Latest news with #ClassicCarFriday
News24
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- News24
Shelby Super Snakes and historic Ford Mustangs ready to thrill petrolheads at Simola Hillclimb
The seventh-generation Mustang GT and Mustang Dark Horse will make their first appearances at the popular Simola Hillclimb this weekend, 2 to 4 May, in Knysna. Lindenberg Racing and Shelby South Africa have six Shelby vehicles competing in the King of The Hill. The 1965 Ford GT40 will compete in Classic Car on Friday, paying tribute to the historic win at Le Mans in 1966. This weekend, I will be crying in a corner and suffering from serious FOMO because I won't be attending the Simola Hillclimb, which has taken place annually in Knysna since 2009. I'll miss Classic Car Friday and the annual parade of epic race cars through the sleepy town. I won't be cheering for my friend and fellow motoring journalist, Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger, who will pilot the only Suzuki Swift Sport up the hill. Jeanette still holds the South African record for the fastest woman, breaking the local land speed record in a Ford Mustang a couple of decades ago. Speaking of Ford, this year's event will also feature a variety of Ford and Ford-powered cars, with an expected 20 000-strong spectator crowd over the three-day event. This will be the seventh-generation Mustang's first appearance at the event as the Mustang GT and Mustang Dark Horse are raring to gallop up the 1.9km Simola Hill. MasterDrive, partners to the Simola Hillclimb official safety car and VIP hospitality rides, will use the latest Mustang GT. At the same time, current South African Rally-Raid Championship driver Lance Woolridge will swap his familiar Ford NWM Rangers cockpit for the Mustang Dark Horse's to perform exhibition runs. With its advanced fourth-generation 5.0-litre Coyote V8 powertrain and unmistakable exterior design cues, the Mustang promises to put on a show and thrill those who get a chance to experience what it's like to sprint up the hill. The performance-focused Shelby brand will attempt to win their respective categories with vehicles steeped in motorsport heritage. Competing in their 12th Simola Hillclimb, with more than 4 000kW, Lindenberg Racing and Shelby South Africa are fielding the most cars in one team at the event. Their track record of success in previous years sets high expectations for their performance in 2025, with six Shelbys competing in the King of The Hill under the all-new Team Shelby Racing umbrella. They will be running three Ford-powered cars in Classic Car Friday. James Temple will be driving his 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe, which boasts a potent 5.8-litre Ford V8 engine producing 390kW. Paige Lindenberg will be hustling her Ford Fairlane V8, and Djurk Venter will return to the event with the 1972 Group 2 Capri Perana. A diverse line-up of six Shelby Mustangs will tackle the demanding Hillclimb course in the King of the Hill Challenge on Saturday and Sunday. Temple will be behind the rare Shelby Wide Body Super Snake wheel. Lindenberg will pilot the Shelby Speedster alongside Joshua O'Callaghan, Vinesh Padayachy, Deon Smit and Paul Malatjie in a trio of Super Snakes. Also competing in Classic Car Friday is a recreation of a 1965 Ford GT40 driven by Peter MacPherson. The GT40 has achieved numerous podium finishes at the famed Simola Hillclimb, including winning its class at last year's event. The car pays tribute to the historic win by Ford and Shelby at Le Mans in 1966. It celebrates these two legendary automotive brands' incredible performance, endurance and resilience legacy. Powered by a naturally aspirated 4.9-litre V8 engine, this South African-built Ford GT40 tribute car will undoubtedly be a major highlight at the 2025 Classic Car Friday event. Bonafide race cars such as the two March single-seaters driven by Charles Arton and Ian Schofield are powered by the legendary Ford Cosworth BDG engine, as is Franco Scribante's Chevron. Single-seater Formula Ford cars, powered by the Ford Kent engine and driven by Robert Wolk and Simphiwe Mohlahlo, will also be pushed to their limit. For enthusiasts who cannot attend the Simola Hillclimb in person, the entire event—three days of competition—is live-streamed. The live stream is free and can be accessed via the website
The Herald
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Eastern Cape motorsport stars to tackle Simola Hillclimb
Kynsna hosts the 15th running of the Simola Hillclimb from Friday, with a host of Eastern Cape racing drivers heading to take up the time attack challenge across the various classes. The action starts with the Classic Car Friday, followed by a street parade in the late afternoon for the cars competing in the main King of the Hill event on Saturday and Sunday. In King of the Hill, the Eastern Cape will be well represented by East London drivers Martin van Zummeren and his sons Wade and Jody in their powerful Nissan RB26s, Darron Gudmanz in his Nissan R32 and Gqeberha brothers Aldo Scribante in his Audi S4 and Silvio in his Audi RS3. All of the drivers, except Wade van Zummeren, will be competing in the B5 unlimited class for four-wheel-drive race cars with five or more cylinders. He will compete in the B4 unlimited class for two-wheel drive race cars with five or more cylinders. Another well-known East London racing driver competing in the brand new B10 streetcar class that caters for Modified Street Cars that are road registered, production-based vehicles in 2WD and 4WD form is Owen Bridger in his lightning quick Honda K24. Rounding out the East Cape entries are regular competitor Gordon Nicholson in his class-winning Audi R8 in class A6 (standard production, road-going cars, 8 cylinders and up) and returning after making his debut last year is Dayaan Padayachey in class A5 in his Porsche Cayman GTS. Rane Berry will be making his Simola Hill Climb debut and is taking