2011 Hillclimb winner – Wilhelm Baard in a Nissan GT-R
The organisers of the Knysna Simola Hillclimb regretfully announce that the 2013 event, due to run from 17-19 May, has been cancelled for this year. All other events in the Speed Festival have also been cancelled excepting the Knysna Motor Show, which is a stand-alone event and will be held on 4 May.
The event, which grew tremendously in the four years that it was run and had become one of South Africa’s premier motorsport events, has been unable to secure a title sponsor following the withdrawal of its previous sponsor, necessitating this decision.
“Unfortunately our previous sponsor unexpectedly withdrew very late in the day leaving us with little time to find a replacement,” said Ian Shrosbree. ” We tried our best, but unfortunately most of the companies that were interested had already committed their budgets to other marketing initiatives. As the event has grown so much in recent years, and the cars have become faster, we could not compromise on competitor or spectator safety and infrastructure, hence we had to make the hard decision to cancel the event,” explained the organisers.
“We are aware that a number of competitors and spectators have already booked accommodation, and made travel and leave arrangements to attend the Hillclimb. We would like to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of having to cancel at this late stage. Ideally, we would have preferred to make the announcement earlier, but while there was a chance of saving the event we believed that we had to pursue all options”.
Agent for rock 'n roll, social activist, avid blogger and owner of Love Knysna. Projects include Knysna Keep and Knysna Crime Watch which seek truth and transparency from Knysna's leaders. Knysna Schools is a directory for parents seeking information. Knysna Website Design aims to bring Knysna businesses and organizations online cheaply. 
