Brian Joss –

Desmond Gutzeit, crowned King of the Hill on Sunday May 17, has described the Avon slick tyres fitted to his Nissan GT-R being, “As sticky as hell!” The 61-year-old KZN businessman used them to good effect to smash the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb record, powering his 1 000 kW machine up the 1.9-kilometre course in just 40.14 seconds. In fact, he didn’t just set a new time, he obliterated it by over a second. While Gutzeit also used 16-inch Avons to good effect last year (finishing in runner-up spot), he decided to change to a new, super-soft version for 2015 – Avon’s Hillclimb Compound. With the assurance that the rubber was properly warmed by the time he arrived at the first corner, he was able to press harder than ever in the first part of the run. “The Avons were brilliant – they worked extremely well and did exactly what we expected of them,” said Gutzeit. “Along with the changes we made to the aerodynamics we had a car which was very effective both in terms of downforce and mechanical grip. “I’m not sure if I can go any faster, but next year we’ll definitely try to break the 40-second barrier.”