KNYSNA, South Africa, 1 May 2026 – The 16th Simola Hillclimb kicked off in spectacular fashion today, with Classic Car Friday delivering plenty of action and close competition that kept fans enthralled. Ian Schofield emerged victorious in his 1977 March 77B Formula Atlantic single-seater in the Classic Conqueror Top 10 Shootout, handing him his second title after scoring his first win in 2022.
There was an exceptionally close battle between a trio of previous winners throughout the day. Seven-time champion Franco Scribante led the timesheets for all three practice sessions and the three qualifying sessions – including setting his fastest-ever unofficial time in the 1970 Chevron B19 of 41.107 seconds in Q3.
With Schofield hot on his heels throughout the day, and coming within a mere one-hundredth of a second of Scribante in Q2, and 2023 champion Andre Bezuidenhout (1976 Lola T460) in close attendance in third place, there was little to separate the top contenders in the all-or-nothing single-run final shootout.
Unfortunately, Bezuidenhout’s challenge faltered on the final run due to gearbox issues on the Lola, which ultimately dropped him to ninth overall. Scribante had a clean run to cross the line in 41.222 seconds, but Schofield claimed the advantage when it really mattered with a faultless performance to take the overall victory with an impressive time of 40.881 seconds, achieving an average speed from the standing start of 167.315 km/h. This was a full second faster than his class-winning run in the preceding Class Finals.
“We just kept chipping away today and saved the best for last,” Schofield said. “There wasn’t much left on the table on the final run, and it all came together perfectly. The crew did a great job, and it’s great to win my second Classic Conqueror with the same car. Next year we will have something different for Classic Car Friday, so we’re already looking ahead to 2027.”
Reghard Roets joined the Classic Car Friday action for the first time this year, and was rewarded with a podium finish in the 2000 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R – an iconic car from the BB Motorsport museum. Pushing the car to the ragged edge, he completed the Top 10 Shootout in 45.290 seconds.
“I love driving the R34 GT-R, and it gives me such a big smile. It has good power, and the handling is phenomenal,” Roets said. “I never thought we would be on the podium, so I’m very happy. I really enjoyed Classic Car Friday, and we will be back next year.”
Mike Mcloughlin finished fourth in his 2005 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (46.098 sec) after overcoming technical issues during the day. He was followed by Craig Czank in a 1989 Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R (46.400 sec), Dawie Joubert in the 1999 Lotus Elise (47.808 sec), Rui Campos in his 1974 Porsche 911 RSR (48.266 sec), and 18-year-old Nikki Vostanis who was eighth (49.889 sec) on his Simola Hillclimb debut in a Robbie Smith-inspired 1992 BMW E30 M3.
The class winners were:
H1 (handicap formula): Greig Smith – 1926 Austin 7 SS Special (1 min 31.134 sec / 104.75%)
H2: Peter Macpherson – 1964 Ford GT40 (54.855 sec)
H3: Jandre Bezuidenhout – 1985 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup (56.445 sec)
H4: Enzo Kuun – 1989 Ferrari 348 (51.237 sec)
H5: Silvio Scribante – 1968 Ford Escort Mk1 (54.223 sec)
H6: James Temple – 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe (46.396 sec)
H7: Dawie Joubert – 1999 Lotus Elise (48.512 sec)
H8: Mike Mcloughlin – 2005 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (46.011 sec)
H9: Ian Schofield – 1977 March 77B (41.886 sec)
H10: Franco Scribante – 1970 Chevron B19 (41.590 sec)
Spirit of Dave Charlton Award
Each year, the special ‘Spirit of Dave Charlton’ floating trophy is awarded to the person or team that reflects South African race legend Dave Charlton’s spirit of impeccable attention to detail, meticulous preparation and commendable performance.
For Classic Car Friday, the award went to the BB Motorsport team, headed by Arnold du Plessis, who also competed in the Friday event for the first time this year in a 1995 Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R. This car, as well as the R34 GT-R driven by Roets, are from the BB Motorsport museum, and are immaculately prepared and extremely competitive – as evidenced by the team’s podium finish first time out.
Full action livestream
For fans in South Africa and around the world who aren’t able to attend the Simola Hillclimb, the entire event is being livestreamed.
The broadcast includes all of the on-track action, a team of expert hosts, and behind-the-scenes insight and updates direct from the pitlane. The livestream can be accessed from the Simola Hillclimb website, Facebook page and YouTube channel – links are all available on www.simolahillclimb.com.
The 16th edition of the Simola Hillclimb takes place from 30 April to 3 May 2026.
For more information and ticket sales, visit the website: www.simolahillclimb.com
Published by: Colin Mileman
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