Latest news with #GroupN
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Hiding over as Toyota GR Cup prepares for East London challenge
South Africa's fastest and most daunting race track will be the biggest challenge of the year not only for The Citizen's rookie, but for all taking part. After a maiden on-track podium in the second race of the last round at Zwartkops, the challenge of East London will be tougher for The Citizen's GR rookie. Image: Toyota Gazoo Racing The East London Grand Prix Circuit, which some of the older generation still mention by its original name, the Prince George Circuit, has an inevitable reputation of being the fastest and scariest track in South Africa. It is time A venue that has hosted motorsport since before WW II, the current 3.9 km track served as the first home of the South African Grand Prix with three F1-sanctioned races taking place between 1962 and 1965, and four non-official events, the last being in 1966. Thoroughly old-school in its layout, the equally famous 'circuit next to the ocean' hosts the fifth round of the National Extreme Festival this weekend, and by extension, round five of the Toyota GR Cup. ALSO READ: From zero to almost podium hero in Toyota GR Cup stunner The final race weekend before an enforced one-month break until the penultimate round at Killarney in September, the track has been the one most feared by all of the GR Cup media since the start of the year. Besides its wide-open spaces, the fear-inducing Potter's Pass and Rifle Range Bends are, by in large responsible, for any mentioniong of the circuit's name warranting blocked ears and not being commented on. The past doesn't lie At well over 200 km/h, the slightest mistake doesn't go unpunished as proven last year by colleague Bernie Hellberg's now infamous roll that wrote-off the GR Corolla used then. Going back further, both rounds of the erstwhile Super Touring Car series 30 years ago resulted in speculator accidents. The first being Anthony Taylor's Toyota Camry going off at Rifle at 240 km/h, and then spinning across the track before flying across the infield and coming to a halt before the braking point at the Cocabana hairpin. In the second meeting later that year, the BMW of the late Sabine Schmitz, then Reck, triggered a multicar accident after missing her brake markers heading into the hairpin. Not immune, the Group N race the following year saw Kosie Swanepoel's BMW lose its brakes and fly across the circuit, over the hairpin and then into the bushes over 100 m from the track. A year later, the title challenge of Nissan and one Giniel de Villiers nearly came unstuck when the eventual champion's Primera pitched sideways at Rifle and slew across the track onto the outside before control was regained. With well known incidents and near misses like these being only a few that comes to mind, the reasons for the neither the GR regulars nor the media wanting to think about East London speaks volumes of the challenge it presents. As shown by Bernie's accident last year, the track penalises any faux par harder than at Kyalami, with devastating consequences. A circuit that demands respect From the main straight, the circuit flicks right into the infamous Potter's Pass where lifting simply isn't option, never mind braking. A corner that demands absolute respect, trust in the driver next to you and the car underneath, the running out wide in setting up for the next corner, Rifle, requires extreme care as the outer curb eventually makes way for gravel and then grass. From here, with the speed still building, the kink over a slight hump that is Rifle gives way to the mentioned Cocabana hairpin. A corner that requires the same respect as Potter's and Rifle, the speed drops dramatically from over 200 km/h to less than 60 km/h, placing a massive premium on the brakes that will take severe punishment over both races totalling eight laps each. From here, the circuit changes direction down the Beach Straight and into the esses, a section just as testing that saw Mike Briggs' Opel Vectra and Steve Wyndham's Ford Mondeo exchange blows in more ways than one during that second touring car meeting in 1995. Tight and compact, the right-left sequence will place a further strain on the already suffering brakes, as well as the driver's necks that are jarred from side-to-side. The third section, known as Cox Corner's, turns left at the back-end of the pits before going into the equally tricky back-end sweep. Part of the circuit that puts additional strain on the driver, it requires the same 'set-up' approach as Potter's by drifting to the outside curb which, once again, doesn't last forever and gives away to the much less tractable green stuff. A complex of corners vital to get right as building the speed and tucking into the slipstream of the car ahead all but sets you up for the final turn that is Beacon Bend. Although easy in appearance, it too can bite as getting out too slowly will result in a drag race down the main straight and into Potters. All new, once again With the same field of GR86s, GR Corollas and GR Yaris' totalling 25 cars expected, the term 'tow' will prove most important throughout qualifying and the race. Besides the higher speed and narrower gap to the car in front, it allows those at the rear to brake fractionally later and then, overtake for position at the prime corners of Cocobana and Beacon. The risk factor, though, is being careful with your brakes as, apart from being the fastest circuit in South Africa, it eats brakes similar to how the abrasive surface of Aldo Scribante destroys tyres, Adding further jeopardy is the biggest mental challenge; us. With the exception of current GR Corolla championship leader and former Group N driver, Mario de Sousa, the majority of the current drivers have never been around East London. The same applies to the media. In fact, while I had been around the track before nearly two decades ago, it was at anything but race speed in a Mercedes-Benz GLC 250d as, out of race season, the venue is a public road housing a number of businesses within its confines. High hopes Having scored my first on-track podium last time out at Zwartkops, but missing out on an overall third place finish after a poor race one, the excitement for East London is high in building further on the outcome of race two last month. However, while the circuit is a proper driver's pleaser by encompassing all the variables; speed, nerves, excitement, fear, precision, being smooth and calculated, it won't be easy to master and with greasy weather another potential factor, it promises to be a tough and demanding conclusion to the first half of the year. ALSO READ: Return to home ground counts for little in Toyota GR Cup thriller
