Suzuki Swift Sport takes on the Simola Hill
- Suzuki joins the prestigious occasion as Tier One particular sponsor
- Numerous Suzuki-powered racers also to compete
- Spectators to return for the initial time considering that 2019
Estimated looking at time: 5 minutes.
Why did the Suzuki race up the hill? Mainly because it was there!
This coming weekend, Suzuki Vehicle South Africa, two budding racing motorists and two stock Suzuki Swift Sports activities will deal with the famed hill for the 2022 Simola Hill
Climb in Knysna. Suzuki will also support the Hill Climb as a Tier Just one sponsor.
Suzuki has entered the two Swift Sport designs – an automobile and a guide edition – in Course A1 for street-heading turbo- or supercharged sporting activities cars and trucks. The autos will be piloted by journalist Reuben van Niekerk and precision driver and instructor, Wesley Greybe.
“Last 12 months, we entered the Simola Hillclimb for the to start with time and supported the fleet of Suzuki-powered race cars and trucks in the Traditional Auto Friday and King of the Hill
shootout. This calendar year, we up our help as a Tier 1 sponsor and enter our own Swift Activity to present that you can have double the exciting for half the value in the class for typical race automobiles,” suggests Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Supervisor for Suzuki Vehicle South Africa.
Suzuki is no stranger to hill climbs. Monster Tajima is a legend in racing circles for his record-breaking races up Pikes Peak with modified race autos these as the
Escudo (Vitara) Pikes Peak and the SX4 Pikes Peak Exclusive. To this working day, the Suzuki Hillclimb race cars are some of the most well-known motor vehicles in the Gran Turismo
racing activity.
“The Simola Hillclimb is definitely a person of the most prestigious racing occasions on the South African calendar and it has generally been a bucket list item for us.
“We are really very pleased of the personal hill-climb groups that are driven by Suzuki engines, and we think our involvement is a good in shape for the Suzuki model, as a
platform to showcase the spirit, enthusiasm and overall performance of Suzuki as a way of living brand,” claims Carpenter.
Reuben and Wez at the rear of the wheel
Racing for Suzuki in a 2022 Suzuki Swift Sport Car is Reuben van Niekerk, a skilled motoring journalist with around 18 years’ knowledge. He is the editor of
Automobil magazine.
Van Niekerk is an avid motorsport supporter and has competed in numerous formulation on two and four wheels, like the Krugersdorp Hillclimb. He is also a regular reporter on motorsport activities for different publications and is an avid vintage motor vehicle supporter.
Van Niekerk is no stranger to aggressive sports and spends his spare time on his mountain bike. In 2014, he was the initial amputee to end the gruelling Absa Cape Epic, which is regarded as the hardest mountain bike stage race in the world.
He went on to finish this occasion a whole of 5 situations and in the system became the 1st man or woman with any disability to sign up for the Amabubesi club for a few instances finishers.
“I am really looking forward to tackling the Simola Hillclimb in Suzuki’s Swift Activity. I sense that the combination of front wheel generate, lower fat and a turbocharged
engine will function extremely very well at this celebration, and it is the great option to showcase what this incredibly hot hatch can genuinely do,” suggests Van Niekerk.
“Just like a time trial biking occasion, the Simola Hillclimb puts driver and car or truck towards the clock with nowhere to hide and is an function that involves the very best from both equally guy and device in buy to triumph.”
Van Niekerk’s greatest opposition in Course A1 will appear from Wesley Greybe in the matching Suzuki Swift Sport handbook.
Greybe, affectionately acknowledged as Wez, has often had his eye established on a specialist racing job and has competed in motorcycle and go-kart racing. He however races in the F400 and SSS karting series and functions closely with many racing teams on their race autos.
In his job as Innovative Driver trainer, Wez has worked through Africa and the environment. 1 of the highlights of this part of his motoring occupation has been performing
as a precision driver for James May perhaps, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond in the 1st year of The Grand Tour.
Greybe is no stranger to Simola as he was the de facto demonstration driver at preceding gatherings. Below he took stars, this kind of as a few of Springbok rugby
players up the hill amongst race heats.
“It was a great jol to go up the hill with travellers and to listen to them scream! Now I will have an possibility to make the crowds scream as we present them how
speedy the Swift Activity is on the tight and twisty Simola Hill,” claims Greybe.
Suzuki Electrical power on show
As a Tier 1 sponsor, Suzuki will host the burnout zone, where by competition produce huge clouds of white smoke as they warm up their tyres and entertain the
crowd, ahead of launching up the hill.
It is well worth noting that Simola will reopen its gates for spectators this year, thanks in no tiny portion to the economical guidance of sponsors like Suzuki Auto.
Among the the many rivals that will entertain the crowds are quite a few Suzukipowered rivals. They contain Megan Verlaque and Ashley Haigh-Smith who
will race up the hill in two very similar Speedcar tubular-framed racing cars. Both are
driven by 600cc Suzuki motorcycle engines.
Devon Robertson will also return to compete for the King of the Hill trophy with his Suzuki Hayabusa-run Radical SR1.
Past year, Robertson stunned the other opponents by finishing in the Major 10 from a amount of considerably extra powerful racing autos. He established a remaining time of 41.075
seconds – the fifth fastest over-all – up the hill.
Spectators welcome!
Says Carpenter: “We are extremely enthusiastic to welcome back again the spectators to the Simola Hill.
“For Suzuki, our participation in the 2022 Simola Hillclimb is really symbolic as it resonates with our ethos of bringing motoring enthusiasm to the masses. Whether this
is through our autos, this kind of as the genuine-blue Jimny 4×4 or the thrilling Swift Sport for a lot less than R400 000, or by sponsoring the Simola Hillclimb to support the organisers
welcome spectators again to the party for the initial time considering the fact that 2019.”
Suzuki and motorsport fans can comply with the motion on Suzuki’s social media channels and on YouTube, in which the organisers will broadcast a live feed of the
function.
