IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THE 2023 SIMOLA HILLCLIMB - CHECK OUT SOME OF THE INSANE CARS YOU CAN SEE
It’s almost time for the 13th instalment of one of the best race events on the SA race calendar, the annual Simola Hillclimb. The weekend-long event has grown in leaps and bounds over the years and has even started gaining some serious international attention, making it a proper highlight for race fans. The calibre of cars and drivers seen tackling the 1.9 km-long stretch of road in picturesque Knysna is mind-blowing, we have some amazing racecar builders who call South Africa home resulting in cars that can and do compete on the international stage. As with most events, the racing is divided into a variety of categories and classes, starting off with Classic Car Friday which features a plethora of rare racecars from every era of racing you can think of (many worth an absolute fortune) trying to tame the hill. Saturday and Sunday sees the rest of the classes doing practice and qualifying up until the much-anticipated King of the Hill shootout, which is the highlight of the weekend for most who attend and those who watch live online. Our favourite class is for Modified Saloon Cars because it’s packed with some of the country’s fastest cars and drivers, some professional and some privateers - all ridiculously fast. Over the years some rivalries have also popped up and for 2023 things are as serious as it gets. Franco Scribante from the aptly-named Franco Scribante Racing is a firm favourite in this class with his R35 GT-R nicknamed “The Sherriff”. The aero on this car is amazing, and the resulting looks have seen images and videos of the car go viral before. The car has been refreshed inside and out for 2023 and is looking ready to defend its title and class-record run of 38.129 seconds.
The unofficial rival comes in the form of another R35 GT-R from the BB Motorsport stable, and when a car has the nickname “Armageddon” you just know things are on the far side of serious. This Nissan also features a brilliant aero package, a strong motor setup, and has all the right bits and pieces needed to snatch a podium spot. Especially with well-known local race driver Reghard Roets at the wheel, things are looking good. This car has been in development since last year’s hillclimb when it had a few gremlins, but in the latest testing everything is holding together perfectly and the assault on the hill will be hard and fast. There are a few more GT-Rs entered too, so Nissan fans are in for a proper treat. Adding to the list are cars like Pieter Zeelie’s turbocharged V6-powered Toyota MR2, easily the best purpose-built MR2 in the world. Yeah, big words, but do a little research and try and prove me wrong. Ain’t happening. The car will look familiar to international users because it competed at the hillclimb in Osnabrück in Germany in 2022. There’s also the Jouber brothers with their wide arch, big-winged Lotus racecars; one is powered by a turbocharged NSX powerplant, the other with a C63 AMG V8 powerplant and the last one with a twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre V6 from a Ferrari 488. Craig Czank’s Nissan GT-R-powered Lotus crashed out last year, but while the car will be missing from this year’s event, the man is back in a big-winged hillclimb-spec Cobra. There are plenty of other cars entered worth watching, but for that, you can check out the YouTube live stream of the event on the 4th - 7th May.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the world's best YouTube channel covering the best of hillclimb events around the world and a media partner to the Simola Hillclimb - HillClimb Monsters - for their list of the top ten cars seen tackling the picturesque Knysna hill at 10/10ths. The cars are ridiculously quick at the hands of some absolutely amazing drivers, we're sure the cars spotted in this footage will change a few minds about the South African motoring scene: TOP 10 MONSTERS || Simola HillClimb KING OF THE HILL 2022 | HillClimb Monsters
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News Hillclimb Monsters Simola Hillclimb 13th Annual Annual SXdrv Hillclimb Knysna Simola