Inaugural Speed Classic Cape Town thrills 15 000 spectators
The Mother City turned into a racing playground on 25‑26 October 2025, hosting the very first Speed Classic Cape Town hill‑climb in the city in six decades. Almost 15 000 fans packed the stretch of Philip Kgosana Drive to watch the 1.8 km course run by some of the world’s most iconic cars.
The weekend in a nutshell
Classic Car Saturday – The first day featured roughly 70 classics, modern‑day road‑cars and a handful of vintage single‑seaters. Drivers rushed through practice and qualifying before battling it out in class finals, with the fastest competitors headed for the main showdown.
King of the Mountain Sunday – The second day swapped out the classics for nearly 80 super‑cars, track specials, heavily modified saloons and contemporary single‑seaters. As on Saturday, practice and quota came before finals that pitted the best of the class against each other.
Classic Champion
The day‑one finale saw every class fight for the top spot. The ultimate showdown was the Classic Champion shoot‑out, where the best ten drivers from across classes went head‑to‑head. Speeds peaked at 220 km/h.
Charles Arton (1979 March 79A) pulled off the fastest run, clocking a 40.143‑second lap to win the inaugural Classic Champion title.
Franco Scribante (Chevron B19) anchored the field with a 40.362‑second run, while James Temple (Shelby Daytona Coupé) took third with a 43.245‑second effort.
The event’s most notable surprise came from the Dutch legend Jan Lammers. He was expected to drive a Jaguar TWR XJS, but a piston‑ring failure meant he finished the weekend in a borrowed 1971 Porsche 911 T from Laude Classic Cars.
King of the Mountain
The second day took a slight detour when the third qualifying round was cancelled. The shoot‑outs still delivered jaw‑dropping speeds – around 240 km/h and sub‑36‑second hill‑climbs.
- Franco Scribante (2018 Nissan GTR R35) took the title with a perfect 35.859‑second run.
- Reghard Roets (modified 2014 Nissan GTR R35) claimed second place, just 0.001 s behind.
- Dawie Joubert (modified Lotus Exige “Lorari”) earned bronze with a 37.407‑second time.
A standout all‑rounder, Pieter Keelie, led both qualification rounds but was forced out of the final due to a faulty start.
A flawless debut
With close to 15 000 fans on-site and an estimated 180 000 viewers streaming online, the event was a success on all fronts. There were no major incidents or injuries, a first for a hill‑climb of this scale in the region.
Event Director Garth Mackintosh praised the outcome:
“Seeing our vision brought to life has been extremely satisfying. I think October will be just the beginning – we’re ready to make this a permanent, world‑class event.”
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