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IOL News
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
2025 Simola Hillclimb: New records and victors emerge amid tragedy
The 2025 Simola Hillclimb event in Knysna was marred with tragedy as seasoned racer Pieter Joubert lost his life in an accident on the hill while performing a qualifying run on Sunday morning. At the request of the family, Sunday's King of the Hill challenge continued in a shortened format to honour Joubert. And honour him they did, with drivers putting on a spectacular display of driving skill in the final Top 10 shootout. This culminated in a new record in the Modified Saloon Car category, with 2021 winner Pieter Zeelie performing a best run of 37.090 seconds in his Toyota MR2 Super GT, slashing 1.039 seconds off Nissan R35 GT-R driver Franco Scribante's previous record. Zeelie was the first saloon car competitor to break through the 40-second barrier during qualifying with an astonishing time of 37.553 seconds. While an unexpected electrical glitch during the Class Finals ended that run prematurely, more importantly he put on a faultless performance in the final run of the day to secure the 2025 King of the Hill victory. He finished 1.280 seconds ahead of Roets. 'We worked hard on the set-up of the car, and everything just came together today,' Zeelie said. 'We turned the boost up for the Class Final, but we couldn't find out what caused the engine to cut out, so I decided to turn the boost down for the Top 10 Shootout, so I'm confident that a 36-second time is definitely possible after today,' the winner added. Reghard Roets finished second overall with a time of 38.370 seconds in his BB Motorsport Nissan GT-R. The 2025 event also saw some electrified action, with seven-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson blitzing the electric vehicle record with a fastest time of 39.001 seconds in the Volkswagen Polo RX1e, while also securing third overall. Although the silent motor did little to excite, the WRX champion did manage to mesmerise the crowds with perfectly controlled four-wheel drifts through many of the corners, which Kristoffersson put down to tyre choice.
The Citizen
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Simola crowns Zeelie king amidst tragic final day
Final day's proceedings became delayed for nearly hours following the first fatality in the event's history. Pieter Zeelie took the overall Simola King of the Hill victory in his Toyota MR2 Super GT. Image: Motorsport South Africa The Simola Hillclimb celebrated its 15th running with the crowning of a new King of Hill this past Sunday (4 May), but on a bittersweet note as it also saw the event's first fatality since its inception. New king Despite the presence of seven-time World Rallycross (WRX) champion Johan Kristoffersson as the event's highlight with his whispering all-electric Volkswagen Polo RX1e, 2021 champion, Pieter Zeelie, eventually reigned supreme with a time of 37.090 in his turbocharged V6 engine Toyota MR2 Super GT. NOW READ: New king awaits crowning as Knysna readies for Simola Hillclimb Taking second place, Reghard Roets finished 1.280 seconds behind in his BB Motorsport Nissan GT-R, while Kristoffersson took the final step on the podium with a time of 39.001 seconds. Seven-times World Rallycross (WRX) champion Johan Kristoffersson about to blast away from the start line brutally silent all-electric Volkswagen Polo RX1e. Image: Charl Bosch While held in dry conditions throughout Saturday and Sunday, Friday's opening practise sessions and classic car run saw wet and changeable weather greet the competitors. Class wins This, however, didn't prevent Charles Arton from taking his second Classic Run title in his former works 1979 March 79a Formula Atlantic. His first overall victory since 2015, Arton completed the 1.9 km stretch of road outside Knysna in a time of 44.436, thereby bettering the times of second place finisher and 2023 champion Andre Bezuidenhout (1976 Lola T400) and third place finisher Ian Schofield (1977 March 77b Formula Atlantic). Heading to victory. Mercedes-AMG Driving Experience boss Clint Weston won the overall standard road car category. Image: Charl Bosch In the other classes, Byron Mitchell took the overall single-seater victory in his Formula Volkswagen ahead of veteran Rick Morris (Formula Ford) and youngster KC Ensor-Smith in the brand-new Formula 4 car that debuted at the National Extreme Festival round at Kyalami last month. The standard road car class eventually headed the way of former Group N class champion and current Mercedes-AMG Experience boss Clint Weston, whose Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E-Performance finished ahead of the BMW Driving Experience M4 of Cristiano Verolini, and teammate Courtney Nicholl in the AMG C63 S E Performance. Pieter Joubert Despite the crowning of a new king, the event ended on a sombre mood following an accident on Sunday morning that claimed the life of veteran racer Pieter Joubert. Having been third fastest in his class throughout Saturday, tragedy struck when the distinctive yellow Mercedes-AMG C63-powered Lotus Exige veered off of the road on a straight section at over 200 km/h. Pieter Joubert practising on Saturday before tragically passing away during final practise on Sunday morning. Image: Charl Bosch While no cause was immediately determined, possible suspension or steering issues were suspected given the nature of how the car suddenly turned right without warning, before impacting a tree. Although quickly on the scene that happened before the turn three bridge, emergency crews declared Joubert deceased on arrival. The Joubert family, including brothers Dawie and Charl who were also competing in a pair of Exiges, expressed willingness for the event to continue, though both withdrew soon after the announcement. ALSO READ: Simola crowns its new king
