Belgian lead after the first leg

The last round of the European Championship and at the same time the fourth of the Panhellenic Historic Championship is hosted in Itea, and the race crews started the “battle” with the 6 Special Routes that included the first leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally.

The Belgian Mazda 323 GTX crew climbed to the top from the first stage and stayed there until the end of the first leg. His pace was blistering throughout the day and he wasn’t deterred by the four-wheel drive car’s turbo issues from the second lap of the race.

With a gap of more than 90 seconds on their rivals, the duo will take no chances on Sunday, aiming for victory. Second are Tibor Erdi jnr.-Istvan Kerek, who drive wisely, risk-free, in order to finish the race and win the title of European Championship Champion, in the hands of a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4.

The crew from Hungary is in first place among the crews eligible to collect points for the European Rally Championship. A pleasant surprise of the race are Class 3 leaders Richard Jordan-Sam Collis who were particularly competitive in the first half of the Historic Acropolis Rally, moving up to third after Saturday’s night special.

On their first visit to our country, the British are having a lot of fun with the rear-wheel drive Ford Escort MKII, while their small difference from the Hungarians allows them to dream of even higher in the rankings.

Unlucky were Marios Stafylopatis-Giorgos Hatzirigas, who dropped to fourth place due to a problem with the hydraulic steering of the Lancia Delta Integrale. In their first contact with the Italian car on dirt, they won two special stages on Saturday, but mechanical failure in the night Karutes cost them valuable time, losing the second place they had held tightly until then.

Very spectacular are the Belgians Christophe Jacob-Isabelle Regnier who have a Ford Escort MKII in their hands and are fifth overall, with Ernie Graham following them, with his daughter Anna next to him in the Ford Escort MKII. The British crew taking part in familiar ambushes, as this is the driver’s fifth entry to Historic Acropolis, had a trouble-free first leg and were neither threatening nor threatened.

Second Greeks, seventh overall and first in Category 2 are Giorgos Paradeisis-Plutarchos Stergiou with a Ford Escort RS1600 MKI, picking up the pace special after special and on Sunday they will seek to maintain their position.

Despite not attending the recognitions due to lack of time, James Potter and co-driver last year’s third in the race, Karen Graham, are in eighth place in a Ford Escort RS1800 MKII.

Alexandros Christodoulou-Athanassios Samaras with Lancia 037 Rally continue their effort in the race in ninth place overall and third in the Panhellenic Championship. The top ten are completed by the leaders in the 1600cc class, Konstantinos Mylonas-Nikos Paraperas, in the driver’s first contact with the Toyota Celica TA22.

Dimitris Amaxopoulos-Hara Moraiti are second in the 1600cc. with a Toyota Corolla KE30, overcoming the obstacle of Grigoris Niora-Konstantinos Kakalis who are following them in the night Karoutes. The three aforementioned crews will give a good fight in the stages of the second leg. At the same time, the crew of the Opel Corsa A GSi precedes the front-wheel drive.

Saturday’s leg was not problem-free for Alexandros Halivelakis-Thanos Papageorgiou. Initially they had an exit with the Ford Escort MKII losing time, while in the last stage they faced a problem with the starter of the car, as a result of which they are in fifth place among the Greek crews and in 11th place overall.

Siegfried Mayr-Renate Mayr in a Volvo 244 GLE are further behind, with the second Greeks in night, and second in front-wheel drive, Konstantinos Papadimitriou-Manos Sigala chasing Niora-Kakali. Third in front-wheel drive and fourth in 1600 cc. they are Konstantinos Argyriou-Stamatis Laskos (Toyota Starlet EP71).

There were many abandonments in the first leg of the Historic Rally Acropolis. The second Greeks, up to that moment, Panagiotis Paradeisis-Mihalis Fragou were out in Mavroneri, with the result that the Ford Escort RS1800 MKII was engulfed in flames. The crew is in good health, and following this development the special route was cancelled.

