The Simola Hillclimb

If you were to describe a picturesque town along the iconic Garden Route of South Africa, Knysna would be the first thought to pop into your mind. With so many things to see and do packed into roughly 100sq km, it's no surprise that it's one of the top holiday destinations in the Western Cape.

One thing that may NOT occur to you when thinking of Knysna is car racing. And, that was what the event organiser, Ian Shrosbree, was told over a decade ago before he and his team hosted the first Simola Hillclimb event back in 2009. Despite the odds, the Hillclimb turned out to be a resounding success with subsequent events growing at a rapid pace.

It wasn't until 2014 when the event was officially sponsored by Jaguar did they see themselves catapulted to the forefront of the motoring scene in SA. To date, the event has continued to grow from strength to strength with both local and international interest until its latest occurrence in 2019.

What is the Hillclimb?

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 car classes. This is done to achieve the best time up the natural chicanes of the Ou Kaapse Weg.

The Hillclimb Legacy

2019's event proved that the Simola Hillclimb truly had something special. A little over 17200 people from all corners of the world had bought a ticket and walked through the entrance. Participants from the US, UK and Germany competed with numerous attendees streaming online.

With a strong social media presence, the event totalled over 175,000 shares reaching 2.3 million views on Facebook and over 9 million views on Youtube. With over a decade of growth and phenomenal interest, 2020 was projected to be even more of a success had it not been for the advent of Covid19.

Postponing the Hillclimb

Lockdowns, mask mandates and social distancing meant that the 11th Annual Edition was to be yet another victim of the pandemic. With very little understanding or guidance as to how long the lockdown would last, the event had to be postponed three times before the latest date was set for September 2021.

Postponements, at a time where organisers had hoped to embark on a new era of sponsorships and partnerships, could not have occurred at a worse time. Despite the disappointing realities of the situation, organisers continued to stay positive and looked ahead to new ways to maintain interest. 

Keeping sustained interest through digital innovation

Part of adapting and growing a brand is embracing new and innovative concepts to reach a wider audience.

Since the mid-90s, simulation racing has been a fast-growing digital entertainment genre within the esports and gaming scene. From Personal Computers to various competing console brands such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, access to high-quality simulation or arcade racing with world-renowned circuits to enjoy at your leisure is nothing new. 

After the September 2020 date was postponed to May 2021, the team began to realise the potential of constructing their own virtual track. The next logical step was to partner up with Monarch Events, a leading esports events company, to create a virtually identical design of the track itself. 

Once adequately thawed out, the Knysna based track was scanned over and digitally added as a modified file into Assetto Corsa, a leading simulation racing game developed by Italian company Kunos Simulazioni.

Now fans and competitors alike have access to this sophisticated course and the ability to compete against real or virtual times. This move was a brilliant stroke in keeping disappointed fans invested whilst allowing competitors to maintain their edge.

"The launching of the 2021 Virtual Simola Hillclimb by ourselves and Monarch ticks all the boxes." - Ian Shrosbree, MD

The Success of the Virtual Event

Anyone who has ever dreamt of competing in the Hillclimb now has a shot at racing against not only other players but also record times set in real life by real drivers.

A further postponement of the 11th edition of the Hillclimb meant that something needed to happen. Fortunately, the event still went on but exclusively online. 

The Virtual Simola Hillclimb started with the opening round on Monday, 22 March that ran through to Saturday, 27 March. Round two was from 29 March to 3 April. Round three ran from 5 - 10 April, and Round Four - the final qualifying round, from 12 - 17 April. 

Scores from all four rounds were then tallied up to produce the top ten qualifying racers that would then go onto the finals on the 8 and 9 of May, to claim the title of King of the Hill. The Hillclimbs' very first virtual winner was Lorenzo Gualtieri with his Nissan GTR. 

The success of these online races may quite likely lead to a spin-off virtual event to coincide with the Hillclimb itself. Not only has this provided a new avenue to explore in terms of reach, but the advent of accessing the simulation racing scene provides an opportunity for a wider range of enthused motorists to participate.

"We are thrilled to bring the iconic Simola Hillclimb to the esports arena and bring simulation racing to a wider audience." - Warren Barkhuizen, Monarch CEO.

Looking forward to September

The next scheduled event is proposed for 2 - 5 of September 2021. It's here where Hillclimb will present its new look and feel, thanks to a number of challenges presented by the knock-off effect of Covid.

Ian Shrosbree and his team are fully aware that there is no certainty as to what to expect in September. However, unless the situation deteriorates rapidly or they are legally barred from doing so, they are committed to running the Hillclimb and are more than prepared to deliver what they believe to be a "knock-out'' event. 

All things being considered, it seems likely that the Simola Hillclimb will continue to grow in popularity as time goes on and we can expect to see a positive resurgence once a state of normality returns.

Read our previous article here: https://www.hamiltons.co.za/news/at-the-heart-of-luxury-and-convenience-morningside-duxberry/  

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