Summarize

As they say in the classics, ‘and now for something completely different!’ This 5 October Saturday’s Zwartkops Top of the Hill Challenge certainly does offer race fans something very different. Essentially a two kilometre hillclimb, starting at turn 4 and running in the reverse direction of the track, all the way up to Turn 5 and the finish, the event has attracted a diverse, interesting and most competitive entry list and a chance for Gauteng fans to witness the Simola Hillclimb supercars flat pout first hand at the Reef. And, well, something completely different!

With cars of quite literally every shape and size converging on Zwartkops from all around the country, from tiny little classic cars to some pretty heady racing supercars, it may be quite a trick to beat one standout entry, Ian Schofield’s ex-Nols Nieman Formula Atlantic March 77B. But Ian is by no means a sure bet. Single-seater rivals, André Bezuidenhout’s Gould GR55 hill climb special, JM Gerber’s van Diemen, Renzo Ribeiro’s Swift VW GTi, and Josef Kotze’s Birkin S3, and even Rodney Green in the original 1946s Les Miler MG Spider Special, for instance.

Then there’s the trio of fearsome Godzilla hillclimb Nissan GT-R Rs driven by Simola stalwarts  Franco Scribante and Reghard Roets, and dark horse George Evans. Never mind hillclimb expert Pieter Zeelie’s wild Toyota MR2, or the Joubert brothers’ Lotus Elises, Dawie’s with Ferrari power, and Charl, and Pieter’s Exige. Don’t ignore racing tin top gang, Aldo Scribante’s Audi S4, Anton Cronje and Charles Fowlds Subaru WRX STis, Pierre Bester in his Mercedes-AMG A45 and BMW home heroes, Mark and Jonathan du Toit.

Volkswagen Motorsport has a most interesting five-car Volkswagen Motorsport effort, heads by Jonathan Mogotsi in the Hillclimb SupaPolo, which should be right in its element on this short and twisty course, and the four Volkswagen Rookies teamed up with four motoring journalists for the weekend. 

A strong pack of historic race cars will see Cobra quartet, Warren Lombard, Steve Clark’s Roadsters and Seef Fourie and James Temple’s Daytona Coupes racing Gavin Rooke in a Porsche 911. Chevrolet gang, Lee Thompson in a Camaro and Richard Evans’ Corvette are out against the Ford lot, Mark du Toit and Paige Lindenberg’s Fairlanes and Djurk Venter in a Capri Perana. Add Jonathan du Toit’s Cougar, Alan Meyer’s Studebaker and Mark du Toit’s quick Astra, John Ten Doeschate in a Marauder, Miguel Ribeiro’s Alfa Romeo GTAM and Ismael Baloyi’s Noddy Car Metropolitan.

Streetcar action includes Ford Shelby Mustang Supersnake quartet Joshua O’Callaghan, Vinesh Padayachy, Paul Malatjie and Deon Smit up against Mercedes-AMG duo Muhammed Hoosain’s C63 SE and Courtney Nicholl in a CLA 45 AMG. And even Vic Campher in an electric Volvo EX30.

The Zwartkops Top of the Hill Challenge starts with practice Friday, before qualifying heats and then the all-important finals from 13h30 Saturday. All the regular Zwartkops off-track attractions from food, drink and other vendors to kiddies entertainment, and the rest, will be in place. Get your tickets at the gate at R150 for both days, kids under 12 enter free to witness something completely different and spectacle not to be missed!