23 May KNYSNA SHOW AND HILLCLIMB

The annual Knysna Speed Festival featuring the Knysna Motor Show and the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb were both held in mild weather and each attracted record crowds. The motor show maintained its high standards of organisation and the classics on view including some exceptional vehicles. Sep Serfontein’s 1947 Packard, Brian Bruce’s 1952 Healey and Jan du Rand’s 1953 Chevrolet convertible won the major prizes.

The three-day Jaguar Simola Hillclimb was its usual competitive best with Charles Arton winning the Classic Conqueror title on the Friday in his ex-Derek Daly USA Formula Atlantic championship winning March 79B. The King of the Hill crown eventually fell to Dezzie Gutzeit in his 1 000 kW Nissan GT-R with a record-breaking 40,148-second climb of the 1,9km Simola Hill. This event is now firmly established on the national motorsport calendar and is not one to be missed. MM