa.”

https://bit.ly/43fk9qy

Colin-on-Cars - Nissan taps into Africa

Nissan Africa has revised its management structure to strengthen its foray into the African auto market.

“These are clear signals of the importance of Africa to Nissan globally through this new increased focus on the continent” says Joni Paiva who was newly appointed as Africa President. Paiva will also continue his current position as Divisional Vice President, overseeing Sales and Marketing, India.

Sherief Eldessouky has been appointed Managing Director of Nissan Africa with effect from April 1, 2023, replacing Mike Whitfield, who will now become the Group Strategic Advisor for Policies, Political Affairs and External Relations.

Sherief Eldessouky

“I am thrilled about this opportunity, I have been given,” says Whitfield who established Nissan Africa as a regional business unit in 2020 “Africa is a key market with an unmatched growth potential and the way we unlock that will be through a combination of intelligent mobility solutions and creating a coalition of willing countries to develop a thriving and sustainable automotive manufacturing industry.

Mike Whitfield

Eldessouky, who previously combined the twin roles of being Nissan Egypt country director and driving the transformation of Nissan Africa, has spent his life in the automotive industry in a career that has taken him from his native Egypt to Brazil, China, Korea, the United States and Uzbekistan, among others.

He joined Nissan in 2020 as head of the OEM’s automotive manufacturing operation in Egypt and was appointed country director at the end of that year.

“Nissan is well positioned on the continent, with an incredible legacy,” says Eldessouky, our job as a management team has been to establish just how we bring more wealth and value to a region with promising automotive growth opportunities with its rate of 42 vehicles per 1 000 compared to the global average of 182.”

Joni Paiva

“I am confident that with the team we have in Africa and the support that we get from our Nissan colleagues in the rest of the world, that we will achieve this.”

The position of country director Nissan Egypt will be filled by Mohamed Samad, who will return to Cairo from Japan where he has been based. Kabelo Rabotho remains country director for Nissan South Africa.

Maciej Klenkiewicz, currently Managing Director RBU Central Eastern Europe (CEE) will expand current scope to include Independent Markets Africa, making the most of his previous ASEAN importer management experience replacing Hide Kuwayama who is assuming a new position in Nissan’s global headquarters.

“These are exciting times for Nissan Africa,” says Paiva. “We have a very strong management team in place to drive the medium-term plan of ‘Let’s Build’ and to deliver the mobility solutions that Africa needs.”

The appointment are the latest iterations in a raft of changes and consolidations, which have seen Nissan Africa take responsibility for the North African territories of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia last year.

Visitors and delegates to the Africa Automotive Show and the Intra Africa Trade Fair in Abidjan in November will be able to hear about the full spectrum of growth within Africa of the auto industry, both in terms of sales and manufacturing or assembly.

https://bit.ly/3U75Lgb

Colin-on-Cars - New parts store for Chery

The Chery brand has taken off in South African and the local company has now opened a new parts warehouse in Parkhaven, Boksburg that will house stock worth around R70-million of 4 500 part lines.

“In 2022, Chery’s first full year of sales, the company welcomed 13 142 new customers to the brand. This is a new record for any new entrant in the South African market and it makes Chery the seventh most popular brand in the country. We hope to further improve on this ranking in 2023,” says Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa.

“Our choice of the warehouse in Boksburg gives us easy access to all main arteries in and out of Gauteng. It will allow us to dispatch parts to every dealership every day and to receive parts and components for storage throughout the day and night,” says Liu.

The new warehouse not only represents a major increase in size but also in complexity. The new facility uses state-of-the-art electronic identification systems to easily find, pick and dispatch stock.

“We are aiming for an industry-leading fill rate of 98%, which will ensure that customers do not wait longer than normal to have their vehicles serviced or repaired,” says Floris du Toit Head of Aftersales Services at Chery South Africa.

Adequate

Du Toit notes the fill rate also applies to repair parts for vehicles damaged in an accident. Chery South Africa already holds more than adequate body panels and other vehicle replacement parts that can be ordered by any of its 117 nationally approved panel shops in South Africa.

