Simola Hillclimb

It’s all systems go for the 12th edition of the Simola Hillclimb scheduled for 5 – 8 May 2022. Competitors can lodge their intentions to enter until 31 January 2022 after which the field will be set and we get ready for action.

Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the 11th running of the Simola Hillclimb in September 2021 – after an 18 month hiatus – proved to be a success on most fronts, albeit somewhat different without our faithful fans. The vibe was certainly not what the event has become famous for, yet it was essential to run it to keep it alive. Our live stream feed and SABC TV coverage at least allowed us to deliver the event to your home.

Under the current SA Government COVID-19 regulations we will only be able to accommodate 2000 spectators per day at the event in May. However, we are hopeful that the country will be over the 4th wave of infections by then, and with vaccinations more widespread, we will be allowed an increased capacity.

We are acutely aware that you, our spectators and fans, are such an integral part of the spirit and vibe of the Hillclimb that having reduced numbers, or no spectators as in 2021, does detract from the event immensely as we experienced in 2021, so we are hopeful that by the time of the event next year we will be allowed a full house.

Whatever the constraints we have to work under from a spectator point of view, the on-track action is sure to be as hot and competitive as ever – as it was this year. For those that can’t make it to trackside, we will once again try our very best to convey the track action in the best manner possible via television, live stream, media and social media.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners, fans and competitors that have stuck with us during these extremely tough times for the event industry. It is thanks to you and your support that we have survived to this point for which we will always be grateful.

A little background

When we set out on this journey, we were told that few would come to Knysna for a purely motorsport event, but with vision and hard work we have built a local motorsport lifestyle showcase that attracts competitors, spectators and broadcast viewers from around the globe.

In our striving to always keep improving we have evaluated what was good and not so good from previous years, listened to all our stakeholders, looked at other global events for inspiration and ideas, and then decided which factors to implement with the view to making it a better experience for all.

The 2021 Hillclimb confirmed this strategy as it continued to show growth despite COVID’s impact and having no event attendees. The highlight was welcoming Pikes Peak competitor Cole Powelson from the USA. Our live stream reached over 178 000 views delivering 2,155 million minutes. Average viewing time was 20 minutes, which is excellent by international standards. Our website attracted 29 758 users during September.

To date, thanks to our social media partner, Hillclimb Monsters, the event has been viewed over 15,4 million times on its Facebook platform and 5.5 million times on its You Tube channel. The Simola Hillclimb You Tube channel has delivered nearly 125 000 views excluding the live stream element.

On track the Gould single seater was quickest car again in the hands of Andre Bezuidenhout. In a stunning run, he cracked the 35 sec barrier with a time of 34.965 sec at an average speed of 195.624 km/h – from a standing start!

What does the 2022 Simola Hillclimb hold in store? Time will tell, but no doubt the action will be as entertaining as ever. Don’t miss it …. live in Knysna or on your device or tv!