PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally – Sporting – Winners: Jari-Matti Latvala

The PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally, the seventh round of the FIA European Historic Rally Championship (FIA EHRC), was successfully completed. The winners of the event were Jari-Matti Latvala – Jani Hussi, who dominated on Greek soil, demonstrating their speed throughout the rally.

The second leg turned into a one-man show for the Finnish crew, as they prevailed in all six Special Stages of the leg with their Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD (ST185), achieving their third victory in the European Historic Rally Championship. For the Finnish driver, this win carries special significance, adding to his rich motorsport record and connecting with the history of the Acropolis Rally, which he had previously won in 2013. Finishing second were Marios Stafylopatis – Giorgos Chatzirigas (Lancia Delta Integrale 16V), who ran a trouble-free Sunday and simultaneously claimed victory in the Greek Historic Rally Championship. The Greek champions drove strategically on Sunday to secure their position and successfully reached the podium in this year’s event. Unlucky once again were the Belgians Ghislain de Mevius – Johan Jalet, who retired during the second stage on Sunday due to an engine problem in their Mazda 323 GTX while holding second place overall.

Achilleas Christodoulou – Konstantinos Soukoulis delivered an outstanding performance throughout the two-day event, overcoming a punctured tire in the first leg to claim third place overall, impressing with their speed and consistency. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI crew participated in the Greek national event. A mistake cost Gregoire de Mevius – Andre Leyh the chance to fight for a podium position. The familiar face to Greek fans, returning with the Nissan Sunny GTI-R he had raced in the 1992 Acropolis Rally, arrived late at service, receiving a 1-minute and 50-second penalty, finishing fourth overall. On Sunday, they also suffered a brakes problem and a puncture.

Mission accomplished for Maciej Lubiak – Grzegorz Dachowski, who achieved their goal at the PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally despite a gearbox issue with their Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 on the final stage. The Polish crew, leading the FIA European Historic Rally Championship, adopted a conservative strategy focused on finishing and collecting valuable points, resulting in fifth place overall and second among the internationally scored crews.

In their first experience on Greek soil, Will Graham – James O’Brien completed a smooth rally while providing great spectacle in their rear-wheel-drive BMW M3 E30. The 29-year-old driver, a title contender, finished sixth overall and third among European Championship-registered crews. Seventh overall were Petros Pantelis – Antonis Chrysostomou, competing for the first time in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo II. The Cypriot crew, familiar from frequent Greek appearances, showed strong speed, but a puncture on Saturday at Akraifnio prevented an even better result. With a more conservative approach, Enrico Brazzoli, in his fifth Historic Acropolis Rally, reached the finish with Martina Musiari in the right seat of the striking Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, finishing eighth overall.

In ninth place were Ernie Graham – Karen Graham in their Ford Escort RS1800. Despite challenges during their Greek rally experience, the British crew enjoyed every moment and renewed their commitment to the Historic Acropolis for next year. Completing the top ten were Pasi Hapulahti – Antti Nordstrom in their first international outing with a Volvo 242, finishing in Delphi and expressing enthusiasm for Greece’s demanding and spectacular stages. Giorgos Delaportas – Evangelos Panaritis returned to positive results with their Volkswagen Golf II, securing second place in the Hellenic Championship event, second in Greek Category 4, and first among front-wheel-drive cars.

The Hellenic Historic Championship podium was completed by Dimitris Pavlos Melas – Stathis Vardaxis with a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0, winners of Greek Category 2. Another finish was added by Kyriakos and Nikolaos Vytogiannis in a Subaru Impreza, ahead of Giorgos Paradeisis – Ploutarchos Stergiou with a Ford Escort RS2000 MKI, second in Category 2. In their first appearance with a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4, Takis Koutsikos – Nikos Petropoulos struggled but finished third in Greek Category 4, while Petros Vasilopoulos – Panagiotis Koukliampis improved visibly and took third in Greek Category 2.

In the overall classification, Dimitris Trikardos – Nikos Manouskos (Ford Escort RS2000 MKI) and the 1600cc Cup winners Konstantinos Kofinas – Lambros Zografos (Toyota Corolla AE86) followed. In Greek Category 3, winners were Theodoros Kalamaras – Dimitris Lambrakis with a Toyota Starlet KP61, continuing their successful streak. European Championship Category 3 points went to Germans Siegfried Mayr – Renate Mayr with a Volvo 240. Ioannis Paravalos – Dionysis Kolotouros, despite leading the 1600cc Cup, lost positions due to electrical issues with their Toyota Corolla AE92. “Sassos” – Alexandros Mataliotakis crew had a strong showing in their first four-wheel-drive experience but were excluded because their Subaru Legacy 4WD lacked an FIA Historic Technical Passport (HTP).

Alexandros Christodoulou – Athanasios Samaras retired midway through the second leg from engine problems in their Lancia Delta Integrale 16V, while holding second place in the Hellenic Historic Rally Championship.

The title sponsor of this year’s event was PEMA, specializing in complete fuel and lubricant supply solutions for ships worldwide, ensuring reliable service 24/7 through a strong network of suppliers and strategic partnerships.

Valuable support was provided by the Region of Attica, the Regional Units of Boeotia and Fokida, along with the municipalities of Athens, Thebes, Tanagra, Livadeia, Delphi, Orchomenos, Amfikleia-Elatia, and Aliartos.

Communication sponsor was Cosmote TV, which in recent years has participated in all motorsport events in Greece.

The PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally was once again an integral part of the European Historic Rally Championship, offering exciting moments for competitors and spectators alike. The Organizing Committee warmly thanks all crews who participated and added their own color to the event and looks forward to seeing them next year.