Chery has steadily expanded its range of lifestyle and functional accessories, including electrically retractable side steps on the Tiggo 8, a range of tow bars for all vehicles and additional cargo and styling solutions for the Tiggo range.

These accessories will be stocked at the new warehouse and delivered, with a comprehensive warranty, to all dealers in the Chery network.

“We hope to instil the same level of confidence in our range of Chery accessories as we do in our products. As such, we encourage our customers to buy and fit their accessories directly from their nearest dealer to make sure that it remains within warranty,” says Liu.

These benefits will also apply to customers of Chery’s new fleet-sales division. 

“Chery has seen a significant increase in sales to large fleet operators. Many of these fleet companies have strict requirements for the amount of time that a vehicle is allowed to be booked in for services or repairs. Our new warehouse will ensure that we not only meet but exceed these strict requirements,” says Du Toit

Aside from offering significantly more warehouse space and easy access for delivery vehicles, the new warehouse also has space available for future expansion. Chery is also investigating smaller regional distribution centres that would further improve parts distribution by placing the high volume service parts closest to customers.

https://bit.ly/3TVbsh2

Colin-on-Cars - Stellantis moves into Algeria

The automotive march into Africa has taken another major step with the launch of six Fiat model lines onto showroom floors ahead of the the Tafraoui - Oran plant construction phase that will be completed by August 2023.

Fiat is a part of the Stellantis Group stable and Olivier François, Fiat brand CEO, says: “We celebrate the return to Algeria of Fiat: an iconic brand with one of the five longest automotive traditions in the world. Since 1899 our brand's mission hasn’t changed: providing accessible, intelligent answers to each customer’s mobility needs.

“The 500 Hybrid will be the first Fiat to be built here followed rapidly by the Doblò and, in a few years, a brand-new model - now still in the hands of our designers - will also be produced in Algeria.”

“Supporting the Fiat project and hence, the development of the automotive ecosystem in Algeria has an historical symbolism that reflects the long-lasting good relations between the two countries. By combining our efforts, this project will become a benchmark in terms of integrability and complementarity. Currently, we are conducting a study in the factory which is likely to open up great horizons to go beyond the primary ambitions,” says Ali Aoun, Minister of Industry and Pharmaceutical Production.

Today, Algeria is positioned as one of the key contributors to Stellantis Middle East and Africa (MEA) Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan. This launch of Fiat brand will pave the way to achieve Stellantis MEA ambition to reach 1-million vehicles sold in the region by 2030 with 70% regional production autonomy bringing us closer to customers’ needs.

The Tafraoui - Oran plant construction phase will be completed by August 2023 and production for the first Fiat 500 is planned by end 2023. By 2026, it will create nearly 2,000 new local positions, reach a localisation rate of more than 30%, a production capacity of 90 000 vehicles a year and ultimately produce four Fiat models..

“Stellantis is committed to Algeria and will provide its extensive global and regional know-how in terms of manufacturing and commercial performance. We are bringing this expertise at the service of the Fiat project in Algeria to deliver state-of-the-art manufacturing and best-in-class commercial services to ensure the best customer experience in the market. I would like to thank the Algerian authorities, our local partners and the teams who are working extensively to make the Fiat Project in Algeria possible!” says Samir Cherfan, Chief Operating Officer, Stellantis Middle East and Africa.

The upcoming carlines:

Fiat 500 Hybrid

- The iconic city car was the first step in Fiat’s electrification journey and today is the first hybrid vehicle in Algeria.

- Available in the hatchback version, powered by a 1,0-litre 3-cylinder engine which delivers 70 HP, it reduces CO2 consumption and emissions by up to 20%.

- The “Dolcevita” opening edition will come in the three colors of the Italian and Algerian flag: Rugiada Green, Gelato White and Passione Red. 

Fiat 500X

- The compact SUV with Italian style, offering peace of mind and safety at the wheel.

- State-of-the-art connectivity is provided by Uconnect 7" HD LIVE touchscreen, with Apple CarPlay integration and Android AutoTM compatibility.

- Available in two versions: entry level and top of the range with a 1.4 petrol 140 HP engine complete with dual-clutch transmission. 

