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Highlight of the Knysna festival will be the hillclimb.

From soapboxes to Supervan, slot cars to a kart grand prix, next month’s Knysna Speed Festival promises a week of motoring action.

Building on the success of the Renault Knysna Hillclimb, which first took place in 2009 and immediately captured the imagination of the country’s motorsport enthusiasts leading to a bigger and more involving event in 2010, for this year the organisers have opted to run the climb as the climax of a week-long festival of speed.

The date has been brought forward from October to mid-May, which sees friendlier weather.

The Knysna Speed Festival commences on Friday May 13 with a week-long series of motoring events including karting, slot-car racing, classic car show, and soapbox derby. The festival’s star event will be the Renault Knysna Hillclimb, run over a two-kilometre course up the hill to the entrance of Simola Country Estate.

Entries are now open but the field will be limited to 80 vehicles, and amongst the star drivers expected to entertain the crowds are the previous two year’s winners, Sarel van der Merwe and Geoff Mortimer, along with Ian and Jaki Scheckter, Robbie Smith and, making his event debut, Grant McCleery.

Travelling from France especially for the event will be former world motocross champion Jean-Michel Bayle who will compete in a Renault.

Documentation and scrutineering will take place on the Friday with proceedings open to the public, and all of the competing cars will take part in a town parade.

The types of cars that will be on view encompass road cars, racing saloons and single-seaters, sportscars and the ever-popular and soul-stirring historics, all of which will run throughout the Saturday and Sunday.

Further information can be found on the www.speedfestival.co.za website.