Simola Hillclimb kicks into gear

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KNYSNA NEWS & VIDEO - It is only a day to go before Knysna comes alive to the sound of rip-roaring, race and road cars for the 14th edition of the Simola Hillclimb – renowned as South Africa's premier motoring and motorsport lifestyle event.

Even before the competitive action kicks off on Classic Car Friday, the free Fan Fest will give enthusiasts the opportunity to see the wide range of classic cars being scrutineered today, Thursday 2 May from 09:00 to 14:30, located on Hedge Street in Knysna.

The race cars will then be on display during the day, while the popular Classic Car Friday Parade along Waterfront Drive runs from 14:45 to 15:15.

VIDEO: Excitement is rising amongst motorsport fans in the Garden Route, as the Speed Festival gets underway today. Scrutineering, a car display and the parade are all taking place near the festival grounds. Jeff Ayliffe

Classic Car Friday

The 1.9km Simola Hill becomes the scene of adrenaline-fuelled excitement from 08:00 on Friday, starting with three practice sessions for the Classic Car Friday competitors, followed by three crucial qualifying rounds.

During the lunchtime break, spectators will be treated to a variety of demonstrations, including Monster-supported South African Car Park Drift champion Jim Macfarlane in action, along with Suzuki, BMW and racing motorcycle demo runs and hot laps in various cars with guests.

Then it's on to the Class Finals and the thrilling all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout to determine who will be crowned Classic Conqueror for 2024. The prizegiving ceremony will take place in the pitlane directly after the conclusion of the final shootout.

Photo: Jeff Ayliffe

King of the Hill

For the King of the Hill competitors, scrutineering takes place on Friday at the Hedge Street venue from 08:00 to 14:30.

Along with Fan Fest activities and race car displays to entertain visitors. Then the big guns come out for the Parade on Waterfront Drive from 17:15 to 17:45 – with lots of tyre-smoking antics adding to the spectacle.

King of the Hill starts on Saturday 3 May at 09:05 with four practice sessions leading up to the lunchtime break. Along with all the other thrilling entertainment that will be provided for spectators at midday on Saturday and Sunday, fans can look forward to seeing the spectacular 1992 Sasol-sponsored Jordan 192 Formula 1 car lighting up the Simola Hill with demonstration runs.

The car, now owned by Ian Schofield, was raced by Stefano Modena in the 1992 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.

While that will certainly get hearts racing, it's back to the serious matter of the first three qualifying rounds for the competitors during the remainder of Saturday afternoon.

The Knysna community comes out in force to catch a glimpse of the cars that will be racing in the Simola Hillclimb.

Sunday a big race day

On Sunday morning the event opens with an initial warm-up at 09:05, followed by the last three qualifying opportunities that will determine which three competitors from each of the classes make it into the Class Finals after the lunch break.

The top qualifying times across all six sessions also decide the finalists for the Top 10 Shootouts as the battle for the King of the Hill titles reaches its climax in each of the three categories: Road Cars and Supercars, Modified Saloon Cars, Single Seaters and Sports Cars.

All-action attractions

Although the focus will be on the cars and competitors giving it everything on the tight and twisty 1.9km Simola Hill course, there are plenty of other family-friendly activities and attractions to enthral visitors.

This includes a wide range of tantalising food and beverage stalls, as well as exhibitors and other vendors in the Spectator Hubs, the Monster Energy Rig Riot and activations at Turn 2 on Saturday and Sunday,

ATK Esports Racing simulator competitions where fans can try their hand at racing in the virtual world and win a track experience, as well as helicopter rides that provide a spectacular flip taking in the Simola Hillclimb and through the Knysna Heads, all while enjoying the scenic views of the Garden Route mountains and beautiful Knysna estuary.

Free shuttles, sponsored by PG Glass, will make it easy and convenient to move around the grounds from the parking areas to the main attractions.

Photo: Jeff Ayliffe

Catch it live!

The extremely popular Simola Hillclimb livestream – which is watched by large local and international audiences – will once again be available throughout all three days of the event via the website: www.simolahillclimb.com.

The livestream will be hosted by popular radio DJ and F1 presenter Sasha Martinengo, along with Cars.co.za presenter Ciro de Siena. Raceday TV's Colin Hastie will be doing entertaining live crossings from the bustling pitlane as usual, including interviews with the drivers, their technical crews and the organisers as all the action and drama unfolds.

Rodrigo de Oliviera, who runs the popular Hillclimb Monsters channels on social media, will be joining the broadcast remotely from Portugal for the second consecutive year. He will provide global hillclimb insight and knowledge as part of the commentary team.

From above, Simola Hillclimb is a premium motoring event in the country.