Mixed fortunes at Zwartkops but fighting spirit shines for Scuderia Scribante

There were highs, lows and plenty of determination for Scuderia Scribante at the third annual Top-of-the-Hill Challenge held at Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria over the weekend, where brothers Aldo and Silvio Scribante once again proved why they are among South Africa’s most respected hillclimb competitors.

The unique event features a Time-Attack format over a demanding two-kilometre section of the circuit run in the opposite direction to the normal racing layout, placing a premium on bravery, precision and outright speed.

Saturday’s Classic Conqueror category for Historic and Classic machinery promised much for Silvio Scribante, who immediately stamped his authority on the competition in his thunderous 5.0-litre V8 Ford Sierra XR8.

The iconic machine was among the quickest cars throughout qualifying and looked capable of challenging for overall honours before disaster struck.

During the launch of the third qualifying session, the Sierra suffered a snapped left rear side-shaft, threatening to end the team’s weekend. Refusing to surrender, the Scuderia Scribante crew produced an incredible paddock repair, welding the broken component together to get the car back onto the track.

Though the makeshift repair meant Silvio had to nurse the car to the finish, he still secured an impressive second place in the H8 class. Unfortunately, the lost time denied him a place in the prestigious Top-Ten Shootout.

Brother Aldo Scribante was also in the thick of the action in the fiercely contested H5 class aboard his beautifully prepared 1969 Ford Escort Mk1 powered by a two-litre Pinto engine.

In one of the closest battles of the day, Aldo narrowly missed out on a podium finish, crossing the line in fourth place by the slimmest of margins, leaving him just outside qualification for the Shootout.

Sunday’s Modified Production Car competition brought renewed optimism as the Scuderia pair unleashed their purpose-built Audi hillclimb machines.

Both drivers featured near the top of the timing sheets throughout the day as the team steadily refined the cars with every run.

Silvio’s charge, however, came to an abrupt end after his fearsome Audi RS3 developed an engine problem caused by a leaking O-ring on the number five piston, forcing an early retirement despite showing race-winning pace.

Aldo, meanwhile, refused to let an intermittent ABS braking problem slow his assault on the leaderboard. With every timed run he found more speed, pushing the limits of his 2.5-litre Audi TT and steadily closing the gap to the front runners.

His determination paid off with a superb second place in the highly competitive B5 class, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind cousin Franco Scribante in the formidable Nissan GT-R R35.

It was another outstanding performance from the Eastern Cape racer, particularly considering the braking issues he battled throughout the day.

The excitement continued in the prestigious Modified Production Car Shootout, where South Africa’s fastest competitors went head-to-head for outright honours.

Lee Thompson powered his Lotus Exige to victory, while Franco Scribante secured second overall.

Aldo rounded off an impressive weekend by claiming third overall, giving Scuderia Scribante another podium finish against some of the country’s quickest Time-Attack machinery.

Despite mechanical setbacks denying the team even greater success, the weekend once again highlighted the resilience, preparation and determination that have become synonymous with the Scuderia Scribante name.

From emergency trackside repairs to fighting through technical gremlins, the team demonstrated that perseverance can be just as important as outright speed in motorsport.