Detour Pit Stop #81: Simola Hillclimb, Knysna, South Africa
South Africa’s answer to Goodwood is a three-day festival of speed on a twisty hillclimb course.
South Africa is a motoring mature nation. Cars were introduced here at the very turn of the 20th century and we have enjoyed world-class motorsport for almost a 100 years. In fact, our very first Grand Prix event took place in the early 1930s while F1 visited as recently as the mid 1990s.
However, with the demise of FIA-level events over the last few decades, local enthusiasts have enjoyed a new crown in our calendar; the Simola Hillclimb. The annual event has been held for just over a decade and it has built up a reputation for being the premier motorsport event in SA.
The three-day event takes place just outside the town of Knysna, a two-hour flight south of Johannesburg and a five-hour drive from Cape Town. This scenic seaside city is home to countless retirees but once a year it becomes a mecca of speed. Petrolheads from across the land, and a few from abroad, descend on Knysna to compete in the Simola Hillclimb.
Simola is the luxury estate that provides its access road for the annual time trial. The 1.2-mile course winds its way along the adjacent hotel and golf course. Since inception in 2009, the Simola Hillclimb has morphed in the Knysna Speed Festival. The multi-day event starts with a display and parade of race machinery in the town before racing action begins with Classic Car Friday.
A wide array of vehicles can be found in the pits, from old F1 cars, Chevrons, various single-seaters to classic Porsche road and race machinery. Countless classic Alfa, Ford and BMW race cars line-up alongside supercars from McLaren, AMG and Ferrari, not to mention a fair few performance SUVs as well.
The diverse line-up is driven by the who’s who of SA motorsport, driving legends and rank amateurs all there to test their mettle against the hill. If you are lucky you may even bump into a World Cup-winning rugby captain, such is the allure.
The first day’s action caters exclusively for historic, classic and vintage cars: everything from pre-war machines up to and including cars built in 1990. As the weekend progresses the runs get progressively faster with the culmination of the final, late on Sunday, when the King of the Hill is crowned.
Words Sudhir “Banzai” Matai Twitter | Instagram
Photography Supplied
The 2022 Simola Hillclimb takes place from 6-8 May 2022. You can follow all the action live on the Knysna Speed Festival official YouTube channel.