The slopes of Table Mountain thundered to life as nearly 70 classic cars powered up a closed-off Philip Kgosana Drive for the inaugural Speed Classic Cape Town hillclimb.
From single seaters steeped in racing history, to modified road cars, motorsport fans witnessed a classic car spectacle on the first day of Speed Classic Cape Town. Cars reached top speeds of up to 220km/h with Charles Arton in his 1979 March 79A setting a winning time of 40.143 along the 1.8km track to claim the inaugural Classic Champion title.
“Beyond expectations is the simple answer for today. This is going to be a great event, and I am extremely proud to be the first Classic Champion at Speed Classic Cape Town. I just feel like a weight has been lifted today. When you drive in an event like this, there are a lot of expectations and it is extremely stressful, so when you are finally able to win it, it is such a joy!”
Arton was followed by Franco Scribante in his Chevron B19, who set a time of 40.362 in the Classic Champion finale. Scribante had broken the 40 second mark in his Class Finals run, which set the grid for the Classic Champion shootout. However, Arton was able to come out ahead of Scribante in the day’s final run.
The podium was rounded out by James Temple, who clocked 43.245 in his Shelby Daytona Coupe. Temple bettered his time of 44.614 in the Class Finals run, but it did not prove to be enough to unseat either Arton or Scribante.
The first day of Speed Classic Cape Town provided a unique opportunity to watch a range of classic cars usually confined to showrooms, says Garth Mackintosh, Speed Classic Cape Town Event Director. “We witnessed motorsport jewellery out on track today. It is a rare opportunity to see such beautiful cars going up a course like this.”
Thousands of fans came to witness the first day of Speed Classic Cape Town, which was “smiled upon by mother nature”, says Mackintosh. “We are extremely happy with the turnout and the support has been absolutely amazing. The track looked amazing, and the race village and grandstands were on fire, which all came together to create an incredible spectacle.”
Tomorrow the attention shifts to hillclimb monsters and modern supercars as they take to the course for another full day of action. Gates open at 08h00 and the cars will be on track from 09h00 in a bid to claim the first King of the Mountain title.
Tickets for the action on Sunday 26 October are available via Webtickets. For more information, visit https://speedclassic.capetown/
The full Speed Classic Cape Town Classic Car Saturday and King of the Mountain can be watched via https://www.youtube.com/live/uHJOTlt2KIk?si=KbLrpYgZFIUjB0Wt
Published by: Daniel Roodt
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