The weekend where the Nissan GTR’s ruled the roost! “exept for one that gravitated towards a tree”
After last year’s event was rained out on the Sunday, the organisers decided to change the time of year to alleviate this potential problem again… and it worked! Sunny, mid-20 degrees, and mildly overcast days proved perfect weather conditions for spectators and competitors alike. The competition on the track however was hotly contested.
We arrived early Saturday morning for practice to hear our first story of the day, “yesterday these lunatics pushed their cars through the town parade to the point I found myself scampering for cover!” Naturally I laughed, and then heard an angry V8 Marcos fire up in the pits, line up to the start, and tear off leaving a jaw dropping expression amongst many in the crowd. No wonder… these racing drivers had arrived with some serious kit.
Car after car, I was continually impressed as they launched laying down some thick rubber, and then some. A 600hp Cobra stepped up and left in such a dense cloud of smoke that one could hardly see the vehicle accelerating away. At this point I realised just why we all come to Hill Climbs: this is display of man and machine without boundaries, pushing them past the limits.
The Knysna Hill Climb track is something of a conundrum. The course is very short, only 1,9km’s and there are only 7 corners which are mostly 3rd gear and up, with narrow coarse tar giving straight-line, powerful cars have a definite advantage. However, the scenery as a spectator is breathtaking. The course follows the road to the Simola Golf Estate, lined with farms on the other side. Unfortunately, you can’t see the full course from any one point unless you in a helicopter.
So, we jumped into the organisers impressive Eurocopter EC120, and took a flip around the course to witness the full course and magnificent surroundings. Sweet!
The benefit of a short course is that it’s totally walk-able, even for the slightly exercise impaired bunch, and all the off-course amenities are all within reach during the day. There were car displays, food stalls, and the usual array of petrol-head goodies we see at these types of events. The best part is that even though there were apparently 6000 people per day, queues were almost non-existent. The whole whole experience was very pleasant indeed, and a big thanks is in order for the organisers, as many of us have had our perceptions jaded by past hill climbs.
A great added benefit was having our media arm bands, which ensured we had access to every part of the course inside and out – one simple wave and we were through – in fact, it worked so well I was even tempted to try my luck and get behind the seat of a race car.
Check these videos of some of the spectacular cars that blew our minds:
Ariel Atom driven by Scott Joubert
…and then he spun out under braking, however the damage was minimal and he was back the following day.
Nissan Skyline GTR R34 with 1000hp driven by Jade Gudzeit
V8 Masters driven by Fabio Tafani
Mercedes Benz C55 with 350kw and 800nm driven by Thouca Mechanicos
Renault was the title sponsor and they really did come to the party. VIP Hospitality tents, displays, giveaways, and best of all, the media race which proved to be some closely contested racing amongst the journo’s, who by the way, can really peddle! A big thanks to all the other sponsors involved making this event a resounding success! An important factor to note was that this event really looks after their drivers and crew, and it was fantastic to see them all getting along in a high spirited manner.
Race Results were as follows:
Renault Simola Hillclimb Results
Top 5 time av speed
(secs) (km/h)
1 Wilhelm Baard Nissan GT-R R35 42,444 161,152
2 Jade Gudzeit Nissan GT-R 42,659 160,340
3 Geoff Mortimer Mitsubishi Evo9 43,108 158,670
4 Des Gudzeit Nissan GT-R 43,558 157,031
5 Greg Parton Nissan GT-R R35 44,741 152,879
Class winners
A1 Geoff Mortimer Mitsubishi Evo9 43,108 158,670
A2 Wilhelm Baard Nissan GT-R R35 42,444 161,152
A3 Andrew Waller Audi R8 47,132 145,123
A4 Alex de Nagy Koves Hrabar Honda Prelude 51,229 133,517
A5 Johan Zulch BMW 325 55,930 122,295
A6 Avril Kaschula Audi R8 V10 48,680 140,509
B1 Leeroy Poulter Toyota Aygo Crazy 50,799 134,647
B2 Jade Gudzeit Nissan GT-R 42,659 160,340
B3 Thouca Mechanicos Mercedes C55 45,403 150,650
B4 Nico van Rensburg VW CitiGolf 52,844 129,437
B5 Chris Carolin Mazda Rotary 49,385 138,503
B6 Fabio Tafani Ashley V8 45,194 151,346
C3 Mike Beachey-Head Porsche 917 replica 49,756 137,470
C4 Scott Joubert Ariel Atom 48,395 141,336
Kart John Amm 250 50,248 136,124
Historics:
Best time Steve Crook 1963 Lotus Elan 56,153 121,810
Index of Performance Ashley Ellis 1973 Jaguar XJ6
Renault Brat Pack Challenge
Deon Joubert Mégane RS Cup 49,710 137,598
Renault Gordini Media Challenge
Ashley Oldfield – Topcar Clio Gordini 53,422 128,037
Full timing results can be found on www.zatiming.co.za
Further information about the Knysna Speed Festival can be found on the website www.speedfestival.co.za
For those of you who couldn’t make it this year, its well recommended to make the trip next year and enjoy a fun filled racing weekend in the beautiful weekend of Knysna.
Written by Antony Ashley
Photography by Adrian Stanford
Looking forward to next year already!