Fiat Tipo

- The Fiat family mover is the ideal car for families, looking for a functional car to meet every day travel needs.

- Tipo is a car to go anywhere, from city centers to trips out of town.

- It is available in the sedan body and equipped with a 1.6 etorq 110 HP automatic transmission. 

Fiat Doblò

- Versatile, spacious, flexible and fit for everyone’s needs, the Doblò offers innovative and ingenious solutions to improve everyday driving.

- The vehicle suits all the demands of professional workers, with a touch of Italian ingenuity.

- It comes as a van equipped with a 1.6 HDI 90 HP engine with manual transmission.

- With a load capacity up to 1 ton, it is perfectly suited for any daily mission. 

Fiat Scudo

- The Scudo is a stress-free partner for any worker.

- As a van for true professionals with the comfort of a car, it comes with a 2.0 HDI 150 HP manual transmission engine.

- With a load capacity up to 1.4 tons, it offers modularity at its best with no compromise.

Fiat Ducato

- Ducato embodies 40 years of leadership and success in the LCV sector.

- A model that combines excellent characteristics of scope, volume, efficiency, flexibility technology, onboard comfort, safety and performance. With an eye for style.

- The 2.2 diesel 140 HP manual transmission engine powers a van with best-in-class load capacity: up to 2.2 tons.

African automotive trade and investment will form a major part of the Intra-Africa Trade Fair being held later this year in Abidjan where the Africa Automotive Show will outline some of the plans to grow the entire region as a major market.

https://bit.ly/3TvgVen

Colin-on-Cars - Dunlop partners with Backdraft Series

This year is Dunlop Tyres South Africa’s biggest track season to date, with yet another motor sport series added to its list of 2023 tyre sponsorships. Dunlop is now the official tyre partner of the Backdraft Production Series, an exhilarating race that forms part of the South African Endurance Series (SAES).

The Backdraft Production Series showcases hand-built niche automobiles, which are open vehicles with two seats and emphasise sporting appearance and character.

This year, contenders will be racing their Backdraft Cobras on Dunlop Direzza tyres, plus enjoying the full trackside tyre support of the ATS Motorsport Dunlop Service Crew. Operating from a fully equipped Dunlop Racing mobile workshop, the service is staffed by a skilled and knowledgeable team and is free to all drivers competing on Dunlop tyres.

Lubin Ozoux, CEO of Dunlop manufacturer and distributor Sumitomo Rubber South Africa, said the iconic tyre brand was proud to welcome the unique Backdraft series into its fold.

“If there’s any category that can showcase the durability, longevity and performance of a vehicle and its tyres, it would be endurance racing. This form of motor sport is the ultimate test of the durability of equipment, and endurance of participants, so the Backdraft Production Series is a worthy partner to showcase the performance attributes of our Dunlop tyres. We love providing drivers with the very best in tyre technology, and we believe that our partnership with the Backdraft Production Series will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase our products and expertise,” he said.

During endurance racing, teams of two or more drivers take turns driving the car throughout the race, competing to cover the greatest distance over a set period of time, typically 3, 4, or 9 hours. The goal is to test the durability of both the car and the driver, as they must maintain high speeds for an extended period of time, maintain focus and work together to ensure that the car remains in top condition. The races are gruelling, with teams facing challenges such as changing weather conditions, mechanical issues, and intense competition from other teams.

The Backdraft Production Series is a single-make or one-make racing series, where all drivers race using identical cars from the same manufacturer, placing a larger emphasis on driver skill and car setup instead of engineering skill and budget. The Backdraft vehicles are powered by a Lexus V8 motor, with no electronic aids such as traction control or ABS.

“This year we’re extremely proud to have collaborated with TR-Tec which boasts a 5,000sq/m production facility in Prospecton, south of Durban, where these amazing roadsters are produced. They feature a wide variety of engines and transmission combinations, plus custom designed interiors. Backdraft also offers a rent-to-race programme, which opens motor sport up to more racing enthusiasts, and this is something we’re delighted to get behind as the Dunlop brand,” said Ozoux.

