Making motor racing history at the inaugural Cape Town Speed Classic

Father and son team, Ian and Connor Kilbride, made motor racing history by participating in the hugely successful Cape Town Speed Classic over the weekend of 25/26 October.

Racing along the world-famous Philip Kgosana highway and against the backdrop of the majestic Table Mountain, Ian and Connor joined some 140 racing entrants firmly placing this inaugural event on the racing calendar. Capetonians came out in their thousands to experience the spectacle with another 180,000 watching online.

Classic Car Saturday showcased famous motoring marques such as Bentley’s, Porsches, Jaguar and Ferrari, a true combination of speed, style and sophistication.

Echoing famed events such as Goodwood Festival of Speed, Sunday’s Hillclimb proved to be the breathtaking crowd pleaser however.

Competing in his Racing Spirit Toyota Yaris, Ian Kilbride smashed the odds by beating Ferraris and BMW M3s in his class. After making his own motor racing history, Ian commented,

“Today was all about the Cape Town event, the camaraderie, the competition, the dedication of amateurs who simply love racing motor cars. There’s an amazing spirit among racing enthusiasts across the world and Cape Town certainly proved this today.

Sure, we compete to the limit, but at the end of the day, we all support each other to put on the best possible performance for the spectators. I don’t think the City of Cape Town could have served up a better event and I can’t wait for next year to beat my Hillclimb time and take on a few more Ferrari’s and Beemers!”

Meanwhile, young racing ace, Connor Kilbride, put on an epic performance in his sleek single seater Ligier returning a blistering time of a shade over 40 seconds for the Hillclimb.  This run ensured Connor ended second in his class, and besting many drivers and cars with longer pedigrees and racing experience.

Connor comments, “I knew I had to put in a Lando Norris type run to win the class and I was really happy with my quickest run. The Ligier handled beautifully, and it was a real privilege to be sitting in this amazing single-seater machine. Having done the Hillclimb once, I’m determined to break the 40 second barrier next year and who knows, even win my class. The Mother City really served up a magical weekend for drivers, teams and spectators!”

Congratulations got to Franco Scribante and his team in the Nissan GTR who set the fastest time of 35, 26 seconds for the Hillclimb. The famous Scribante family from the Eastern Cape have put so much into motor racing in South Africa, so it was a victory richly deserved.

Racing Spirit is already planning its assault on next year’s Cape Town Hillclimb, so stay tuned by visiting our website (https://racingspirit.co.za/) for more news from this exciting team!