Raptor won the B9 class with racing driver turned off-road winner Anthony Taylor behind the wheel. Image: Rob Till
Ford had reason to celebrate its first official entry to the Simola Hillclimb with a series of top three accolades, including a class victory for the new Ranger Raptor.
Support by local-time Mustang tuner, Shelby, run by renowned multiple racing and powerboat champion Peter Lindenberg’s Lindenberg Racing outfit, the Blue Oval entered a single Raptor for former saloon car and off-road Anthony Taylor, while Shelby sanctioning no less than nine Mustangs.
Despite varying the conditions the affected the event at is conclusion on Sunday, Taylor made the most of the all-wheel-drive Raptor and its twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine to win the B9 class outright.
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In spite of having more power but also less traction, the tricky conditions had to be taken with care for the Shelby brigade after the dry running on Saturday.
As the main event on Sunday progressed though, consistency matched with control and speed reigned for James Temple, who topped the H6 class with Paige Lindenberg finishing third.
At the wheel of his Mustang Mach 1, Josh O’Calaghan finished in the A6 class, with Temple doing the same in the A7 division behind the wheel of a Shelby Super Snake, followed by the Lindenberg in another Shelby.
The final achievement was reserved for Clayton Kimber, whose Shelby Daytona Coupe took home the H4 class during the Friday historic vehicle run up the hill.
“We’ve had a great Simola Hillclimb and are happy to be going home with extra silverware and all the cars in one piece.
“Congratulations to all our drivers, and pit crew – many of whom joined us for the inaugural Shelby road trip which created so much excitement everywhere we went,” Lindenberg said afterwards.
Of its successes, especially of the performance of the locally made Raptor, Ford South Africa Director for Communications, Minesh Bhagaloo, said the Blue Oval had greater fun showcasing the new bakkie at the event for the first time.
“The Raptor performed flawlessly throughout the event and set a new benchmark time for a standard production bakkie in one of the country’s premier motorsport events.
At the same time it endeared itself to thousands of South Africans, either at the event, or watching the live stream,” he remarked.
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