TimesLIVE
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
2025 Simola Hillclimb ends with Zeelie, Mitchell and Weston on top
The 15th edition of the Simola Hillclimb in Knysna took an emotional turn on Sunday after the tragic death of Pieter Joubert in an accident during the day's first run. The programme was shortened and the rest of the day dedicated to his memory. His brothers, Charl and 2024 winner Dawie Joubert, withdrew from the event but asked that competition continue in his honour. Despite the circumstances, the event proceeded with two new King of the Hill champions and the return of a former winner, who reclaimed the top spot with a record-breaking drive. In the Modified Saloon Car category, 2021 winner Pieter Zeelie returned with a strong showing in his Toyota MR2 Super GT. In the Top 10 Shootout, he posted a time of 37.090 sec, cutting more than a second off Franco Scribante's 2022 record of 38.129. Earlier, Zeelie had already made an impression by becoming the first saloon competitor to break the 40-second barrier during qualifying, setting a 37.553 sec run. A technical issue ended his Class Finals run, but his final climb was clean and quick, securing the 2025 title with a 1.280 sec margin over Reghard Roets. Roets, driving the BB Motorsport Nissan R35 GT-R, claimed second place with a best time of 38.370. One of the more notable entries this year came from Volkswagen, which brought in seven-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson. He set a new electric vehicle record of 39.001 in the Polo RX1e during his final run. Franco Scribante, driving a Nissan R35 GT-R, worked with his team to adapt the car's suspension set-up to better handle the uphill straight. However, he couldn't match his previous pace and settled for fourth overall with a time of 39.631. Silvio Scribante finished fifth in his Audi RS3 with a time of 40.409, while Wade van Zummeren, in the Nissan R34 GT-R, took sixth with a 41.037 sec run. George Evans followed in seventh in 42.179 in his Nissan R35 GT-R. Jonathan Mogotsi, representing Volkswagen Motorsport in the Polo SupaCup, posted a time of 43.579 for eighth. Anton Cronje rounded out the top 10 with a time of 54.098 in his Subaru Impreza WRX STi. Cronje was also presented with the Spirit of Dave Charlton Award, recognising his professionalism and continued commitment to motorsport. Single Seaters and Sports Cars Byron Mitchell came out on top in the Single Seater and Sports Car category, securing the win during the Top 10 Shootout with a best time of 41.770 in his Reynard Formula VW. While he was a strong contender throughout the weekend, the absence of two top names removed some of the usual pressure. Andre Bezuidenhout, a six-time King of the Hill winner, was missing from the entry list again this year — his Gould GR55B still undergoing an engine rebuild in the UK. Meanwhile, reigning champion Robert Wolk looked competitive early on, especially after putting in a 36.140 sec run during Saturday's second qualifying session. The car — Investchem's newly acquired 2005 Gould GR55B — had just one shakedown before the event. Despite the team's efforts to dial in the set-up, an electronic sensor failure forced Wolk to retire on Sunday morning before the final runs. Mitchell kept things clean all weekend and backed up his overall win by also claiming victory in Class C2, posting a slightly faster time of 41.696 in that category. Rick Morris took second place with a 47.444 sec run in his Formula Ford. He finished just ahead of 16-year-old Klayden Cole Ensor-Smith, who put the MSA4 through its paces with a time of 47.702. The car is part of South Africa's new single-seater championship, launched in March at Kyalami. Allen Meyer followed in fourth (48.343) in a Formula VW. Behind him, Simphiwe Mohlahlo recorded 53.568 in the second MSA4 entry, while Stefan Wintershoven rounded out the field in his Chevrolet, posting 54.793. Road Cars and Supercars Clint Weston took the top spot in the Standard Production Vehicle category, driving the hybrid-powered Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE E Performance. As part of the AMG Driving Academy, Weston maintained a strong position throughout the weekend, marking the South African debut of the car. He set his fastest time of the weekend in the final Top 10 Shootout, crossing the timing beam in 43.174 to secure the win. Cristiano Verolini, behind the wheel of the BMW M4 Competition for the BMW Driving Experience, kept the pressure on Weston across all sessions. Despite the performance gap between the two cars, Verolini finished in second place with a time of 43.872. Courtney Nicholl, also from the AMG Driving Academy, clocked 44.599 in the Mercedes-AMG C63 SE E Performance, taking third. BMW's Leyton Fourie followed closely in fourth, posting a time of 45.932 in the new M2. Gordon Nicholson, a regular at the Simola Hillclimb, placed fifth with his Audi R8 V10, finishing in 46.103. Garth Mackintosh, driving the McLaren 720s, rounded out the top six with a time of 47.018, while AMG's Natalie Weston finished seventh in the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 SE E Performance, clocking 47.436. In eighth place, Yash Rampersad recorded a time of 47.789 in the Porsche 718 Cayman. Paul Munro followed in ninth with a time of 48.738 in the Toyota Supra, and motoring journalist Ashley Oldfield completed the top 10 in the all-electric MG Cyberster roadster, finishing with a time of 49.231.
