The 16th Simola Hillclimb concluded with another high-energy weekend, as the 2026 King of the Hill winners were crowned after two days of competition.
Thousands of spectators turned out to enjoy the action in near-perfect conditions, adding to the atmosphere around one of South Africa’s leading motoring events.
Robert Wolk emerged as the standout performer in the Single Seater, Sports Car and Sports Prototype category, securing his second King of the Hill title. Driving the Investchem-backed 2005 Gould GR55, he posted a best time of 35.024 seconds in the decisive Top 10 Shootout (his quickest run of the weekend) at an average speed of 195.295km/h.
“We had a big step up from last year when we just got the car, so we’ve been consistently fast,” Wolk said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t break the 35-second mark, which was our goal for the weekend, but we made progress throughout the two days. Handling and chassis-wise, the car was great, and we got the launch better towards the end. There’s definitely room for improvement next year.”
Ian Schofield finished second in a 2014 Mygale Formula Ford (40.967 seconds), with Connor Kilbride third on his Simola debut in a 2015 Ligier JS53 Evo2 (41.766 seconds).
In the Modified Saloon Car category, Pieter Zeelie claimed his third King of the Hill title — and a second consecutive win — in a 2002 Toyota MR2. His winning time of 37.216 seconds was just 0.126 seconds shy of his class record from 2025, underlining the continued development of the car since his first win in 2021.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic. We had a challenging time yesterday as I was struggling with rear grip, but we pushed today and it all came together,” Zeelie said. “I couldn’t have gone faster, as we ran maximum downforce and boost on the final run. We’re all very happy with the way it turned out.”
Five-time winner Franco Scribante posted the second-fastest time in the shootout, but his run was disqualified after hitting a track limits marker. Silvio Scribante, who led several sessions during the weekend in his Audi RS3, secured a strong result with a 38.485-second run in the shootout, and an even quicker time of 38.103 seconds in the Class Finals.
Steve Clark completed the podium in his Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R (39.827 seconds), while Reghard Roets retired before the final runs due to gearbox damage.
In the Road Car and Supercar category, Clint Weston dominated proceedings in a 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance. He secured back-to-back King of the Hill titles and set a new class record of 42.527 seconds during the Class Finals, with an average speed of 160.839km/h.
“It’s surprising how we’ve managed to keep going faster in this totally standard production car, which is setting times that are comparable with many of the race cars,” Weston said. “I’ve enjoyed every moment of this weekend. It’s been really amazing. Mercedes-Benz and AMG are planning something special for next year, so I’m already looking forward to 2027.”
Cristiano Verolini finished second in a BMW M4 (44.099 seconds), with BMW factory driver Jens Klingmann third in a BMW M5 (44.893 seconds), both setting their best times in the final shootout.
“I extracted the maximum potential from the car today. Setting my fastest time on the last run is a good end to the whole event,” Klingmann said. “The crowd, the community and the vibe has made the Simola Hillclimb really special, and I appreciate that the paddock is so accessible and you can really connect with the people, which makes it very special both on and off the track. I’m really hoping that I can come back next year and fight for the King of the Hill crown again.”
This year’s event also marked the first in-person appearance of Rodrigo de Oliviera, founder of the Hillclimb Monsters channels and a long-time remote commentator.
“Being at the Simola Hillclimb this year has surpassed all of my expectations,” De Oliviera said. “The way I was received by everyone in South Africa has been absolutely amazing. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and I’m already making plans to be back next year.
“The Simola Hillclimb has massive potential to go beyond what we’ve already seen, with lots of interest from more international competitors. I hope to be a cog in this machine, taking it to the next level for people outside of this country, and serving as a megaphone for the event and South Africa,” he said.
The 2026 Simola Hillclimb individual class winners were:
Road Cars and Supercars
A1: Rory Atkinson — 2026 Volkswagen Golf GTI (50.296)
A3: Leyton Fourie — 2026 BMW M2 (45.931)
A4: Cristiano Verolini — 2026 BMW M4 (44.505)
A6: Gordon Nicholson — 2017 Audi R18 V10 Plus (47.258)
A7: Garth Mackintosh — 2017 McLaren 720s (47.704)
A8: Clint Weston — 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance (42.527)
Modified Saloon Cars
B2: Graeme Nathan — 2020 Volkswagen Polo GTI SupaCup (44.618)
B4: Pieter Zeelie — 2002 Toyota MR2 (38.270)
B5: Silvio Scribante — 2006 Audi RS3 (38.103)
B7: Ricardo Giannoccaro — 2016 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 (43.833)
B9: Janus Janse van Rensburg — 2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (49.876)
B10: Jared Rossouw — 2012 Volkswagen Golf (45.613)
Single Seaters, Sports Cars and Sports Prototypes
C1: Devin Robertson — 1995 Radical Pro Sport (39.107)
C2: Ian Schofield — 2018 Mygale Formula Ford (40.963)
C3: Robert Wolk — 2005 Gould GR55 (35.292)
C4: Connor Kilbride — 2015 Ligier JS53 Evo2 (42.782)
C6: Johan Bekker — 2010 Ariel Atom (51.715)
The 17th edition of the Simola Hillclimb will take place from April 29 to May 2 2027.
TimesLIVE
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