KNYSNA, South Africa, 12 April 2023: The Simola Hillclimb is famend as South Africa’s premier motoring and motorsport life-style occasion, garnering important curiosity from native opponents and petrolheads, and from round the world. It has now been elevated to even better heights with the announcement that Volkswagen South Africa is bringing Petter Solberg – the standard WRC and WRX champion – to compete at this yr’s occasion, which takes place in Knysna from 4 to 7 May 2023.
Solberg at the Simola Hillclimb
Solberg is considered one of the best-known drivers in the World Rally Championship (WRC), changing into the first Norwegian to win the title in 2003 and wrapping up his profession in 2009 with a complete of 13 wins. Aside from his success on the WRC stage, Solberg stamped his mark on the World Rallycross (WRX) scene by claiming its first-ever championship crown in 2014, which he went on to repeat in 2015.
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Two years later Solberg partnered with Volkswagen Motorsport to create the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden crew, which dominated the sport by scoring an astonishing 19 wins from 24 occasions over the course of 2017 and 2018. Solberg completed third total in 2017, whereas the crew received each the Driver and Team championships on each events – a outstanding success story.
It’s not simply Solberg’s participation at the 13th Simola Hillclimb that’s of nice curiosity, but additionally the automobile he will likely be driving. Volkswagen is delivery the Polo R WRX Supercar that the crew campaigned in the 2018 season to South Africa for this occasion. Rated as considered one of the most profitable vehicles of the fashionable Rallycross period, it’s a 419 kW/650 Nm monster that’s able to launching from standstill to 100 km/h in a mere 1.9 seconds – so it’s assured to shake issues up for this yr’s King of the Hill problem in the Modified Saloon Car class!
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“Having a star driver of the calibre of Petter Solberg competing in this year’s Simola Hillclimb is a thrilling prospect which significantly elevates the status of our event,” says Ian Shrosbree, MD of the Knysna Speed Festival which owns the Simola Hillclimb. “We respect the immense quantity of labor Volkswagen SA has put into securing Solberg and the outstanding Polo R WRX Supercar, and its dedication as considered one of our companions for 2023.
“Solberg has a huge following around the world, and it will be great to see him in action in Knysna,” Shrosbree says. “For many individuals, will probably be fascinating to see how the championship-winning Polo R WRX Supercar performs on the 1.9 km Simola Hill, and the way it fares towards the wild locally-developed vehicles that dominate the Modified Saloon Car class.
“The participation of Solberg and the Polo, together with another six car brands having official entries in the event, is a vindication of our change of strategy in 2020 to facilitate greater involvement by South African OEMs in the Hillclimb.”
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Fierce home-bred competitors
The Solberg VW entry definitely ramps up the pleasure and anticipation for the epic King of the Hill battle set to play out in the Modified Saloon Car class, however will probably be up towards a formidable armada of a few of the world’s most excessive and highly effective tin-top race vehicles, lots of that are purpose-built for the Simola Hillclimb.
Franco Scribante’s radical Nissan GT-R is already a hillclimb legend round the world, utilizing its time attack-inspired multi-wing design together with enormous energy (estimated to be able to round 1 500 hp) to devastating impact by claiming the 2019 and 2022 King of the Hill titles. Last yr Scribante threw down the gauntlet and set a brand new document of 38.129 seconds at a median pace of 179.4 km/h – from a standing begin!
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And, as a four-time King of the Hill (and six-time Classic Car Friday winner), Scribante arguably is aware of the tight and twisty 1.9 km Simola Hillclimb highway course higher than anybody. “We have continued with the development of the GT-R since last year and hopefully sorted out the gearbox so that we can add more boost,” Scribante says. “The competition is always tough, but I believe that a 37-second time is possible, so that’s what we will be striving for this year.”
Scribante’s most fervent problem is as soon as once more anticipated to come from Reghard Roets in the imply BB Motorsport Nissan GT-R, referred to by the crew as ‘Armageddon’. As a three-time Road Car and Supercar King of the Hill winner, Roets had his first outing in the Modified Saloon Car class in 2022 and was often buying and selling quickest occasions with Scribante. Unfortunately, a number of technical issues hampered the automobile final yr, and Roets wasn’t in a position to contest the all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout.
