Hillclimb racing is one of the most demanding and spectacular forms of motorsport. Here is everything you need to know about how it works in South Africa.

What is Hillclimb Racing?

Hillclimb racing is a form of motorsport where drivers compete individually against the clock on an uphill course. Unlike circuit racing where cars battle side-by-side, hillclimb is a pure test of machine and driver against the stopwatch. Every tenth of a second counts.

The Simola Hillclimb

The Simola Hillclimb in Knysna is South Africa’s premier hillclimb event. The 1.9km course winds uphill through the Simola Golf Estate, with a combination of fast straights, technical corners, and elevation changes that test every aspect of a car’s performance.

The event attracts everything from classic cars to purpose-built supercars, but the modified class is where the real engineering battles happen. This is where BB Motorsport competes with our 1200hp Nissan GT-R R35 “Harumagedon.”

Why AWD Dominates Hillclimb

The uphill gradient naturally reduces rear-wheel grip, making rear-wheel drive cars more susceptible to wheelspin. All-wheel drive systems distribute power to all four wheels, maximising traction at every point on the course. The Nissan GT-R’s ATTESA E-TS system combined with over 1200 horsepower puts power to the ground more effectively than RWD alternatives.

BB Motorsport at Simola

BB Motorsport’s GT-R R35 “Harumagedon” has been one of the most dominant cars in Simola Hillclimb history. The 2018 event saw a dramatic winning run that showcased the combination of raw power, AWD traction, and precise engineering. The car runs MaxxECU engine management for the level of control and data logging required to optimise performance for hillclimb.

Want to learn more? Visit our motorsport page or get in touch.