Simola Hillclimb crowns new champions in thrilling finale

The 16th edition of the Simola Hillclimb once again delivered an exceptional showcase of performance, energy and excitement, as the King of the Hill champions were crowned after two intense days of competition.

Thousands of enthusiastic spectators enjoyed perfect weather and the unrivalled atmosphere that has become a hallmark of South Africa’s premier motoring and motorsport lifestyle event.

Robert Wolk proved dominant in the single-seater, sports car, and sports prototype categories, claiming his second King of the Hill title.

His winning run of 35.024 seconds in the all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout secured victory, with an impressive average speed of 195.295km/h in the Investchem team’s 2005 Gould GR55.

Wolk, who previously won in 2024 driving a 1989 Pilbeam MP58, reflected positively on his performance.

“We made a big step up from last year when we first got the car, and we’ve been consistently fast. Although we didn’t break the 35-second mark, which was our goal, we made solid progress. The car handled brilliantly, and there’s definitely room for improvement next year.”

Ian Schofield finished second in his 2014 Mygale Formula Ford (40.967 seconds), while Connor Kilbride impressed on his debut with a third-place finish (41.766 seconds) in a 2015 Ligier JS53 Evo2.

In the fiercely contested Modified Saloon Car category, Pieter Zeelie cemented his reputation as a Simola legend by claiming his third victory — and his second consecutive win — in the powerful 2002 Toyota MR2.

Zeelie clocked a time of 37.216 seconds, just 0.126 seconds shy of his own class record from 2025. His steady progression highlights the ongoing development of the car, having first won in 2021 with a time of 40.402 seconds.

Five-time winner Franco Scribante initially set the second-fastest time (38.317 seconds), but his run was disqualified after striking a track limits marker near the finish.

Silvio Scribante delivered a strong performance throughout the weekend in his distinctive yellow Audi RS3, known as Pacman. He recorded 38.485 seconds in the Top 10 Shootout and an even faster 38.103 seconds in the Class Finals.

Steve Clark secured third place in his Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R (39.827 seconds). Meanwhile, Reghard Roets’ challenge ended prematurely due to gearbox failure during Sunday morning’s warm-up session.

Clint Weston dominated the Road Cars and Supercars category, winning every session he competed in. Driving a 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance, Weston secured his second consecutive King of the Hill title in this class, building on his success from 2025.

Gordon Nicholson was once again the class act in the A6 class for normal road-going cars, claiming yet another victory in his magnificent-sounding Audi R8.

Class Winners

Road Cars and Supercars

A1: Rory Atkinson — Volkswagen Golf GTI (50.296 sec)

A3: Leyton Fourie — BMW M2 (45.931 sec)

A4: Cristiano Verolini — BMW M4 (44.505 sec)

A6: Gordon Nicholson — Audi R8 V10 Plus (47.258 sec)

A7: Garth Mackintosh — McLaren 720S (47.704 sec)

A8: Clint Weston — Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance (42.527 sec)

Modified Saloon Cars

B2: Graeme Nathan — Volkswagen Polo GTI SupaCup (44.618 sec)

B4: Pieter Zeelie — Toyota MR2 (38.270 sec)

B5: Silvio Scribante — Audi RS3 (38.103 sec)

B7: Ricardo Giannoccaro — Lamborghini Huracán GT3 (43.833 sec)

B9: Janus Janse van Rensburg — Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (49.876 sec)

B10: Jared Rossouw — Volkswagen Golf (45.613 sec)

Single Seaters, Sports Cars and Prototypes

C1: Devin Robertson — Radical Pro Sport (39.107 sec)

C2: Ian Schofield — Mygale Formula Ford (40.963 sec)

C3: Robert Wolk — Gould GR55 (35.292 sec)

C4: Connor Kilbride — Ligier JS53 Evo2 (42.782 sec)

C6: Johan Bekker — Ariel Atom (51.715 sec)

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