The Renault Simola Hillclimb is the main event of the Knysna Speed Week and the undoubted highlight of the week. The event attracts cars and stars of both yesteryear and the present.
While it is a new event on the South African motorsport calendar, following our third running the event has created a huge amount excitement in the motorsport fraternity and is being spoken of in terms of the South African equivalent of the renowned Goodwood Festival of Speed held annually in the UK.
Catering to historic, classic and modern road and race cars the Renault Simola Hillclimb has hit a niche that was not previously catered for on the motorsport calendar. Add in the idyllic Simola Country Estate and Knysna Estuary and we believe that we have the world's most impressive Hillclimb route.
Our objective for the Hillclimb is to mix competitive spirit with a lot of fun. Therefore, while the action on the track can get pretty hot and exciting, we want both the spectators that attend the event and the competitors to leave feeling that they had a blast. We have succeeded in achieving this goal over the last three years, but will continually strive to ensure that the experience improves with every passing year.
We have tweaked the Hillclimb for this year by expanding to three days and offering the Vintage, Classic and Historic motoring fraternity their own day of action on the Hill. Classic Car Friday will exclusively feature pre-1974 vehicles and competitors and spectators are encouraged to attend in period dress. Forty cars from pre-war to the seventies are expected to participate and, as in previous years, the field is sure to include many of South Africa's most interesting and valuable historic racing cars.
Saturday and Sunday's action has been dubbed the King of the Hill Shootout and is where the country's fastest machinery will duel it out on the hill. With the entry limited to just 80 entries, fans can rest assured that they will witness some of the country's meanest, sleekest, prettiest and most spectacular cars take to the track during the weekend.
The list of luminary drivers who have competed in the past include: Sarel van der Merwe, Ian Scheckter, Jaki Scheckter, Geoff Mortimer, Robbi Smith, Mike Briggs, Deon Joubert, Duncan Vos, Leeroy Poulter, Wilhelm Baard, and twice World Motocross Champion Jean Michel Bayle participating.
Attendance at the Hillclimb has jumped from 4500 in 2010 to 7500 in 2011. We are expecting 10 – 12 000 fans to flock through the gates this year. Don't be left out, book your trip now!
EVENT DATES: 18 - 20 MAY 2012
VENUE: THE SIMOLA GOLF ESTATE HILL