This latest motor sport series joins the growing list of Dunlop sole supplied race series in 2023. Dunlop is the official tyre partner of four out of seven race categories at South Africa's premier motor sport series, the National Extreme Festival, plus four at the Regional Extreme Festival.

Brian Martin of Backdraft Racing had this to say about their first experience racing on Dunlop tyres: “Since we raced on Dunlop Tyres at the last round of the SAES Championship at Killarney International Raceway we have been impressed by the durability and the performance of the Dunlop Direzza 03G. After 9 Hours of racing those tyres we could probably have done another 9 hours! The Backdraft Production Series is looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Dunlop Tyres and Sumitomo Rubber South Africa.”

Ozoux wished all Backdraft Production Series competitors the very best on the track this year. Dunlop Tyres South Africa's sponsorship underscores the brand's commitment to excellence in motor sport, and its dedication to providing drivers with the tools they need to succeed on the track. Dunlop looks forward to working with the Backdraft Production Series and the South African Endurance Series to create a memorable and exciting season of motor sport for all involved.

https://bit.ly/3JL4R5g

Colin-on-Cars - Superb win for Stradale Racing

The expression ‘hot footing it’ became a very real experience for Clint Weston on his way to helping set up the Stradale Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 for it win in the opening round of the South African Endurance National Championship at Zwartkops Raceway at the weekend.

First and second places were covered by just eight seconds after 209 laps and four hours of hard, hot racing.

Charl Arangies and Clint Weston brought their Stradale Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 home ahead of the hard-charging Stuart White/Xolile Letlaka Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo. White was catching Arangies at two seconds per lap after the final safety car but ran out of time to challenge for the win.

After his initial stint in the car, Weston said everything was running perfectly and the only problem he had was hot feet from the transfer from the engine through the bulkhead in the footwell.

In their first-ever endurance race, rookies CJ Blackman, Jean Paul Briner and Anthony Hoare won the Index of Performance in their Tradecor Steel Backdraft-Lexus Roadster.

Practice and Qualifying:

Stradale Motorsport consistently set the pace during the four free practice sessions but when the clock ran for qualifying it was Jeffrey Kruger who blitzed the time sheets in his Auto Investments Ligier JS53-Honda.

Kruger had not driven the car all day until, with five minutes of the session remaining, he did one out lap and two flying laps before the chequered flag fell, locking out pole on his first lap and lowering the target by half a second on his second and final lap in a breathtaking display to set a time of 59.334 seconds around the 2.4km track.

Charl Arangies was the only other driver to set a sub-one minute lap, 0.543 seconds behind the Ligier, locking out the front row of the grid.

Michael Stephen, entered to run only the first hour in his Ultimate Outlaws McLaren MP4-12C slotted into third ahead of Mikaeel Pitamber/Gavin Cronje’s MP17/Rico Barlow Ligier JS53-Honda.

Paul Hill (Kalex Aston Martin Vantage GT3) also entered in the one-hour race followed in fifth ahead of the Hein/Henk Lategan/Verissimo Tavares BBR Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. Mo Mia/Lee Thompson (Toys-R-Us Porsche 991 GT3 Cup) were just 0.019 seconds behind, setting up a tantalizing Stuttgart fight.

Capetonians Byron Mitchell/Peter van der Spuy took eighth on the grid in their Dolphin Racing Juno-Nissan followed by the defending SA Endurance Champion Kwanda Mokoena, teamed with Andrew Rackstraw in their MJR/Amandla Coal Audi R8 GT4.

Volkswagen Motorsport’s Daniel Rowe/Keagan Masters claimed the Class D initiative in their factory-entered Polo SupaCup ahead of Jurie Swart/Karah Hill’s Kalex VW Polo SupaCup.Andrew Horne/Gerald Buys (Xena Chemicals Nash-VW) showed their intent by taking the Class E pole from the leading Backdraft of Benjamin/Crisjan/Ben Morgenrood.

Class E and Index Champions Harm/Barend Pretorius (Team Pesty Backdraft) were next up from Mark Owens/Mags Govender and the rest of the Backdraft entries.

