KNYSNA NEWS - The King of the Hill contest in the Single Seaters, Sports Cars and Sports Prototypes (Class C) category at this year's Simola Hillclimb is shaping up for a high-stakes showdown between two of the event's most successful drivers.
For the first time, six-time winner and current record holder André Bezuidenhout will go head to head with 2024 champion Robert Wolk in near-identical machinery, setting the stage for one of the most competitive duels in the event's 16-year history.
Bezuidenhout returns in his 2007 Gould GR55 - the car in which he set the Simola record of 34.161 seconds in 2022 at an average speed of 200.228km/h.
After missing the past two editions due to engine damage and an engine rebuild by McLaren in the UK, he says the team is "well prepared and confident".
Wolk, meanwhile, will be driving a 2005 Gould GR55 after last year's effort was cut short by mechanical failure. Despite limited time in the car, he impressed with a 36.140-second qualifying run before a sensor issue ended his challenge.
With a full year of development behind him, the Investchem driver is expected to mount a serious challenge for top honours.
The pairing sets up a direct battle in Class C3 for high-capacity single-seaters, with both drivers expected to be closely matched on machinery as well as pace.
Further down the field, Class C2 features Ian Schofield in a Mygale Formula Ford, Theodore Vermaak in a Formula Vee, and Johannes Gerber in a Van Diemen-KTM hybrid.
In Class C1, returning contenders include Devin Robertson in a Radical Pro Sport, UK driver Rick Morris in a turbocharged Formula Ford, and two female competitors - Simphiwe Mohlahlo in an MSA4 and Nicole Donker in her Simola debut in a Formula Vee.
Class C4 sees endurance racer Connor Kilbride and Juan Stander make their Simola debut in Ligier JS53 Evo 2 sports prototypes powered by Honda K-series engines. Stander says he is targeting the 40-second barrier in his first hillclimb outing.
The top-end Class C6 field includes a mix of powerful sports prototypes and V8 machinery, featuring Rui Campos in a Shelby CanAm, Gabriel Diedericks in a turbocharged Tiga SC82, Johan Bekker in an Ariel Atom, Heinrich du Preez in a Cobra LS1, and Mike McLoughlin in a 7.0-litre Cobra LS7.
The 16th Simola Hillclimb takes place from 30 April to 3 May.
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