Simola Hill Climb is on track for 2022

Known for its splendid golden beaches and exotic natural surroundings, Knysna is a lush paradise favoured by holidaymakers both locally and internationally. Each year in May, Knysna lends the backdrop of its natural beauty to one of South Africa's most coveted racing events. The Simola Hill Climb.

Last year we featured the Hill Climb during the height of Covid lockdown, speculating on how it would work in the face of strict social distancing guidelines. Despite it all, the titular racing event went ahead, adjusting to these measures, and hosting a successful, albeit different sort of day without spectators in attendance. 

As the Simola Hillclimb is slated to go ahead this year, we take a retrospective look at how the team was able to manage the event in 2021 and what they have learned along the way to create an enhanced experience next month.

Recapping what the Hillclimb is about

Annually held over the month of May, the Simola Hillclimb is a technical point-to-point course carved out of a particular section of the Old Cape road. Racers compete over three days at the event in various vehicle classes. This is done to achieve the best time up the natural chicanes of the Ou Kaapse Weg. The fastest course time in the class is declared the winner.

Founded and hosted by Ian Shrosbree and his professional team, the Simola Hill Climb's first-ever event was held in the Autumn of 2009. In spite of its splendid scenery surrounding an incredibly technical stretch of the national road, the Hillclimb's initial ambitions were met with raised eyebrows. Could a traditional holiday town truly be the right setting for a motorsports event? 

As it turned out... Yes. The Simola Hillclimb's first-ever event became a resounding success, spurring the growth of subsequent events and going on to become a national name.

The effects of Covid 19

2019's event was touted as the most successful to date with over 17200 people from all corners of the world buying a ticket. However, things took a turn for the worst after the initial lockdown stages were announced in 2020, forcing Ian and his team to postpone the event to September and becoming yet another victim of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While facing the disappointing realities of the situation, Ian and his team continued to stay positive and looked ahead to new inventive ways to maintain interest. As lockdown continued, the September date was yet again postponed to May of 2021 which ultimately led to a partnership with Monarch Events (an eSports company) to create their very own digital track designed to run on Assetto Corsa.

Assetto Corsa is a simulation racing game developed for PC and consoles and is free-to-play once registered. This provided an excellent opportunity for Ian and his team to register racers and attend a virtual event where they could race their cars through a modified version of the Ou Kaapse Weg. While not conventional, the virtual event provided the perfect alternative to what would have been an empty and restricted race day.

Moving ahead in 2022 despite protracted lockdown

Ian Shrosbree has learned a lot during the course of the Hillclimb's legacy, especially considering his workaround for 2020. This created an interesting hybrid situation for 2021 where despite having no spectators, live racing could still be watched online. However, the biggest attraction remained the virtual aspects of the event.

In essence, the virtual scene practically kept the Hillclimb alive for the past two years as it created an opportunity for just about anybody to participate in order to keep the brand legacy alive and in the consciousness. This year, however, Ian is looking to rekindle the original Hillclimb's legacy, putting the focus back on drawing in attendees and defining a live experience while keeping every minute live streamed. 

"Based on the latest government restrictions for COVID-19, we will be able to accommodate a maximum of 3 300 spectators per day, which makes this year's attendance even more exclusive and highly prized," Shrosbree says. 

To gain access to the event, spectators will need to produce either a vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test or a rapid antigen test not older than 72 hours. Rapid antigen tests will be available at the event for attendees to be tested.

More updates regarding protocols will be added to their website - https://www.simolahillclimb.com/

Changes for 2022

Beyond refocusing the event to align with the earlier years, Ian has hinted at a few more significant editions which he hopes will enhance the overall experience.

While the virtual races are running and will finish by the end of April, the live events of this 12th edition of the Hillclimb will mark a return to some semblance of normalcy. The event will continue to receive live coverage for both online and broadcast media thanks to interest from the SABC.

Those wishing to attend this year may wish to take note of the following information:

• Spectators are allowed for the 2022 Simola Hillclimb from 6 to 8 May - but strictly limited to 3 300 per day, in line with the government's COVID-19 regulations. A vaccination certificate or negative PCR or a rapid antigen test is required for entry.

• Get your tickets online at www.simolahillclimb.com/ to avoid disappointment, and get discounted prices.

• Fans can build their own packages with tickets available for General Entry, Pit Access, Turn 2 Grandstand, Pit Priority Parking and exclusive VIP Hospitality.

• 2020 ticket holders who did not request a refund will have their tickets honoured this year.

While a cap on attendees may dampen some spirits, the good news for fans not able to secure tickets or travel to this year's event is that all three days will be live-streamed on the Simola Hillclimb website and Facebook page. Additionally, SABC3 Sport enters its second year as the national free-to-air broadcast partner and will provide live coverage and regular crossings.

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