SIMOLA HILL CLIMB 2025 - THE 15TH RUNNING OF SA'S PREMIER MOTORSPORT EVENT WAS BOTH AMAZING AND HEARTBREAKING.
The 15th running of the Simola Hillclimb was unlike any other. A day that began with high hopes and horsepower turned sombre as the motorsport community mourned the tragic passing of Pieter Joubert during Sunday’s first King of the Hill run. In an incredible show of spirit, his brothers Charl and Dawie – the latter fresh off a 2024 King of the Hill win – withdrew from the event, but insisted the show go on in Pieter’s honour. And what a show it was. Despite the heavy hearts, the picturesque Knysna mountain echoed with the sound of purpose-built machines chasing tenths, and glory. When the smoke settled, two new Kings were crowned, and one familiar face returned to the throne with a vengeance, torching the record books in the process.
Jo’burg’s Pieter Zeelie, the 2021 champ who’s also the only local entrant to have competed in international hill climb events, came back swinging and left nothing on the table. Piloting his monstrous rear-wheel drive Toyota MR2 Super GT, Zeelie didn’t just take the fight to the four-wheel-drive monsters - he pretty much obliterated them. In the final Top 10 Shootout, Zeelie posted a searing 37.090-second run, smashing Franco Scribante’s 2022 record of 38.129 seconds by more than a second - 1.039 seconds faster, which in this game is massive. Zeelie had already set the tone in qualifying, becoming the first saloon competitor to drop under the 40-second barrier with a 37.553-second lap. A gremlin in the electrical system threw a spanner in the Class Finals, but when it mattered most, Zeelie delivered the goods. Victory was his, 1.280 seconds ahead of Reghard Roets. Roets, in the BB Motorsport GT-R, a.k.a Armageddon, secured second place with a rapid, spark-filled 38.370-second charge. But one of the biggest talking points on the weekend was Volkswagen’s wildcard entry - seven-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson, who was armed with the electric VW Polo RX1e, the Swede shredded the EV class record with a 39.001-second run. Another event favourite, Franco Scribante, had a tough weekend, experimenting with suspension tweaks on his GT-R, a.k.a The Sheriff, to tame the hill’s bumps. The pace never quite came, and he had to settle for fourth with a best of 39.631 seconds - 1.5 seconds off his personal best, but still an amazing showing.
Rounding out the Top 10:
Silvio Scribante - Audi RS3 - 40.409 sec
Wade van Zummeren - Nissan R34 GT-R - 41.037 sec
George Evans - Nissan R35 GT-R - 42.179 sec
Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport) - Polo SupaCup - 43.579 sec
Anton Cronje - Subaru WRX STi - 54.098 sec*
*Cronje also earned the Spirit of Dave Charlton Award for his professionalism and relentless dedication to the sport.
Clint Weston came out swinging in the Standard Production Vehicles category - piloting the newly-landed Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE E Performance hybrid - and didn’t let up all weekend. The AMG Driving Academy head honcho was on top of the leaderboard from the first run and sealed the deal in the Top 10 Shootout with a 43.174-second scorcher. BMW Driving Experience’s Cristiano Verolini gave it everything in the latest BMW M4 Competition, but the raw hybrid grunt of Weston’s AMG proved just too much. Verolini wrapped up his weekend with a solid 43.872-second run, securing second place. AMG took another spot on the podium thanks to Courtney Nicholl, who clocked 44.599 seconds in the C63 SE E Performance. BMW’s Leyton Fourie pushed hard in the new BMW M2, grabbing fourth at 45.932 seconds.
The rest of the top 10 was a supercar and performance car mashup:
Gordon Nicholson - Audi R8 V10 - 46.103 sec
Garth Mackintosh - McLaren 720s - 47.018 sec
Natalie Weston (AMG) - GLC 63 SE E Performance - 47.436 sec
Yash Rampersad - Porsche 718 Cayman - 47.789 sec
Paul Munro - Toyota Supra - 48.738 sec
Ashley Oldfield (Cars.co.za) - MG Cyberster (EV) - 49.231 sec
The 15th Simola Hill Climb was really hard on the emotions; there was amazing action and camaraderie, but at the same time, it will also be remembered for the loss of a well-known and much-loved competitor. It’s been hard to put the words for the event together, accidents do happen, and motorsport is inherently dangerous, so sadly things like this can happen. I know myself and many other photographers who shoot a lot of motorsport are always at the ready to capture the action, and capturing a crisp shot of a car spinning out or an on-track accident is something we all want. The thing is, we do this with the expectation that the driver will walk away from the incident because we assume the safety components will do their job. I can’t even tell you how many events I’ve shot in the last 20 years, but I can tell you that this is only the 2nd time I’ve been at an event where a life was lost. And that’s two too many. RIP Pieter, you will be sorely missed…
#SimolaHillclimb #KingOfTheHill #RIPPieterJoubert
Take a look at the YouTube video from the world authority on hill climb racing - HillClimb Monsters - who were here in SA to live stream the event. What you see here is the action from Sunday with the top 10 of the King of the Hill Shootout: LIVE: Simola HillClimb 2025 || King of the Hill - TOP 10 ShootOut | HillClimb Monsters
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