- Only third visit to Simola
- Improved machinery
- Two podium finishes
Rospa International is synonymous with performance and JDM vehicles. The KZN-based company has been importing dream machines into South Africa for years. While many petrolheads may know Rospa for the desirable cars it imports, few may know of the company’s race team, which has been making massive strides of late.
Company founder Himal Chris Paul started the team using his own JDM dream car as its focus. The car in question is an iconic R34-series Nissan GT-R.
Paul said, “I formed this team just three years ago. The initial aim was to showcase the quality of cars we bring in to SA. The second, and the longer-term plan, was to compete against, and beat, the best in the country”.
Steve Clark, of No Sweat Racing fame, modified the GT-R into its current form. It now boasts a 2,8-litre engine, new turbochargers, and a standalone Haltech management system. In addition, the car features a Holinger six-speed sequential transmission with paddle shifters. The GT-R also wears a wild aero kit that comprises a massive rear wing, deep front splitter, and flat underfloor.
The team blasted into action at the 2024 Simola Hillclimb – SA’s ultimate motorsport showdown – with fearless wheelman Clark at the helm. The GT-R snatched a top-10 in the shootout at its first competitive outing, hinting at things to come.
The car underwent a few more choice upgrades ahead of the 2026 Simola Hillclimb. Clark explains: “We redid the lower suspension on the front with custom-designed lower wishbones and a new subframe. We also designed and built a custom intake plenum with different intake runners. That alone has managed to free up about 50 more horsepower”.
And the changes really made a difference. Clark was lighting up the timesheets from the very first run at the 2026 event, setting competitive times from the get-go. His times were impressive to start with in the early practice sessions and tumbled with each successive run up the hill.
“The car was feeling really good. The new suspension really lets us run an aggressive set-up which provides lots more grip and the extra torque from the engine could immediately be felt up the hill.”
Clark’s efforts in the qualifying rounds earned him a spot in the Class B05 final. In the category for heavily modified machines he scored a podium, taking third place behind Silvio and Franco Scribante (Nissan GT-R R35), respectively.
In the highly anticipated King of the Hill battle for Modified Saloon Cars, arguably the highlight of the weekend for many, Clark wrestled the blue-and-white GT-R up the 1,9-km course in a blistering 39,827 seconds. His time was beaten only by the highly specialised machines of Silvio Scribante (Audi – 38,103 sec) and Pieter Zeelie (Toyota MR2 – 37,216 sec), who claimed top honours again.
“It was a really good event for us this year. We didn’t have any serious mechanical issues. We could just make changes to the car to go faster and it all just clicked at the end of the day,” said Clark afterwards.
“Steve is a madman behind the wheel; I don’t think that anyone else can do what he does with this beast of a car that he has built. The times and our double podium are an indication of just how talented he is as a driver and a race technician.”
“This is just the start for Rospa International’s race team. We are already chatting about further upgrades to the car, as well as more events to tackle. We’ve even got our eye on competing abroad in the not-too-distant future,” concluded team principal Paul.
