The second annual Knysna Hillclimb will be held at the Simola Golf and Country Estate in the picturesque Garden Route town on October 22-24. Last year’s inaugural event attracted a greater-than anticipated audience who were thrilled with some exciting action, culminating in a last-run-of-the-day victory for SA super-hero Sarel van der Merwe’s V8 Mastercar over Anton Cronje’s Subaru Impreza WRX by a mere seven-tenths of a second at an average speed of over 150 km/h.
This year, the event will be run over three days and entries are already pouring in from around the country. Vehicles will consist of modern, classic and historic sports- and racing cars divided into relevant categories. Some 90 machines will be allowed to participate, and together with the first two runs for the Historic category, pre-qualifying runs for new entries will take place on the Friday, the best of which will join the guaranteed entries to make up a field of 75 vehicles for the Saturday and Sunday sessions that will determine the 2010 King of the Hill title.
Preceding the hillclimb, the Mayor’s Golf Day will take place at Simola on the Thursday, with proceeds going to charity. Then, to add to the speed-weekend’s atmosphere, the guaranteed entries will drive through the centre of Knysna between 13h00 and 14h00 on the Friday, followed by a public viewing of the entrants at the Knysna Yacht Club in the Waterfront from 14h00 to 16h00, with a welcome cocktail function taking place at the Simola resort in the evening. Track activity on the Saturday and Sunday starts at 09h00 and closes at 16h30.
While all this activity is taking place, the hillclimb’s new title sponsor Renault will be launching a new hot hatch in the Knysna area, with a media challenge ‘up the hill’ scheduled to take place during the weekend’s activity. Close to the main spectator area there will be a Gasoline Alley where general motoring-related merchandise will be on sale. Another new element to the event will be a Marque Paddock with numerous displays of vehicle on show. Owners of eligible machines will be granted free access to the grounds providing their cars are parked in the designated area for public viewing.
In addition, CAR will host an entirely new style of concours event, the CAR Concours des Automobiles Sportives, with entries open to vehicles of any age that have a sporting and/or racing association, anything from a road-going sportscar to an ex-F1 car. All spectators will have a free opportunity to vote for their favourite model on show. Further information will be given in future updates.
With the approval of the Knysna Municipality, Traffic Department and Tourism Office, the 2010 Knysna Hillclimb will be held under the auspices of the Algoa Kart Club with racing supervised and entries accepted at the discretion of the organising committee. Full marshal control and medical facilities will on hand. Proceeds of the event will be donated to local charities.
Information, supplementary regulations and entry forms can be obtained by emailing [email protected] or logging-on to www.speedfestival.co.za
Entries close 1st October.
Check out the 2010 Knysna Hillclimb updates every Wednesday on carmag.co.za