During FP2 the Into Africa Lamborghini suffered a small pit lane fire– quickly extinguished – but the damage took the rest of the day to repair, and the team missed out on qualifying, relegating the pair to start from the back of the grid.

Race:

The first hour of the race was frenetic as the lead changed three times; Kruger was quickly swallowed up by Stephen in the McLaren but it was Stuart White who made the biggest impression, taking 18 minutes to carve his way through from the back of the grid and into the lead.

Once the one-hour cars had pitted, the race was a straight fight between the two GT3 cars. During a fortuitous safety car period, Stradale called Weston in for a splash and dash fuel stop so when his two hour stint was up, Arangies could jump in with enough fuel to take the lead around the 95-lap mark when the Into Africa car pitted.

Luck and timing plays a part in endurance racing, and Letlaka found himself two laps down on the leader thanks to pitting under racing conditions and coming out just as the safety car was deployed.

Once White was back in the car, he cut his deficit to one lap and as the race entered its final hour, he fought hard with Arangies, passing the Mercedes, only for Arangies to re-take the position.

White attacked again and made the move stick on the second time of asking. When a final safety car was deployed with 20 minutes remaining it seemed a challenge for victory was on the cards.

When racing resumed with 11 minutes left on the clock, the gap was down to 15 seconds and while White threw everything into the final minutes, lapping two seconds a lap faster than Arangies at times, the clock counted down to zero and the chase was over.

Third place went to the BBR Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car of Lategan, Tavares and Lategan. Henk Lategan flew directly from the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to arrive in time to take the final stint. From desert to tarmac took a few laps to adjust to, and besides a clash with the Brandon Dean/Jarryd Wary Backdraft which caused the Porsche to spin in turn two, Lategan Jr was all smiles at the finish.

Lee Thompson and Mo Mia brought their Toys-R-Us Porsche home in fourth overall after a terrific scrap with the BBR car in the first hour.

Kwanda Mokoena and Andrew Rackstraw opened their 2023 account with fifth place. Mokoena was lucky, for he ran out of fuel on the last lap of his stint, with just enough in the reserve pump to bring the car back to the pits.

Daniel Rowe and Keagan Masters took class D honours and sixth overall after a trouble-free race in their factory-run Polo, although they had to do an extra pitstop compared to their Bucket List rivals.

Christopher Pretorius/Gavin Rooke brought their Polo home in a fortunate seventh, as a driveshaft broke on the last lap. Pretorius managed to limp home to claim second in class.

Index of performance and Class E Champions Barend and Harm Pretorius won their class and ended eighth overall after nursing their car over the final 90 minutes with clutch issues.

Byron Mitchell/Peter van de Spuy brought their Juno home in ninth overall. The car suffered a sensor issue that caused the car to default into limp mode when it detected a high water temperature but mysteriously righted itself again each time it happened. Van de Spuy had a spin and beached the car on a kerb which triggered a safety car, losing several laps in the process.

With a combined age of 198 years, Tony and Brian Martin and Trevor Graham brought their factory Backdraft home in 10th overall and second in Class E ahead of the 11th-placed endurance rookie Index winning trio.

The final classified runner was the PPLE/Adapt Backdraft entry of Mark Harvey, Phillip Meyer and Dean Wolson who stopped on the back straight with five minutes to go, a failed alternator the cause of the loss of power.

The next round of the SA Endurance National Championship takes place at Red Star Raceway on 28 and 29 April.

https://bit.ly/3F0aCZZ

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.”

https://bit.ly/3Ymf1xl

Colin-on-Cars - Storming drive from Van der Linde

The South African flag flew high and proud over the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit near Johannesburg at the weekend when Sheldon van der Linde brought the Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 across the line to claim the marque’s first victory in the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli since 2020.

Not only did he do that with team mates Cries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts but, the team’s sister car shared by Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus and Maxime Martin finished in second place a mere 1,7 seconds adrift after a final chase 23 minutes from thed of the 9-Hour race when the safety car was deployed for the first time.

Tresor Attempto’s Audi crewed by Mattia Drudi, Ricardo Feller and Patric Niederhauser completed the overall podium another 1,0 seconds behind.

