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Richard Jordan with his co-driver Sam Collis in the Ford Escort MkII emerged as the winners of the Acropolis Historic Rally, the last round of the European Historic Car Rally championship, which was held in our country last three days.
The 57 crews that participated in the race started at noon on Friday under the Holy Rock of the Acropolis and after 11 demanding routes they finished in Itea, where the awards of the race took place.
As in last year’s race, this year too, a crew of Jordan-Collis from Great Britain came to our country in a rear-wheel drive Ford Escort MKII and climbed to the highest step of the podium.
The development of the race in the second leg was exciting, with the British Ford Escort RS1800 MKII crew finally making the surprise. Stage one leaders Ghislain de Mevius-Johan Jalet extended their lead over their rivals in Sunday’s morning stages and cruised to an easy victory. Shortly before the ninth stage of the race, however, they were betrayed by the engine of the Mazda 323 GTX and as a result they abandoned their attempt.
After this development, Tibor Erdi jnr-Istvan Kerek unexpectedly took the lead, only to see Jordan-Collis chase them down. Two special stages before the end, the difference between them was only 20 centimeters of a second in favor of the Hungarians.
Then Richard Jordan-Sam Collis, determined to win, in their first attempt outside the island, “stepped on the gas” and climbed to the highest step of the podium in the Historic Acropolis Rally. This was the first success of the crew at the general level, who declared themselves excited by the special routes of our homeland.
Tibor Erdi jnr-Istvan Kerek finished in second place in the Historic Rally Acropolis, and with this performance they were declared European Champions. With a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4 in hand, they chose not to chase victory as second place was enough to give them the title. At the same time, they were also crowned European Champions in Category 4.
Marios Stafylopatis-Giorgos Hatzirigas were the first Greeks of the race
HISTORIC ACROPOLIS RALLY / PRESS OFFICE
Marios Stafylopatis-Giorgos Hatzirigas finished third, while also finishing in first place among the crews that entered the Panhellenic Historic Rally Championship. The crew also struggled on Sunday with the Lancia Delta Integrale’s power steering, losing time on Sunday’s morning runs, but then managed to overcome it, winning the final two stages of the race and being rewarded with third place overall.
Ernie Graham-Anna Graham were delighted to finish fourth in their right-hand drive Ford Escort MKII. The driver from Great Britain who participated once again in the Historic Acropolis, did not face any problems during the two days and renewed his appointment with the Greek soil for next year.
Their best result this year was achieved by James Potter-Karen Graham, who finished the race in fifth place. The crew that this year followed the entire institution of the European championship, although it came unprepared as it did not have time to make the necessary recognitions for the race, moved famously in a Ford Escort MKII.
Alexandros Christodoulou-Athanassios Samaras finished sixth overall and second Greeks, driving a Lancia 037 Rally. Without facing any particular problems, unlike last year, this year they managed to climb the finish ramp at the Historic Rally Acropolis, having good competition for most of the leg, with Giorgos Paradeisis-Plutarchos Stergiou who followed them.
The Ford Escort RS 1600 MKI crew finished seventh overall, third among Greeks and first in Class 2 and could have claimed better had they not suffered a crash in the penultimate stage of the race, which cost them valuable time.
Despite the mechanical problems that plagued them throughout the day, Lamia’s Konstantinos Mylonas-Nikos Paraperas were in eighth place overall. With the Toyota Celica TA22 they slowed down at the end, since they were not threatened by their rivals, winning the 1600 cc class.
Constantinos Papadimitriou-Manos Sigalas first appeared, affected by their long-term abstinence from the buckets, who improved their performance with each special. They finished the Historic Acropolis Rally in ninth place overall and first in front-wheel drive, driving a Toyota Starlet EP71 Turbo.
Alexandros Halivelakis-Thanos Papageorgiou finished tenth overall and second in Category 3, moving without problems on Sunday’s special routes with the driver’s Ford Escort RS2000.
One place further back were Dimitris Amaxopoulos-Khara Moraitis with a Toyota Corolla finishing in second place at 1600 cc. and third in Category 2. The former Greek Champions, Grigoris Nioras-Kostas Kakalis, with Opel Corsa A GSi, finished the Historic Rally Acropolis in twelfth place overall, second in front-wheel drive and third in 1600.
Another crew from Britain visited our country to take part in the ninth round of the European Historic Car Rally Championship. Philip Young-Peter Dowds drove a rear-wheel drive Ford Escort MKII and finished third in Class 3.
Once again Konstantinos Argyriou-Stamatis Laskos managed to reach the end of the race. With a Toyota Starlet EP71 they finished the Historic Acropolis Rally in third place in front-wheel drive and fourth in 1600cc.
Although they made a positive start to an unfamiliar race, fifth overall after the night’s Carutes, Belgians Christophe Jacob-Isabelle Regnier were forced to make use of the Superally procedure as they encountered axle trouble in their Ford Escort MKII . This resulted in them finishing 15th overall.
The Acropolis Historic Rally was part of the European Historic Car Rally Championship again this year. The Organizing Committee would like to thank all the crews that took part in the race and renews its appointment for next year. Everyone’s wish that the match will be international again!
The race was sponsored by SEAJETS, Avis Car Rental, Clevermedia.gr, SP tableware and Superfast Ferries.
Valuable assistance to the organizers was provided by the Region of Attica, the Regional Unit of Boeotia and the Regional Unit of Phocis. 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 were also present on the side of the Historical Rally Acropolis.
The communication sponsor was Cosmote TV, which in recent years has been present at all motor sports events in our country.
(Press Release)
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