IOL News
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
WATCH LIVE: Simola Hillclimb ‘King of the Hill' resumes after blistering Saturday quali
Toyota MR2 driver Pieter Zeelie is closing in on the Modified Saloon record. Image: Supplied A battle of old foes, former winners and title hopefuls have set the scene for an exciting showdown on Sunday, the final day of the 2025 Simola Hillclimb in Knysna. Saturday's three qualifying sessions saw 2021 winner Pieter Zeelie top the time sheets with an impressive fastest run of 38.220 seconds in his heavily modified Toyota MR2. This put him within six-hundredths of a second of the current Modified Saloon car record of 38.129 seconds, set by Franco Scribante in his radical multi-winged Nissan R35 GT-R in 2022. 'There is definitely more time to be had, and it can only go better tomorrow,' Zeelie said. Breathing down Zeelie's neck on Saturday was Nissan R35 GT-R driver Reghard Roets, who came second on the timesheets with a time of 38.386 seconds. Sunday's final Shootout will no doubt see the BB Motorsport driver put in a serious challenge for the win, which has been elusive since he entered the fray in 2022. Scribante's GT-R, meanwhile, was surprisingly off pace on Saturday, with his best time being 1.5 seconds short of his record, although he will no doubt be back with a vengeance on Sunday after some overnight tweaks to his car. Rounding out the top five were Davie Joubert (Lotus Exige) and his brother Charl in a Lotus Elise. But will any of these Modified Saloon Car drivers dip below the 38-second mark for the first time this year? Roets certainly seems to think so. Meanwhile in the realm of silent speed, seven-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson set the benchmark for electric vehicles with a time of 40.157 seconds in his title-winning Volkswagen Polo RX1e. This was 0.008 seconds faster than that three-time World Rally Champion Petter Solberg achieved in his petrol-powered WRC Polo R in 2023. Multiple World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson in his EV. Image: Supplied 'I'm really enjoying being back in our championship-winning car, and although it's not loud like most of the cars here, it's pretty fast,' Kristoffersson said. 'This is a very high-speed course with two very tricky sections at Turn 2 and Turn 3 that you have to get absolutely right for a quick time, but the twisty section at the top is basically flat-out the whole way.' In the Single Seater and Sports Car category it was Robert Wolk that set the pace in his 2005 Gould GR55B, with a best qualifying time of 36.140 seconds. In the Road Car and Supercar category, Clint Weston took charge on Saturday in the newly launched Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE E Performance, managing a time of 43.356 seconds. Following close behind was BMW M4 driver Cristiano Verolini, with a time of 44.018 seconds. The Simola Hillclimb is not just about supercars, however, with top-tier sponsor Suzuki entering a Jimny, Swift Sport and Swift GLX with motoring media behind the wheel. Sean Nurse proving the Jimny can. Image: Supplied The Japanese automaker is out to prove that affordable cars can provide a fun entry into motorsport events such as the Simola Hillclimb, as drivers Sean Nurse, Jeanette Kok-Kritzing and Ernest Page discover in the three respective Suzuki vehicles. Sunday sees three final qualifying runs up the 1.9km hil, with these determining which top-three competitors in each class makes it to the Class Finals as well as the Top 10 Shootout in the late afternoon. Watch the Simola Hillclimb live here: Watch: 2025 Simola Hillclimb Saturday Incidents and Accidents Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel IOL