The Citizen
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Simola success for Suzuki as Jimny walks away with podium
Significant weight reduction techniques, all within regulations, yielded a step on the rostrum for Hamamatsu's off-roader. Long-time Simola Hillclimb sponsor Suzuki capped off an event marred by tragedy to post a podium finish out of its three vehicles entered in the 15th running of the event outside Knysna. Team Suzuki Competing in the standard road car or A1 class, the entry list for 2025 involved the familiar sight of the now previous generation Swift Sport, but also the all-new fourth generation Swift and in the SUV class, the three-door Jimny. ALSO READ: Simola crowns Zeelie king amidst tragic final day While the former pair, driven by television personality, racing driver and commentator Ernest Page and former Group N track star and Wiele2Wiele host Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger were never considered for outright victory, both still impressed. The same, however, didn't apply to the Jimny campaigned by AutoTrader journalist and reigning Toyota GR Cup media champion Sean Nurse, whose entry into the A9 class assured a certain podium place as only two other vehicles of a similar type made it into the final. Jimny wins With a time of 1.06:404, the blue MotoGP-livered Jimny of Nurse finished third behind the other class competitors, a standard Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q and a supercharged Nissan Patrol. Sean Nurse eventually took a podium in the A9 class for off-road vehicles. Image: Charl Bosch Stripped of its headrests, rear seats, toolkit and affixed spare wheel to reduce weight, all within the legal limits, the Jimny, equipped with the five-speed manual gearbox, bettered Nurse's self-set time by four seconds to finish on the podium. 'I think the Jimny surprised a lot of people with the times it's managed up the hill. I was here to compete against myself and to have a little bit of fun; and to show people that the Jimny is more dynamic than most people probably expect,' Nurse said afterwards. Just out of reach Out of the pair of Swifts, the 1 min 04 second run saw Page failing to make the final run in the A1 class. For former woman's land speed record Jeanette, the opposite was true as the yellow Swift Sport regularly topped the class time sheets, with an eventual third place being on the cards at one stage. Ernest Page about to start his final run up the hill in the new Swift. Image: Charl Bosch Her eventual time of 56.538 seconds didn't, however, lead to an entry finals, but did net a fourth place overall. 'I think they've put on a really good show. The Jimny reached the class final by default, inheriting third place, but I think to be just over 10 seconds off second place with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder was a great result,' Suzuki Auto South Africa Brand Marketing Manager, Brendon Carpenter, said. Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger about to drop the clutch at the annual pre-event parade held in the centre of Knysna. Image: Charl Bosch 'The rest of the drivers said that they had a lot of fun, and I think for us that is what it's all about, and that's the win in our case. For Suzuki, we are very, very proud of the team, of the participation, but then also of the success of the event.' NOW READ: New king awaits crowning as Knysna readies for Simola Hillclimb
The Citizen
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
New king awaits crowing as Knysna readies for Simola Hillclimb
Won last year overall by Robert Wolk, the 2025 edition of the Simola climb promises to be even more spectacular. A familiar and still growing in popularity fixture on the local motorsport calendar, the 18th running of the Simola Hillclimb kick-off this weekend with the aim of crowing a new King of the Hill. Event unfolds An accolade currently held by Robert Wolk, who last year set a time of 37.403 seconds up the 1.9 km stretch of Knysna road in his Pilbeam MP58 single-seat prototype, the 18th edition officially starts on Saturday (3 May) with practise and qualifying before the main event on Sunday (4 May). ALSO READ: Simola crowns its new king Event scrutineering and the traditional late afternoon parade through the streets of Knysna on Friday (2 May) kicks the event officially off, campaigned by cars in 20 different class ranging from A1 to C6. Among the headlines, which this year includes multiple World Rallycross champion John Kristoffersson in his official all-electric Volkswagen Polo RX1e, long-time event sponsor, Suzuki, will fuel three vehicles in two classes. Suzuki ready Competing in the A1, well-known motoring personality, commentator, racing driver and Ignition TV presenter, Ernest Page, will be out in the latest generation Swift powered by the firm's new three-cylinder 1.2-litre engine. In the same class, former woman's land speed record holder, Group N driver and current Wiele2Wiele journalist, Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger, will be out in the previous generation Swift Sport motivated by the 1.4-litre Boosterjet engine. Long time sponsor Suzuki will field three official vehicles; the previous generation Swift Sport for former Group N driver and journalist Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger, the latest generation Swift for motoring personality and TV presenter Ernest Page, and a Jimny for motoring journalist Sean Nurse. Image: Suzuki Finally, the specialist B9 class for standard bakkies and SUVs will be the domain of AutoTrader journalist, Sean Nurse. The reigning champion of the Toyota GR Cup media section, Nurse will field the three-door version of the Jimny GLX fitted with the five-speed manual gearbox. Besides the headline international act of Swede Kristoffersson and reigning champion Wolk others include outright Simola record holder Andre Bezuidenhout (Gould GR55B), Pieter Zeelie (Toyota MR2 Turbo), Franco Scribante (Nissan GT-R Hillclimb), Reghard Roets (Nissan GT-R), Dawie Joubert (Lotus Exige) and Charl Arangies (Porsche 911 GT3 R). Co-sponsored this year by bp for the first time, more information can be found at NOW READ: Bezuidenhout retains Simola Hillclimb King of Hill crown