Tresor Attempto’s second R8 LMS GT3 finished fourth overall in the hands of Alex Aka, Dennis Marschall and Markus Winkelhock thanks, in part, to GruppeM Racing’s gearbox issue that denied Maro Engel, Mikael Grenier and Raffaele Marciello a podium shot.

Instead, it was SunEnergy1 by SPS’s entry that scored the bulk of Mercedes-AMG’s IGTC points in fifth overall. The car shared by Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon and Yannick Mettler won the event’s Pro-Am class, finished third of the Intercontinental entries, and won IGTC’s Independent Cup.

Results elsewhere have also seen Habul and Gounon retain their overall drivers’ championship lead by three points from Van der Linde, Vanthoor and Weerts. However, BMW’s one-two now sees it tied with Mercedes-AMG at the top of the manufacturers’ standings.

WRT was never headed after seizing control from GruppeM soon after the start despite Farfus and Van der Linde swapping second place at Turn 1 on the opening lap. The home favourite was back ahead with the help of team orders after eight minutes before he hunted down and passed Engel through the Jukskei Sweep with quarter-of-an-hour gone.

Farfus was also past the Mercedes-AMG before the first round of stops began just after the hour mark. But although #33 regularly closed in on #32, there was never any serious threat of a lead change between the two WRT entries which remained no more than four seconds apart until roughly half distance when Weerts began gapping Farfus after each entry had cycled through its three crew members.

Behind, GruppeM’s race was slowly unravelling thanks to a radio issue that forced Grenier to communicate with his team using a mix of the pit board and his Mercedes-AMG’s indicators. But far worse was to follow when a gearbox problem restricted the car to gears three, four and five.

That largely accounted for both Audis passing the Canadian in the fourth hour, Drudi doing so in the pits and then Markus Winkelhock on track.

The problem worsened once Engel climbed back aboard and eventually led to the car circulating five or even six seconds off the pace. The team made it to 70% distance in order to be classified and score IGTC points before effectively retiring.

As the evening approached it looked as though Audi might be able to challenge the BMWs. Aka signalled Tresor Attempto’s potential by setting fastest lap while Feller homed in on Farfus. However, as darkness fell so the M4s upped their pace and it wasn’t long before #32 and #33 pulled clear again.

Indeed, the race appeared to be heading for a regulation finish when Van der Linde took over the leading car from Vanthoor who’d established a 20-second lead over Martin thanks, in part, to the race’s fastest lap. That was until Stradale Motorsport’s Mercedes-AMG beached itself down the Mineshaft, which necessitated a Full Course Yellow and subsequent Safety Car period.

Suddenly the top-three were separated by a second when racing resumed with 20 minutes remaining. But while Niederhauser, on old tyres, didn’t have the pace to challenge, Martin did initially hustle Van der Linde before the South African edged clear to claim his second IGTC win on home soil aboard a BMW.

Further back, the combination of pace and fault-free performances from all three of its drivers and pit crew helped SunEnergy1 clinch a well-deserved Pro-Am victory over Grove Racing’s Porsche and the SPS automotive performance Mercedes-AMG.

Habul didn’t put a foot wrong en route to maximum IGTC Independent Cup points while Mettler’s speed saw him set two overall fastest laps early in the race. The result also sees Bathurst winners Gounon and Habul retain their overall drivers’ championship lead, albeit now from Van der Linde, Vanthoor and Weerts.

An early puncture set Grove Racing back, but father-son duo Stephen and Brenton battled hard with the help of Earl Bamber to beat SPS’s Miguel Ramos, Reece Barr and Luca Stolz to second in Pro-Am. Brenton’s opportunistic move on Barr in traffic with just over an hour remaining would prove decisive.

Stradale’s Charl Arangies, Arnold Neveling and Clint Weston also scored their first IGTC points in eighth overall, one place ahead of GruppeM’s hobbled but classified entry, while MJR Motorsport’s Marius Jackson, Mo Mia and Kwanda Mokoena rounded out the top-10.

The Kyalami Supercup for entries only contesting the opening hour was won by NGK Pablo Clark Racing’s Mikaeel Pitamber who beat Sun Moodley (BigFoot Express Racing) and Joseph Ellerine (MJR Motorsport).

