Rospa International is well known to South African petrolheads, especially those with a performance or JDM slant. The company has imported desirable sportscars and JDM machines onto our shores. Rospa also has a race team that showcases its own products.
Company founder Himal Chris Paul believes in standing by the cars he imports. As a result, he has created a race team with his own racecar at its centre. The car in question is a R34-series Nissan GT-R.
Paul said, “Rospa isn’t afraid of competition, which is why we formed the race team. We believe that we can compete with anyone in the business and motorsport arenas.”
The team made its first visit to the Cape when it entered the inaugural Speed Classic on the weekend of 24-25 October 2025. This new hillclimb event took place over a 1,8 km course on Philip Kgosana (formerly De Waal) Drive on the edge of the iconic Table Mountain.
“We were really excited to head south for this new challenge,” said Paul. “It was a totally new event that we were looking forward to. It’s great that there are more events like the Simola Hillclimb where we can run our time attack racecar.”
Steve Clark of No Sweat Racing modified the GT-R. It now boasts a larger displacement engine, new turbochargers, and a standalone Haltech management system. In addition, the car features a Holinger six-speed sequential transmission with paddle shifters. The GT-R also wears a wild aero kit that comprises a massive rear wing, deep front splitter, and flat underfloor.
Clark was also the man responsible for firing the winged monster up the new course. “It was interesting for the first runs on Sunday morning, just learning the ideal line and knowing where I could push. The course is really narrow, and there is no room for error. I was quite cautious early in the day,” said the master technician.
Further runs saw Clark’s bravery increase and his times tumble. He lopped seconds off his earlier attempts to bring the R34 GT-R, the only one in the field, into contention for the finals.
His skill and bravery earned Rospa International a spot in the Modified Saloon Car finals, where he left nothing on the table as he achieved a sub-40 second run. His 39,629-second run earned the team a top five finish.
“I really gave it my all in that last run. Some corners were sketchy as the car has just a little too much understeer at the moment. That is something we need to look at ahead of the next event. But we came and we delivered,” said Clark.
“I am really proud of the final result. Steve is a madman behind the wheel. I don’t know how he does it, but he knows how to get the best out of the car that he built. A top five finish against all these really special cars with so much more power than ours is a real achievement,” concluded Paul.
Issued by Double Apex on behalf of Rospa International South Africa.
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