What Dunlop SportMaxx Racing Update
Where South Africa
When April 2023
Community South Africa National
Knysna effort brings fresh twist to Dunlop’s SportMaxx effort
Dunlop SportMaxx Racing takes a break from its rigorous routine of supporting leading South African circuit racing series, as the team sets off to Knysna to support several entries in the 2023 Simola Hillclimb in the week of 4 to 7 May. That festival event breaks a busy time for Dunlop, which has recently added several other series to its already significant racing bow.
Among Dunlop’s several Simola Hillclimb SportMaxx attractions, driving school MasterDrive has a special Dunlop-shod entry for MasterDriver Search shootout winner Bevin Harris alongside Eugene Herbert’s Ford Mustang. Harris was chosen from among a group of aspiring young drivers who entered the competition set up by MasterDrive in an effort to bring young blood to a hill generally dominated by more mature competitors.
Other Dunlop Simola Hillclimb highlights include the Suzuki team headed by multiple SA champion Devin Robertson chasing King of the Hill honours in his Suzuki Hayabusa-engined Radical, alongside a pair of Swift Sports racing in the A1 four-cylinder class. Suzuki is racing its third Simola Hillclimb, where Robertson will be eyeing an even better run than his 39.515 second podium effort last year.
A true Festival of Motoring, the Simola Hillclimb is expecting a bumper competitor and fan turnout at the annual Knysna affair, which also makes for a splendid fan attraction. Find out more at www.speedfestival.co.za.
Simola is however just the tip of the Dunlop SportMaxx Racing iceberg. The BMW M Performance Parts series for instance switched to Dunlop tyres for the first time at last weekend’s Red Star Regional Festival. They joined the DOE Formula Vees on their third Dunlop outing, alongside the long-time Dunlop shod Pabar VW Challenge and Superhatches. Down in the Cape meanwhile, the Alert GTi Challenge was also racing on Dunlop tyres.
That’s over an above the iLamuna Endurance Series so successfully switching to Dunlop at its sodden Red Star 6 Hour a few weeks back. This coming weekend will see several South African Endurance teams racing on Dunlop, not least of all the Backdraft Roadster Challenge and Volkswagen Motorsport’s tin top title leading SupaPolo.
But that’s not all. Dunlop also dominates the National Extreme Festival, where talking of change, the GTC SupaCup will switch to Dunlop Direzza semi slick rubber for the first time from their old full slicks at Zwartkops. Will Bradley Liebenberg continue his winning ways there, and will champion Robert Wolk strike back against youngster Saood Variawa in the premier class Dunlop slick-shod Global Touring Cars?
Also racing exclusively on Dunlop tyres, will Giordano Lupini continue to claw back precious CompCare Polo Cup points against championship leaders Charl Visser and Dawie van der Merwe? Can anyone catch Sa’aad Variawa in the GR Yaris races? And are Toyota Gazoo’s media men good to deliver a clean race in the GR86 Cup?
All those Dunlop SportMaxx questions will be answered at Zwartkops on 20 May. Diarise that one now, too!
Issued on behalf of Dunlop Motorsport
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