After races in Australia and South Africa within the space of a month IGTC now takes a well-earned break before resuming at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa on June 29 – July 2.

https://bit.ly/3Z15z3G

Colin-on-Cars - Van der Linde set to pounce

Maro Engel, Mikael Grenier and Raffaele Marciello dominated Kyalami 9 Hour qualifying to claim GruppeM Racing and Mercedes-AMG’s second pole position in as many Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli events – but With home track advantage, Sheldon van der Linde (with Dries Vantoor and Charles Weerts) is ready to take a BMW bite out of that.

But, while it was Engel who starred at Bathurst three weeks ago, this performance owed just as much to the speed of his co-drivers who also topped their respective 15-minute sessions. The trio’s 1m42.617s average was 0.324s faster than the best of Team WRT’s BMWs shared by Vanthoor, Van der Linde and Weerts, while Marciello also comfortably clocked the quickest individual lap.

The second BMW of Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus and Maxime Martin missed the front row by just 0.028s.

Further back, Earl Bamber set the second quickest time of all but couldn’t prevent SunEnergy1 by SPS from beating Grove Racing to Pro-Am top spot. Their respective Mercedes-AMG and Porsche start sixth and seventh overall just behind Tresor Attempto’s Audis.

Mercedes-AMG took an unopposed pole position at Kyalami last season when heavy rain washed out qualifying, but the German manufacturer fully earned its place up front this time around during a session bathed in sunshine.

Several cars took turns at the top in Q1 before Engel set the session’s best on his final lap. 1m43.167s was enough to beat Vanthoor by just over a tenth and lay the foundations for what would follow.

Mattia Drudi, meanwhile, twice went fastest before finishing eight hundredths shy of the BMW ahead, while Eng was a further tenth back but part of a trio that would battle for a front row grid slot across all three sessions.

Next, it was Grenier’s turn to shine. With fuel consumption ensuring times improved, it was no surprise when the Canadian set the first sub-1m43s lap and then improved again to 1m42.6s. Local favourite Van der Linde wasn’t far behind but couldn’t quite match the Mercedes-AMG’s pace, while Farfus moved WRT’s other M4 up to third provisionally at Ricardo Feller’s expense.

At that stage GruppeM enjoyed a 0.117s advantage over the #32 BMW. But that would eventually extend to beyond three tenths once Marciello set fastest time of the weekend so far. His initial effort was beaten by Bamber but the Swiss regrouped, went again and unleashed a stunning a 1m42.029s that put pole position beyond any doubt.

Behind, Patric Niederhauser threatened to gate crash WRT’s party by jumping ahead of both Weerts and Martin. However, both BMW drivers improved on their second push laps to restore order. Just 0.028s separated #32 and #33 in the final averaged classification.

Tresor Attempto’s #66 Audi was only 0.057s further back and just over a tenth quicker than the sister R8 LMS GT3 shared by Markus Winkelhock, Dennis Marschall and Alex Aka.

Testing and practice pace had marked out Jules Gounon as the most likely candidate for fastest individual time. He ultimately ended up third quickest overall behind Marciello and Bamber, although that mattered little to SunEnergy1 which secured Pro-Am pole from Grove Racing by 0.6s. Credit for that advantage must also go to Yannick Mettler who finished fifth overall and comfortably amongst the Pros in Q1. 

Both of those entries will also battle for IGTC Independent Cup points on Saturday.

The SPS automotive performance Mercedes-AMG finished eighth and ahead of the first South African crew – Stradale Motorsport’s Charl Arangies, Arnold Neveling and Clint Weston.

MJR Motorsport’s Audi, which is also contesting all nine hours in the hands of local drivers Kwanda Mokoena, Mo Mia and Marius Jackson, completed the overall top-10.

Kyalami Supercup pole went to NGK Pablo Clark Racing’s Mikaeel Pitamber who beat Sun Moodley (BigFoot Express Racing) and Joseph Ellerine (MJR Motorsport). Those three entries will only complete the opening hour of today’s race.

https://bit.ly/3KBpcL2