Eastern Cape racing stars Aldo and Silvio Scribante are gearing up for an action-packed weekend as they take on the third annual Top-of-the-Hill Challenge at Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria, where some of SA’s fastest and most exciting machinery will battle for hill climb honours.
The unique 2km course begins at Turn 4 before heading in the reverse direction of the circuit’s normal layout, finishing at Turn 5.
The challenging format demands absolute commitment from both driver and machine, promising spectacular entertainment for motorsport fans.
The Scribante brothers will compete across both days of the event, showcasing an impressive collection of race cars.
Saturday’s Historic and Classic programme sees Aldo behind the wheel of his beautifully prepared 1969 Ford Escort 2-litre, while Silvio will unleash his thunderous 1980 Ford Sierra XR8, powered by a mighty 5-litre V8.
Sunday’s Contemporary Racing programme sees the brothers switching to modern high-performance machinery.
Aldo will campaign his purpose-built Audi TT 2.5-litre, while Silvio straps into his Audi RS3 2.5-litre as they go head-to-head in the fiercely contested B5 Modified Saloon category.
The competition will be fierce. Their cousin, Franco Scribante, is expected to be among the favourites in his spectacular 3.8-litre Nissan GT-R R35, with Reghard Roets campaigning a similar GT-R.
Adding even more intrigue to the event is Jonathan Mogotsi, who will debut Volkswagen Motorsport’s much-anticipated hill climb Golf GTI.
The new all-wheel-drive machine has generated enormous interest within South African motorsport circles.
Volkswagen head of motorsport Mike Rowe believes the wait has been worthwhile after delays caused by parts shortages.
“Jonathan will debut our highly anticipated and hugely powerful turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder all-wheel-drive Super Golf,” Rowe said.
“We’re confident it has been worth the wait and that Jonathan will put on a show to remember.
“We also look forward to Rory Atkinson and Matthew Merton entertaining in standard Golf 8.5 GTIs as they did at the recent Simola Hillclimb.
“We can’t wait to share the excitement of this unique event with Gauteng motorsport fans.”
Saturday’s competitors will each receive four qualifying runs to secure places in their respective class finals before battling for the coveted “Classic Conqueror” title.
Sunday’s format follows a similar structure, with thrilling shootouts for Road Cars, Modified Cars, Sports Cars and Single-Seaters expected to provide a spectacular climax to the weekend.
The event will be livestreamed on the Motor Mouth Facebook page.
Upcoming events
July 25: Dirt Oval Racing, PE Oval Track Raceway (Club Championship Round 5); Regional Karting Championship Round 5, Algoa Kart Club; Drag Racing Test & Tune, Aldo Scribante Raceway
July 26: British Classic Show Day, EP Veteran Car Club; Open Track Day, Aldo Scribante Raceway
August 1: Algoa Motorsport Club Circuit Racing Round 5, Aldo Scribante Raceway
August 8: National Regional Extreme Festival, Aldo Scribante Raceway; Dirt Oval Racing, Victory Raceway
August 15: National Extreme Festival, Aldo Scribante Raceway
August 29: Dirt Oval Racing, PE Oval Track Raceway (Regional Round 6).
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