Acropolis Rally: 72 cars at the start

A total of 72 cars will be at the starting line this year Acropolis Rallywhich is scheduled to take place between 5-8 September 2024, including the nine that will be ‘run’ in the top class Rally1.

The big name that will be present at the Greek race of the World Rally Championship (WRC) is the eight-time drivers’ champion, Sebastien Ozier. The Toyota star, who, although competing in selected races, is seeking his ninth career title as he sits 27 points behind the leader Thierry Nevillewill drive one of three Yaris with them Elphin Evans and Takamoto Katsuta.

In the meantime, Neville will drive one of three Hyundai i20s with him Ot Tanakwho is third in the standings, despite his crash at Rally Finland, and Danny Sordo. The Acropolis Rally will be Sordo’s third race of the season and the 192nd of his WRC career.

Except for the young and talented Adrian Fourmo and Gregoire MinsterM-Sport Ford will field a third Puma Rally1 at the Acropolis Rally, driven by Iordanis Serderidis in his hometown match.

In the WRC2 category and given that the general leader will not run in the “Rally of the Gods”, Oliver Solbergthe “first” name is Sami Payari. After running a Rally1-spec car at his home race, the Finn will once again drive a Toyota Rally2 car alongside co-driver Eni Malkonen. Citroen star Yoan Rochelle opted to qualify in WRC2 for the first time since June’s Rallye Italia/Sardinia, while other participants in the category include team-mate Nikolai Griazin, as well as Jean Solans, Lauri Yona.

From there, 19 crews will “battle” for victory in the WRC3 category, while in the FIA ​​Junior WRC championship, in which the Acropolis Rally “brings down the curtain” of the season, 14 crews with identical M-cars have entered Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3.

The press release of the organizers is as follows:

“Seventy-two quality crews will test their strength in the Rally of the Gods, some chasing distinction and some the unique feeling of participating in one of the most classic races of its kind.

The time is counting down to the start of the ECO Rally Acropolis, the tenth round of the FIA ​​World Rally Championship. On the occasion of some of the best WRC special routes and the desire of every participant in the institution to write at least one participation in the Acropolis soils, the EKO Rally Acropolis “moved” again to a significantly high number of participations .

Seventy-two crews will cross the starting ramp in Lamia on Thursday 5 September, to compete over the next three days in a race of 15 special stages covering a total length of 305 kilometres. Crews from 31 countries and of course all the contenders for this year’s titles will be in Greece.

Constructors’ leader Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT will take part with three i20 N Rally1s. Drivers’ points leader Thierry Neuville will lead the charge, with Ott Tanak in the second i20 N aiming to close the gap between them. The Spaniard Dani Sordo will return to Hyundai’s third car, in his 3rd appearance this year in the colors of the Korean team.

After three consecutive wins in Poland, Latvia and Finland, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT is back in the battle for the Constructors’ title for good, and the EKO Rally Acropolis will also participate with three GR Yaris Rally1s. Leading the charge is the eight-time World Champion Sebastien Ogier, who despite following a selective program this year, is on track for a title! Alongside him are Championship stalwarts Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, with the Brit hot on the heels of a win that will put him back in the Drivers’ Championship contention.

M-Sport Ford WRT after the podium in Poland and Finland has a clear aim to continue the good run of results. The British team has fielded three Ford Puma Rally1s, with Adrien Fourmaux leading the effort. The young Frenchman has been on the podium four times this year and aims to do the same in the EKO Rally Acropolis. Gregoire Munster will try for the best possible experience in the second Puma, while Iordanis Serderidis will be in the third M-Sport car. The Greek driver will take part in one more Acropolis, wanting to score a good overall position.

The long list of entries includes 34 Rally2 specification cars, guaranteeing a rich spectacle. Given that WRC2 points leader Oliver Solberg will not start the race, Sami Pajari and Yohan Rossel in Toyota GR Yaris and Citroen C3 respectively will have a prime opportunity to close the gap to the top of the standings. . Of course, the victory will not be easy, since a series of experienced and fast combinations have hopes of victory. Among them, Nikolay Gryazin (Citroen C3), Jan Solans (Toyota GR Yaris), Lauri Joona (Skoda Fabia), Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Skoda Fabia) and of course the two former M-Sport Ford factory drivers, Gus Greensmith and Pierre- Louis Loubet in a Skoda Fabia RS.

At the same time, for one more year at the EKO Rally Acropolis, the curtain will fall on the Youth Championship (JWRC), with the race counting double! Estonian Romet Jurgenson is at the head of the standings, while just eight points behind him is the also debutant at the event, 20-year-old Australian Taylor Gill. In 3rd place, keeping points hopes for the title, are the Turkish Ali Turkkan and Diego Dominguez Jr.

Of course, in the list of 72 crews, the number of Greeks (17 in total) can be distinguished, who for another year are the heart of the EKO Rally Acropolis and will face the international competition, claiming the best in the individual categories. In WRC2, the presence of the now multi-experienced Lambros Athanassoulas and Nikos Zakhaiou who will drive a Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2 stands out, as well as this year’s pleasant surprise of the Greek races, Giorgos Amoutzas and Giorgos Iliopoulos with the same car. The 2019 Greek Champion Giorgos Kehagias will start with a Skoda Fabia RS with Nikos Petropoulos next to him, as well as the talented Panagiotis “Roustemis”-Christos Bakloris. Also, Vassilis Velanis-Ilias Panagiotounis and Nikos Pavlidis-Allan Harryman will claim something more by taking advantage of their experience, participating with Skoda Fabia RS and Evo respectively.

In addition, a number of fast crews will enter the battle of Rally3 spec cars. Among them, the leaders of the Panhellenic Rally Championship, Cypriots Petros Pantelis-Charalambos Laos with Renault Clio and Nontas Karanikolas-Giorgos Kakavas with Ford Fiesta.

Paschalis Hatzimarkos-Marios Tsausoglou and Themis Chalkias-Nikos Komnos, both with Renault Clio, also have the possibility to set top times. The interest is expected to turn to Manos and Kostas Stefanis (Ford Fiesta), with the experienced Greek co-driver starting the 30th Rally Acropolis of his career in 49 years! Giorgos Delaportas-Vangelis Panaritis are expected with another Ford Fiesta of Rally3 specifications, while the Rally4 category will be an exclusively Greek affair, with Savva Lefkaditis-Vangelis Akrato and Yiannis Plagos-Christos Kouzionis standing out, both with Peugeot 208. The list of entries is completed with Theodoros Kalamaras-Dimitris Lambrakis (Ford Fiesta Rally4), Loizos Papageorgiou-Vassilis Kougia (Citroen DS3) and Dimitris Parellis-Andreas Papandreou with Renault Clio RS Line Rally5″.