At the 2026 Simola Hillclimb, where factory-backed teams, internationally sourced hillclimb machines, and some of the fastest drivers in Southern Africa converged in Knysna, one team quietly emerged as one of the event’s most inspiring success stories.
Rospa International Racing Team may still be relatively young in the national motorsport scene, but their performance at this year’s Simola Hillclimb proved that passion, precision engineering, and relentless determination can still challenge the giants of the sport. Competing with their iconic Nissan GT-R R34, the Durban-based team not only held their own against some of the country’s most established outfits but walked away with double podium finishes — their strongest Simola result to date.
For team owner Himal Chris Paul, the achievement carried deep meaning.
“My name is Himal Chris Paul, team owner of Rospa International Racing Team,” he says. “Steve Clark is our driver as well as chief technician, and the guys from Rospa International provide support.”
Although the team itself was only formed three years ago, its members are no strangers to motorsport. Years of racing experience laid the foundation for what has rapidly become one of the most exciting privateer teams in South African motorsport.
The Simola Hillclimb itself also holds a special place in the team’s story. It was the event where Rospa International first made its debut, and returning to Knysna each year has become something personal.
“Our team made its debut here, so it will always be special for us to return to Simola,” Paul explains. “This year we grabbed double podium finishes, so it was the most successful one for us so far.”
For a team still establishing itself among much larger and better-funded competitors, the result felt like validation.
“To race against some really big teams and walk away with trophies shows that we punch above our weight.”
The Simola Hillclimb has evolved into far more than just a motorsport event. It has become one of the continent’s defining automotive spectacles — part race, part lifestyle festival, and part engineering showcase. The atmosphere around Knysna during race weekend is unlike anything else on the South African motorsport calendar, something Paul believes every enthusiast should experience at least once.
“Simola is incredible,” he says. “There is such a buzz around the town, from the parade on Friday and the atmosphere in pitlane during practice and race day. Every car guy and girl in South Africa should attend at least once.”
What stood out most for the Rospa International team this year was the sheer level of machinery competing on the hill.
“There were some really special cars competing,” Paul says. “Guys are throwing lots of money at the sport. We see custom-built machines and special hillclimb cars imported from overseas — it’s really exciting.”
Behind the wheel of the Nissan GT-R R34, driver Steve Clark faced one of the fastest and most technically demanding hillclimb courses in the world. For Clark, the magic of Simola lies in the way the course flows while still demanding total commitment.
“I feel the course is special because of the way it flows with more high-speed corners,” he explains. “Being quite wide allows more freedom to run different lines.”
Still, the hill offers little room for error. Clark admits that certain sections demanded absolute concentration.
“The last section requires more precision,” he says, “however, I battled mostly with the first right-hand turn this year.”
The physical and mental strain of the event is something that often surprises newcomers. Even for experienced competitors like Rospa International, the intensity of the weekend remained exhausting.
“The weekend is quite demanding from Saturday morning,” says Paul. “Although the days are long, the time seems to fly by really quickly. By Sunday evening everyone is completely exhausted.”
The team even stayed an extra day after the event simply to recover from the demanding schedule and adrenaline-filled atmosphere.
This year’s event also introduced fresh technical challenges. The resurfaced straight section of the hill changed the behaviour of the car significantly, forcing the team to adapt throughout the weekend.
“We had no idea how the car would behave over that new section,” Paul explains. “So, we had to make suspension changes as the weekend went on.”
Clark says setup changes ultimately had a bigger impact than weather conditions, which remained consistent throughout the event. “We learnt quite a lot about the car and setup,” he says.
Working within the cramped pitlane environment, however, made quick changes extremely difficult. The team relied heavily on data analysis between runs, constantly fine-tuning the car’s balance and handling.
“Data played a big role,” Clark explains. “We checked data and made changes accordingly all the time. We are controlling the drive to the front axles continuously and were able to adjust this to improve the balance and handling at different points on the track.”
What makes Rospa International’s story even more impressive is that much of the engineering work is completed in-house at their workshop.
“Engineering is a huge part of it,” Clark says. “Most of the components on the car are built in-house.”
One of the defining moments of the weekend came during the final runs when Clark attacked the hill with complete commitment, producing one of the team’s most memorable performances to date.
“Steve was so good and just flung the car up the hill in the finals,” Paul recalls. “Watching it back on YouTube — it is wild.”
For Clark, their breakthrough moment came when the team first dipped into the 39-second bracket.
“Our first run into the 39s was special.”
That performance ultimately secured two trophies for the team — a remarkable accomplishment considering the scale of the competition surrounding them.
“They say to be the best, you have to beat the best,” Paul says. “The competition at Simola gets tougher and tougher every year, and we are glad it is so competitive. It shows we can compete against the very best.”
Despite the intensity of the racing, Paul remains deeply appreciative of the broader motorsport community surrounding the event. He was quick to praise not only the front-runners but every competitor tackling the famous hill.
“All the guys and girls are impressive,” he says. “If you are driving a little hatchback all the way up to those monsters at the front of the field, everyone is giving it maximum effort.”
He also singled out the black Audi TT as one of the standout cars of the weekend, praising its speed and consistency.
Throughout the weekend, the team’s GT-R R34 became a fan favourite. The legendary status of the Skyline platform ensured a constant stream of supporters gathered around the car in the pits.
“The R34 GT-R is such an iconic car,” Paul says. “There were people coming by all weekend to check out the car, look under the bonnet, and take pictures.”
For Rospa International, the fan support forms a vital part of what makes Simola special.
“The fans are so enthusiastic and friendly, which is cool.”
Paul also believes the continued growth of Simola is helping shape the future of motorsport culture across Southern Africa.
“Simola seems to be an event that is welcoming and open to all,” he explains. “We have now seen other hillclimb events at Zwartkops and Cape Town, which means there is definitely appeal for fans of this form of motorsport.”
Importantly, he believes the event still offers accessibility to aspiring competitors.
“You don’t have to have a racecar or be a full-time racer to compete.”
Looking ahead, Rospa International is already planning its next moves. The team is exploring future events both locally and internationally, with Cape Town’s Speed Classic remaining a possibility. However, Paul hints that something much bigger may be on the horizon.
“We don’t want to give too much away,” he says, “but the next step will be a big one.”
Clark also revealed several significant upgrades planned for the GT-R, including dry sump lubrication, larger turbos, upgraded dampers, larger secondary injectors, and a redesigned front splitter.
And yes — the team fully intends to return to Knysna. “Simola is a great place to race and compete,” Paul says. “Because it was our first-ever event, it will always be special to us.”
The team may even return with more than one car. For aspiring drivers hoping to one day compete at Simola, Paul offers simple but valuable advice.
“Start your preparation early and have a realistic budget in mind. Planning for this event takes a lot longer than most people realise.”
Looking back on the 2026 Simola Hillclimb, Rospa International leaves with more than trophies and podium finishes. They leave with proof that a passionate privateer team, armed with talent, engineering skill, and determination, can still stand toe-to-toe with the biggest names in the sport.
As Paul perfectly summed up the team’s unforgettable weekend:
Truly memorable and giant-killing.
