The Knysna Speed Festival is in full swing and, with the Kart Grand Prix, Garden Route Motor Club car show and Slot Car Challenge all completed, we’ve just crossed the halfway mark. The action is far from over – there's a golf day today, Soapbox Derby tomorrow and the Renault Knysna Hill climb on Saturday and Sunday.
With the golf day hosted at Simola Golf Estate, all proceeds go to charity, and no doubt the competitors for tomorrow’s Soapbox Derby are making the final preparations to their engine-free racing machines.
The 17 confirmed teams (made up of local primary schools) spent last Saturday assembling and testing the soapboxes at the Pennypinchers car park in the Knysna industrial area. Parts for the soapboxes were supplied by local businesses. Under the guidance of teachers, sponsors and rival teams, competitors built the soapboxes to spec and no doubt put in as much creativity to take home the prize for “best decorated soapbox”.
The Soapbox Derby takes place tomorrow (Friday, 20 May) on the bottom section of the Simola Hill, which will be closed to traffic from 12h00 to 17h30 on race day. The action gets under way at 14h00 with practice sessions preceding the inter-school challenge.
There’ll also be a parade of all the cars participating in the Speed Festival’s headline attraction, the Renault Knysna Hillclimb, through the town before a group display at the Knysna Waterfront.
Run up a two kilometre course to the entrance of the Simola Estate, the hillclimb has attracted legendary names in the SA motorsport scene such as Sarel van der Merwe and Geoff Mortimer (both previous winners), as well as Ian and Jaki Scheckter, Robbi Smith, Deon Joubert, Mike Briggs, Duncan Vos, Geoff Goddard and Grant McCleery. Former motorcross world champion Jean-Michel Bayle has also made his way from France to compete.
Further information and entry forms can be found on the festival’s website at www.speedfestival.co.za
