Entries are open for the 15th edition of the Simola Hillclimb

The annual Simola Hillclimb, widely regarded as South Africa’s premier motoring and motorsport lifestyle event, will reach a major milestone next year when the 15^th edition takes place in Knysna from 1 to 4 May 2025.

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Having started from humble beginnings, this iconic event has continuously evolved since it was first held in 2009, and attracts the most spectacular, powerful and fastest cars in South Africa, along with many of the country’s top racing drivers.

It has also expanded its reach internationally too, both through the extremely popular livestream, and with high-profile drivers such as WRC and WRX champion Petter Solberg, former F1 driver Mika Salo, two-time Daytona 24-Hour class winner Randy Pobst and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Open Wheel class winner Cole Powelson having competed in the event too – and many more have expressed their interest in attending.

The 2024 event drew more than 19 000 spectators and had almost 423 000 livestream views, of which 60 percent were local and 40 percent international.

The 15^th Simola Hillclimb promises more thrills and action, and the best automotive showcase yet. Throughout the three days of competition, car enthusiasts are treated to a dazzling variety of road and race cars of all types and eras being pushed to their limits in the search for Classic Conqueror and King of the Hill glory on the tight and technical 1.9 km Simola Hill course.

As a strictly invitational event, competitors are invited to submit their applications for entry via the Simola Hillclimb website (www.simolahillclimb.com) from 1 October 2024. The closing date for applications is 31 January 2025, and successful applicants will be informed by 14 February.

“The Simola Hillclimb evolves each year as we set out to deliver the very best line-up of cars and drivers for both Classic Car Friday and King of the Hill,” says Geoff Goddard, the event’s sporting director.

“The regulations and classes are constantly refined based on competitor feedback and our learnings from the previous year’s event. This ensures that it’s as level a playing field as possible for everyone while attracting an exciting and diverse range of entries, all with the goal of delivering the best entertainment for the competitors and spectators alike,” Goddard says.

The Simola Hillclimb comprises two events – Classic Car Friday which takes place on 2 May, and King of the Hill which runs over Saturday and Sunday, 3 and 4 May.

Classic Car Friday

Classic Car Friday allows for up to 64 entries, now spread over 10 classes for the 15^th edition of the Simola Hillclimb due to the creation of separate classes for open-wheel single-seater race cars (H9) and the new class H10 for racing sports cars and GT cars.

“We have also changed the cut-off date for classes H9 and H10 from 1980 to 1985. This will allow a wider range of vehicles to be entered, particularly the popular Formula Atlantic single-seaters that raced during this period in South Africa, powered by Mazda rotary and Ford V6 engines,” Goddard says.

Classes H5 and H6 cater for racing saloon cars up to 1975, with H7 and H8 extending up to 2000. The regulations have been tightened up for the road-going saloon cars in classes H2 to H4 – all of which have to be street-legal and licensed, and retain their interior trim and standard tyres. While slick or semi-slick racing tyres are permitted in classes H5 to H10, tyre warmers are no longer allowed for any class in Classic Car Friday, further balancing the scales for even closer competition.

The pre-war cars in H1 continue using a handicap format, ensuring that the wide variety of ‘golden oldies’ can all compete for the class win on an even footing.

Franco Scribante is the reigning Classic Conqueror, having claimed his seventh title last year in his 1970 Chevron B19 with a winning time of 41.796 seconds.

King of the Hill

From mild to wild, the cars competing for King of the Hill glory represent up to 84 of the very best road and race cars in the country – from hot hatches to scintillating supercars and pure-bred hillclimb monsters.

There are three categories for King of the Hill, each with its own Jody Trophy (named in honour of South Africa’s only Formula 1 champion, Jody Scheckter) up for grabs for the overall winner in the thrilling all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootouts on Sunday afternoon.

Class A is for standard road-going and licensed saloon cars and supercars, featuring eight classes covering various engine capacities and two or four-wheel drive. This includes A8 for hybrid, electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles. No modifications are allowed other than safety features such as roll bars/cages and a racing seat for the driver, and the vehicle’s standard wheels and road tyres must be used.

Only 95 octane pump fuel is permitted, and the organisers are regulating this by specifying when and where the fuel can be purchased in Knysna. Random fuel checks may be performed during the weekend to ensure that all vehicles are compliant.

JP van der Walt scored his fourth win in this category in 2024, powering his Porsche 911 Turbo S to a new class record of 42.935 seconds.

Class B brings out the big guns, featuring the most extreme and powerful modified saloon cars in the country. Classes B1 to B7 accommodate a wide range of racing cars, from naturally aspirated four-cylinder machines to turbocharged all-wheel drive beasts. Alternative energy vehicles compete in B8, while unlimited SUVs and bakkies fall into B9.

A very successful addition to the 2024 event was class B10, which is sure to feature even more prominently next year. This gives road-legal but tuned and modified hard-top saloon cars a platform to compete against each other, building on the rapidly growing enthusiast performance tuning market. While the cars have to stick within the overall standard parameters of the vehicle in terms of dimensions, engine configuration, drive wheels and interior trim, performance modifications are unlimited, and racing fuel can be used.

Dawie Joubert claimed the overall Modified Saloon Car victory in 2024, winning his first King of the Hill title with a time of 38.405 seconds with his Ferrari-powered Lotus Exige.

Class C for single-seaters, sports cars and sports prototypes remains unchanged for 2025, other than the addition of class C7 for hybrid, electric or hydrogen-powered cars.

Robert Wolk took the title last year, powering his Infinity IndyCar V8-powered Pillbeam MP58 to a winning time of 37.403 seconds, and setting an even quicker time of 37.133 seconds in the Class Finals.

The class C and overall Simola Hillclimb record is still held by Andre Bezuidenhout at 34.161 seconds in his 2007 Gould GR55, but he wasn’t able to compete in the 2024 event after the engine was damaged during pre-event testing – but there’s no doubt he will be back with serious intent to reclaim the title in 2025.