New handicap format for pre-war class in Hillclimb
KNYSNA - The Simola Hillclimb's Classic Car Friday always presents a dazzling array of some of the most iconic automotive brands and cars, driven by enthusiasts and some of the most esteemed names in local motor sport.
The 12th edition of the annual Simola Hillclimb, which takes place from 6 to 8 May, is no different, with 24 marques represented in the line-up for the Friday opener. The entry list spans an impressive 63 years of motoring history, with the oldest car in the field being a 1926 Austin Seven entered by Lucie Runnalls.
The youngest car is set to be a 1989 Ferrari 348, with none other than multiple South African rally champion and regular Simola Hillclimb competitor Enzo Kuun behind the wheel. "We received a superb number of high-quality entry applications for Classic Car Friday, and were well oversubscribed for the maximum 65 places available in the starting line-up," says sporting director Geoff Goddard. "Our goal is to deliver a competitor list that is fresh and interesting each year, and we have certainly achieved that for the 2022 edition."
The most significant change for this year is the introduction of a handicap scoring system for Class H1 for pre-war cars. Instead of simply competing for the fastest time up the steep and challenging 1,9km Simola Hill, Class H1 competitors will run against pre-set target times that are representative of their car's performance.
The top three cars with the best times on handicap from the three qualifying rounds will contest the class final in a single-run shootout, which will also be scored on handicap to determine the podium results. "Some of our longest-standing competitors in Classic Car Friday have been advocating for the introduction of a handicap scoring system due to the vast differences in performance and speed of the pre-war entries, which range from the 750cc Austin Seven-based cars that were cheap and cheerful machines raced around the world in the 1920s and 1930s, to the big and powerful cars from Bentley and Alfa Romeo from the period," Goddard says. "Accordingly, the handicap system will level the playing field and allow all of the entrants to compete for the class win."
The handicap rules have been met with an enthusiastic response by competitors, with Class H1 embracing a record 14 entries, doubling the turnout from recent years.