by Kelly Fisher
The 2023 Simola Hillclimb has wrapped; as always, it was a thrilling ride – pun very much intended. It was a jam-packed weekend of excitement for drivers and spectators alike. Below are some key highlights from the event.
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Suzuki showed us that any car is a race car
Suzuki South Africa returned for a second time with its Swift Sports to demonstrate that you don’t need a racecar to participate in the Simola Hillclimb. The Japanese company entered Class A1 with three standard versions of the Swift Sport.
All three drivers – Wesley Greybe, Kumbi Mtshakazi and Sudhir Matai – ensured that they used the practice day wisely to get acquainted with the vehicle and the hill itself, steadily knocking seconds off their time ahead of the official event on Sunday. At the end of the weekend, Mtshakazi didn’t make it to compete in King of the Hill, but it was an excellent showing from this rookie with his last qualifying time of 56.403. Greybe and Matai battled the wet to finish with times of 1.00.809 (AT) and 1.02.667 (MT), respectively. In their class, they competed against racing veteran Deon Joubert in the latest Honda Type R. He was quickest in his category with a time of 55.368 seconds.
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The presence of international race drivers
Everyone looked forward to seeing former F1 driver Mika Salo, along with Petter and Henning Solberg, in action this weekend. And they put on quite a show. Norwegian driver, Petter Solberg, was behind the wheel of the incredible Volkswagen Polo R WRX Supercar and entertained visitors on and off the track. The latter was done on Friday evening at the Parade event in the town of Knysna.
On the hill, Sollberg didn’t disappoint either with his first run up the hill on Saturday clocking in at an astonishing time of 40.867 seconds and then knocking a few split seconds off that time on Sunday with a qualifying time of 40.165 seconds.
After rain wet the hill, Solberg ended the weekend with a time of 41.281 seconds in a Volkswagen Polo R WRX Supercar – the third fastest time of the modified saloons behind Reghard Roets who set a time of 40.539 seconds in a Nissan GTR R35 and the incredible Franco Scribante that took the title in the modified saloons with a time of 39.877 seconds in a Nissan R35 GT-R.
Mika Salo took on the Simola Hillclimb as his first-ever hillclimb event. Salo piloted a Mercedes-AMG A45S and ended the weekend with a final run time of 47.876 seconds.
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A well-organised event overall
An impressive highlight every year is undoubtedly how well this event is put together. From the build-up to registration to ticket sales and then the weekend itself, the event organisers ensured that everything was covered. The only glitch that we could pick up on was when the generator went down on Saturday, thereby hindering the live feed. But it was all sorted out by Sunday morning.
A special shoutout has to go to the Marshalls in and around the hill. All marshalls were exceptionally professional with many being extremely friendly, too. They handled the cars and the crowd with what looked like ease from the outside.
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Knysna hospitality
Of course, the town of Knysna itself is always a highlight. The locals welcome the event with open arms – at least from what we can see from the outside. And the restaurants and shops put on their A-game as the weekend attracts thousands of visitors and their money.
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The King of the Hill
The last few hours of the event are always the most exciting as the top drivers of the weekend battle it out for King of the Hill in their respective categories. Every year you think you know who the winners will be – and every year drivers dig deep to shave seconds off their respective times and to put on one last show. This year was no exception. The rain also made an appearance, which added a whole new level to the competition. It’s always thrilling to be part of the action and see how the drivers push harder in order to end the weekend on a high.
The final results for King of the Hill at the 2023 Similoa Hillclimb event are as follows:
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Single-Seater and Sports Cars King of the Hill: Andre Bezuidenhout with a time of 37.580 seconds in a Gould GR55
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Modified Saloon Cars King of the Hill: Franco Scribante with a time of 39.877 seconds in his Nissan R35 GT-R
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Road-Going & SuperCars King of the Hill: Jean-Pierre van der Walt with a time of 44.991 seconds in a Porsche 911 Turbo S (992)
Overall, the Simola Hillclimb was exactly what we expected: Thrilling, exciting and it left us excited to return in 2024.
Click here for full race and class results: https://www.speedfestival.co.za/results/2023-results-king-of-the-hill/
