Latest news with #MotorsportSouthAfrica
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
The Citizen
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
SA Safari Rally set to make motorsport history
SA will make motorsport history when the country hosts round three of the SA Safari Rally from May 18 to 24. The event is part of the prestigious World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). The inaugural event, presented by event partner Toyota Gazoo Racing, is no ordinary event. It's a global spotlight moment – and SA is ready to shine. 'This is a defining moment for motorsport in SA,' said Vic Maharaj, the CEO of Motorsport South Africa. 'It's about more than racing. It's about showcasing our talent, terrain and ability to deliver world-class events. With SA-manufactured cars making up more than half of the field, a testament to our engineering excellence and deep motorsport roots, having the event on our home ground for the first time is exciting. We believe this could open doors to even bigger opportunities, including F1, in the future.' Anton Roux, the chairperson of Motorsport South Africa, concurred, 'This event has the potential to pave the way for many more international motorsport events in SA. It is most probably the largest international event SA has hosted since the last Formula 1 was held at Kyalami in 1993.' 'With entries closing at the end of April, the lineup of top local and international participants is growing, and fans can expect to see some of the biggest names in international rally-raid on local soil,' said Archie Rutherford, the CEO of SA Rally Raid Championship. Exciting news for South Africans is the inclusion of Ross Branch, Botswana's homegrown FIM W2RC champion and fan favourite 'Kalahari Ferrari', riding with Hero Motorsports. Dakar Rally legend Giniel de Villiers will come out of retirement to be part of #TeamHiluxRallyRaid for the next two seasons. 'Having Giniel on board is like adding a turbocharger to our team. He brings unmatched experience and passion to the track,' said teammate Fouché Blignaut. Nasser Al-Attiyah and Edouard Boulanger are expected to be part of the event. But Al-Attiyah will face some stiff local competition. Bracing up are the young guns from Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, Saood Variawa and Guy Botterill, Neil Woolridge, Motorsport's (Neil Woolridge Motorsport) Gareth Woolridge and 2023 SA Rally Raid Champion and Century Racing's Brian Baragwanath. From Sun City to the desert dunes, the W2RC route will test the best of the best in a uniquely African setting. 'This is the moment we've worked so hard for. The world is watching – and we're almost ready,' concluded Rutherford. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
All eyes on SA Safari Rally from May 18 to 24
All eyes on SA Safari Rally from May 18 to 24 SA will make motorsport history when the country hosts round three of the SA Safari Rally from May 18 to 24. The event is part of the prestigious World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). The inaugural event, presented by event partner Toyota Gazoo Racing, is no ordinary event. It's a global spotlight moment – and SA is ready to shine. 'This is a defining moment for motorsport in SA,' said Vic Maharaj, the CEO of Motorsport South Africa. ALSO READ: Saint Stithians' Saints SportsFest closes with a bang 'It's about more than racing. It's about showcasing our talent, terrain and ability to deliver world-class events. 'With SA-manufactured cars making up more than half of the field, a testament to our engineering excellence and deep motorsport roots, having the event on our home ground for the first time is exciting. We believe this could open doors to even bigger opportunities, including F1, in the future.' Anton Roux, the chairperson of Motorsport South Africa, concurred, 'This event has the potential to pave the way for many more international motorsport events in SA. It is most probably the largest international event SA has hosted since the last Formula 1 was held at Kyalami in 1993.' 'With entries closing at the end of April, the lineup of top local and international participants is growing, and fans can expect to see some of the biggest names in international rally-raid on local soil,' said Archie Rutherford, the CEO of SA Rally Raid Championship. ALSO READ: Saint Stithians' Saints SportsFest closes with a bang Exciting news for South Africans is the inclusion of Ross Branch, Botswana's homegrown FIM W2RC champion and fan favourite 'Kalahari Ferrari', riding with Hero Motorsports. Dakar Rally legend Giniel de Villiers will come out of retirement to be part of #TeamHiluxRallyRaid for the next two seasons. 'Having Giniel on board is like adding a turbocharger to our team. He brings unmatched experience and passion to the track,' said teammate Fouché Blignaut. Nasser Al-Attiyah and Edouard Boulanger are expected to be part of the event. But Al-Attiyah will face some stiff local competition. Bracing up are the young guns from Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, Saood Variawa and Guy Botterill, Neil Woolridge, Motorsport's (Neil Woolridge Motorsport) Gareth Woolridge and 2023 SA Rally Raid Champion and Century Racing's Brian Baragwanath. From Sun City to the desert dunes, the W2RC route will test the best of the best in a uniquely African setting. 'This is the moment we've worked so hard for. The world is watching – and we're almost ready,' concluded Rutherford. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