part in the Classic Car Friday with his Nissan Skyline 2.8-litre, teaming up with Brent Watts in a similar 2.8-litre Skyline while former Opel Motorsport factory driver Neil Stephen will be in on the action on Friday competing in a classic Opel CIH. The twisty 1.9km Simola Hill becomes the scene of adrenaline-fuelled excitement from 8am on Friday, starting with three practice sessions for the Classic Car Friday competitors, followed by three crucial qualifying rounds. Then it's on to the class finals and the thrilling all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout to determine who will be crowned Classic Conqueror for 2025. The prize-giving ceremony will be in the pit lane directly after the shoot-out. Saturday's action kicks off with practice runs from 9.05am, qualifying from 2.05pm and on Sunday from 9.05am, with the class finals set for 2.05pm. The popular Simola Hillclimb livestream, watched by large SA and international audiences, will again be available throughout the three days at The Herald
The Herald
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
BP signs four-year sponsorship deal with Simola Hillclimb
BP Southern Africa has signed a four-year sponsorship agreement with the Simola Hillclimb, joining the list of major brands backing the motorsport and motoring lifestyle event. The 15th edition of the Simola Hillclimb will take place in Knysna from May 1 to 4. The event will feature Classic Car Friday and King of the Hill competition, attracting local and international competitors. 'We are delighted to welcome BP Southern Africa as one of our valued sponsors for this year's Simola Hillclimb,' said Ian Shrosbree, MD of Knysna Speed Festival which owns and runs the Simola Hillclimb. 'It is fantastic to have BP, which is a renowned international fuel brand with a long history in South Africa and in local motorsport, supporting our event. The BP brand and colours have been synonymous with so many international race teams, events and series over many decades, making it an honour for the Simola Hillclimb to join this roster and forge our own partnership legacy together. 'Moreover, the fact that BP has come on board for another three years, taking us to the 2028 event, is a major boost for the Simola Hillclimb that helps us secure its ongoing success.' According to organisers, more than 19,000 people attended last year's event, with the online live stream reaching audiences in 85 countries. The live stream recorded almost 423,000 views and more than 5-million minutes of content watched globally. The Simola Hillclimb's YouTube videos have accumulated more than 40-million views to date. 'We are honoured to bring our most advanced fuels brand, BP Ultimate with Active Technology, to the country's premier motorsport event,' says Nokwanda Khumalo, general manager for mobility and convenience at BP Southern Africa. The 2025 event will offer free live stream coverage across all three days of racing through the official website .
TimesLIVE
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
BP signs four-year sponsorship deal with Simola Hillclimb
BP Southern Africa has signed a four-year sponsorship agreement with the Simola Hillclimb, joining the list of major brands backing the motorsport and motoring lifestyle event. The 15th edition of the Simola Hillclimb will take place in Knysna from May 1 to 4. The event will feature Classic Car Friday and King of the Hill competition, attracting local and international competitors. 'We are delighted to welcome BP Southern Africa as one of our valued sponsors for this year's Simola Hillclimb,' said Ian Shrosbree, MD of Knysna Speed Festival which owns and runs the Simola Hillclimb. 'It is fantastic to have BP, which is a renowned international fuel brand with a long history in South Africa and in local motorsport, supporting our event. The BP brand and colours have been synonymous with so many international race teams, events and series over many decades, making it an honour for the Simola Hillclimb to join this roster and forge our own partnership legacy together. 'Moreover, the fact that BP has come on board for another three years, taking us to the 2028 event, is a major boost for the Simola Hillclimb that helps us secure its ongoing success.' According to organisers, more than 19,000 people attended last year's event, with the online live stream reaching audiences in 85 countries. The live stream recorded almost 423,000 views and more than 5-million minutes of content watched globally. The Simola Hillclimb's YouTube videos have accumulated more than 40-million views to date. 'We are honoured to bring our most advanced fuels brand, BP Ultimate with Active Technology, to the country's premier motorsport event,' says Nokwanda Khumalo, general manager for mobility and convenience at BP Southern Africa. The 2025 event will offer free live stream coverage across all three days of racing through the official website.
News24
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- News24
Driving with J9: Why every South African petrolhead should attend the Knysna Hillclimb
The Knysna Hillclimb has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the most significant motorsport events on the local calendar. In its 15th year in 2025, it will be one of the biggest, with an expected crowd of 20 000 spectators across the weekend. Ian Shrosbree is one of the masterminds behind the event, which became petrolhead nirvana. He speaks to News24 Motoring editor Janine van der Post about pulling off such a mammoth occasion. Thousands of car enthusiasts will be making their way to Knysna in the first week of May for the next instalment of the popular three-day Hillclimb event from 2-4 May, starting with Classic Car Friday. Shrosbree is one of the event founders and explains why this motoring event has become such a big deal and why thousands of fans make their way to the sleepy, quaint city every year for the thrilling showcase of fast cars.