Giorgos Delaportas-Vangelis Panaritis, who achieved the fastest front-wheel drive performance in the first stage, retired due to a problem with the Volkswagen Golf II gearbox, but will not return to the second stage. A broken driveshaft in the first stage of the day led to the temporary retirement of Maciej Lubiak-Grzegorz Dachowski (Porsche 911), who will continue on Sunday.

On electrics, Sotiris Skaltsas-Nikos Tsadaris (Volkswagen Golf II GTi) did not complete their attempt on Saturday, while on half-axle the 1600cc competitors, Athanasios Athanasoulas-Vassilis Basioukas (Toyota Starlet), were disqualified in the first leg. Paschalis Hatzimarkos-Marios Tsausoglou did not complete their attempt from a flange in the Ford Escort MKII.

3rd Acropolis Rally Legends 2024: Christodoulou-Petropoulos lead comfortably

In a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, Achilleas Christodoulou-Nikos Petropoulos are on top of the Acropolis Rally Legends after the completion of the first leg. The specific category is addressed to cars of Categories A and N with the date of issue of the FIA ​​Identification Card from January 1, 1991 to December 31, 2001 and the race is the fourth round of the Legends Cup, with an increased coefficient of 3.

The 20-year-old Achilleas Christodoulou, under the guidance of the experienced Nikos Petropoulos, comfortably won the opening stage and built a safety gap from his rivals. A problem with the gearbox of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, in fact, cost them time in Akraifnio, however at night they pushed on and aim to stay on top until the end of the race.

Poles Pawel Molgo-Maciej Marton, who are in second place in their first participation with a Subaru Impreza, said they were excited by the special routes of our country. The trio is completed by Kyriakos and Dimitris Bytogiannis with Subaru Impreza who want to maintain their position and climb for the second consecutive year on the race podium.

A problem with the gearbox of the Subaru Impreza throughout the day did not allow Dionysis Mavrodis-Dimitris Koumbotis to fight for something better in the Saturday leg. The crew that came to Itea from Northern Greece to compete in the Acropolis Rally Legends is in fourth place, with Stavros Anamolidis-Andreas Christodoulakis in a Subaru Legacy 4WD Turbo further behind.

Last year’s race winners who have switched roles this year, had no problems on Saturday and are looking forward to getting on the finish ramp on Sunday. The first two-wheelers are Nikos Papachristopoulos-Nikos Xanthos with Toyota Yaris, one minute behind them, Manolis Panagiotopoulos-Manos Aktidas with the same car.

A cut half-axle sent Dimitris Katti-Vassilis Kouia (Skoda Felicia Kit Car) out of the race early on, who will return with the superally procedure in the second leg.

The program of the second and last leg of the race consists of 5 Special Routes. More specifically, on the morning of Sunday, November 10, the participants will again compete in the “Karoutes” and then they will head to the Special Routes “Parnassos”, 15.27 km long and “Prosilio”, 12.22 km long.

An intermediate Service will follow in the coastal town of Itea, with the Historic Acropolis Rally concluding with the repetition of the “Parnassos” and “Prosilio” Special Routes. The finish of the race will be held in Itea at 16:45.

It is reminded that the road for spectators will be closed two hours before the passage of the first racing car.

The sponsors of the race are SEAJETS, Avis Car Rental, Clevermedia.gr, SP tableware and Superfast Ferries. Valuable assistance to the organizers is provided by the Region of Attica, the Regional Unit of Boeotia and the Regional Unit of Phocis. On the side of the Historical Rally Acropolis, there are also the Municipality of Athens, the Municipality of Thebes, the Municipality of Levadea, the Municipality of Delphi, the Municipality of Orchomenos, the Municipality of Aliartos, the Municipality of Nafpaktos and the Municipality of Ancient Olympia. The communication sponsor is Cosmote TV, which in recent years has been present at all motor sports events in our country.

On the official website of the race (www.historicacropolis.gr) and on the Electronic Notice Board ( you can find the Timetable, the Entries and the maps of the Historic Rally Acropolis, while on the social networks of the organization you can be informed about the latest news of the race.

(Press Release)