“Although the chink in our armour has been reliability issues, there is no team or driver that has spent so much time over the last year ironing out the niggles with many late nights and early mornings toiling in the workshop, and long days at the track getting Armageddon to turn lap record times for lap after lap.”
“The engine power, suspension and aero package have been optimised, with car and driver going on a diet to boot. I believe this year is going to be one of the biggest battles yet.”
Reghard Roets
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There are quite a few different Nissan GT-Rs certain to be in the combine for the total title and the class B5 honours for limitless four-wheel drive vehicles, together with the wild Nissan GT-Rs pushed by Martin and Jody van Zummeren, competing towards the pair of extremely tuned Audi S4 machines of Aldo and Silvio Scribante, and a turbocharged Audi R8 V10 pushed by Dayne Riley.
Class B3 is dwelling to the four-cylinder 4WD beasts – and sure, the headline act will likely be Petter Solberg in his VW Polo R WRX. He will likely be up towards common Top 10 contender Anton Cronje in his highly effective Subaru WRX STi, together with Pierre Bester in a Mercedes-AMG A45 and Knysna resident Tanya Watts in her Subaru Impreza.
At the reverse finish of the 4WD efficiency automobile spectrum is the uncommon limitless SUV and bakkie (pick-up) class. This yr sees Ford South Africa taking over the Simola Hillclimb problem with its lately launched Ranger Raptor, which employs a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine to produce an astonishing 292 kW. Ford has teamed up with a media associate for its showroom-spec Ranger Raptor entry, and known as on circuit racing and cross nation ace Anthony Taylor to occupy the driver’s seat.
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A second Ranger Raptor V6 may even take to the begin line, pushed by Knysna’s Fred van Heerden.
The two Fords will face off towards BB Motorsport’s Arnold du Plessis in the mean-looking modified Nissan Patrol Black Hawk, which encompasses a 396kW supercharged 5.6-litre V8 engine.
The Simola Hillclimb two-wheel drive motion
Several of the two-wheel drive limitless class B4 entrants will likely be vying for the King of the Hill crown towards the most excessive 4WD equipment, together with final yr’s runner-up, Charl Joubert in the turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 Honda-powered Lotus Elise, his brother Dawie in the Ferrari 488-engined Lotus Exige, in addition to 2021 winner Pieter Zeelie on this Toyota MR2 Super GT. With fixed enhancements Zeelie has developed his automobile right into a critical challenger for total honours and his expertise of racing the automobile, and profitable his class, in a global hillclimb in Germany will stand him in good stead for this yr’s occasion.
For the most spectacular on-the-ragged-edge driving, you received’t discover a lot better than Wade van Zummeren in his manic rear-wheel drive Nissan GT-R which he powered into a powerful third place final yr.
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Two-wheel drive four-cylinder vehicles slot into class B2, that includes Graeme Nathan who will likely be again once more in the VW Polo SupaCup automobile, Hyundai South Africa’s Josh Lowe who will compete for the first time in the Hyundai i30N that he races in the Vilaca time assault sequence, Clare Vale in her Subaru BRZ, and one other Knysna native, Mike Verrier, who returns to the Simola Hillclimb this yr in a sizzling VW Golf GTi.
The naturally aspirated race vehicles at school B7 (eight cylinders and up) comprise Ricky Giannoccaro’s Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, Giacomo Giannoccaro’s BMW Z4 GT3 V8, Pieter Joubert’s thundering 6.2-litre V8 AMG-powered Lotus Exige and a 1985 7.0-litre Cobra.
As the lone entrant at school B6 for six-cylinder vehicles, Geoff Goddard Jnr will likely be behind the wheel of the iconic BMW 325i Shadowline that was raced by the likes of his father, Geoff, and Tony Viana throughout the heydays of Stannic Group N.
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Purchase your tickets on-line
Tickets might be bought on the occasion web site (www.simolahillclimb.com), with the costs for General Entry remaining unchanged from final yr. Upgrades can be found for Pit Access, Turn 2 Grandstand seating and VIP Parking.
For the final VIP expertise, the Le Mans Hospitality Lounge supplies mouth-watering catering, an unbeatable viewing level overlooking the begin line, in addition to General Entry and Pit Access.
The 13th version of the Simola Hillclimb takes place from 4 to 7 May 2023.
More info on the Simola Hillclimb is offered on the web site HERE.
Published by Simola Hillclimb on MotorPress
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