Regularity News PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity: 50 crews at the start!
Regularity category of the 2025 PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally is shaping up to be an exciting event, with 50 crews ready to tackle one of Greece’s most iconic routes. As the third round of the Greek Regularity Championship, this rally offers double points, promising fierce competition and plenty of drama. Carefully designed, the course blends precision driving challenges with scenic routes through historic towns and breathtaking landscapes.
Last year’s winners, Vassos Theodosiou and Konstantinos Piperis, return with the same formula, aiming to maintain their crown. Once again, they will be behind the wheel of a 1974 Lancia Beta Coupe. From neighboring Bulgaria, with extensive experience in Greek Regularity rallies, Georgi Andonov and Yordanka Andonova return with a 1979 Volvo 244 GL. The mixed crew had finished third last year. The experienced 2014 winner Ioannis Katsaounis will compete with a 1979 Volkswagen Golf I, guided by Ioulios Iatridis, while from Turkey, Selim Bacioglu and Handan Bacioglu will once again join the rally in Greece with a 1983 Volkswagen Golf II, consistently finishing high in recent years. With multiple victories in this type of rally, 2021 winner Christian Crucifix will participate with a 1985 Peugeot 205 and Polish co-driver Agnieszka Bohosiewicz. Aris Georgosopoulos and Nikos Kontopos will aim for their second championship win this year behind the wheel of a 1971 Fiat 128 Rally, alongside the winners of the season opener and 2023 Greek Champions, Kyriakos Farmakis and Maria Athanasopoulou, in a 1963 Volvo 122 S. Tenth last year, Giorgos Georgakopoulos and Tasos Douros will compete in a 1968 BLMC Mini, while Dimitris Kalogeras and Christos Diamantopoulos return this year in a 1985 Lancia Delta Integrale.
Twice Greek Regularity Champions, Christos Chatzikonstantinou and Manolis Dimakareas will drive a 1985 Volkswagen Golf II GTI, aiming for the podium again as they did in 2023. Nikolaos Poulieris and Aris Papakonstantinou will share a 1990 Renault 19, while Akis Abastado and Makis Malakis will participate for the first time in the Historic Acropolis Rally with a 1992 Toyota Celica STi. Eleftherios Liakos and Dimitris Liakos, who did not finish last year, will compete this year with a 1975 Ford Escort. Kyriakos Kofinas, a protagonist in the first two championship events, will race with co-driver Nikolaos Kofinas in a 1989 Volkswagen Golf II GTI. Once again, Gerasimos Katochianos and Georgios Katochianos, who finished fourth in 2023, will compete in a 1981 Ford Fiesta MKI. Eighth last year, Aristotelis Ninios and Stylianos Voudouris will participate in a 1984 BMW 528i, while Giorgos Vaxevanakis and Argyris Michalopoulos return with a 1991 Toyota Celica STi. Bulgarian participants Vladimir Dimitrov and Lachezar Dimitrov, competing for the first time, will drive a 1987 Peugeot 205, alongside fellow Bulgarians Dimitar Nenov and Stanislava Ilieva in a 1984 Mercedes-Benz 190E.
A rare car will appear on Friday, September 5, at the start ramp beneath the Acropolis as Dimitris Bakos and Anastasios Tsagkarakis travel from Nafplio in a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL. For the third consecutive year, Panagiotis Dimitriou and Konstantina Spatoula will drive a 1973 white Alfa Romeo Alfetta. A 1978 Ford Escort MKII will be shared by Stavros Paraskevaidis and Nikos Darzentas, while Asimakis Sotiropoulos and Efthymios Soufrilas from Corinth will race a 1972 BMW 1602. Petros Makris, a driver with notable achievements in last year’s international circuit races, joins the Regularity category with co-driver Miltos Chatzigiannakis in a 1975 Lancia Beta Coupe of PEMA Racing. Triantafyllos Tzanetis and Stavros Katsounakis, also in PEMA Racing colors, will make their first rally appearance in a 1971 Peugeot 304. Legendary “Dobermann” Dimitris Papandreou will compete in a 1976 BMW E21 alongside Leonidas Nasopoulos.
From Northern Greece, Savvas Kalfas and Giorgos Emmanouilidis (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, 1978), along with Michail Lambris and Maria Skepastianou (Porsche 928, 1978), will take part. Evangelos Christou and Ioanna Simeli will compete in a 1992 Nissan Sunny, while the smallest car in the rally will be driven by Konstantinos and Giorgos Oikonomidis in a 1972 Autobianchi A112. Drawing on their experience, Dimitris Poriotis and Mike Siettos will race a 1979 Toyota Starlet KP60. Nikolaos Kritsikis and Giorgos Kanellopoulos will compete in a 1991 Suzuki Swift GTi, while Christos Paschalidis returns with Petros Salpeas in a 1984 Toyota Starlet. Stefanos Liosis and Maria Paschalidou will drive a 1985 BMW E28, and Elias Lalousis and Konstantinos Kotsiris will make their debut with a 1999 Peugeot 306 GTi. The all-female crew Georgia Pouli and Chrysoula Tsilivingou, second overall in the Regularity Championship opener, will compete with a 1991 Subaru Legacy. Iosif Lagakis and Nikitas Tsalikis will also drive the same car for the first time, while Ioannis Kyranas and Nikolaos Efstathiou share a 1988 Toyota Corolla GTi.
Angelos Kounelis, former co-driver in ’90s gravel rallies, returns in a 1992 Nissan Sunny GTi with co-driver Takis Stefanou. Charalambos Mitropoulos and Ioannis Mitropoulos will race a 1989 Alfa Romeo 75 1.8 Turbo America. Stavros Tsichlis and Dimitris Marinis will explore Greece in a 1992 Suzuki Vitara, while Andreas and Giorgos Vlantis will drive a Toyota Corolla KE70. Grigoris Kasotakis and Ioannis Tsantas will race a 1992 Nissan Sunny GTi. Dimitris Tryfos and Georgia Sakarellou will compete in a 1981 Autobianchi A112 Abarth, and Thanasis Baklatzis and Thodoris Zervas will drive a 1984 BMW 628 Csi. 2023 winners Athanasios Dzoumanis and Vasilis Tsobanidis aim for another success in a 1973 Alfa Romeo Spider. Thomas and Grigoris Papanikos will also drive the same car, while Vasilis and Iakovos Tsoliakos make their debut in a 1979 Citroen Visa. Two crews from Trikala will start on Friday, September 5, beneath the Acropolis: Alexandros Vlontzos and Christos Chatzigakis in a 1985 Volkswagen Golf, and Lambros Didis and Filippos Vlontzos in a 1992 Toyota Celica 2.0 GT.
Race programme
Administrative and Technical Scrutineering will be held at OMAE facilities in OAKA (Spyrou Loui 1 – Velodrome – Entrance F – Marousi) on Thursday, September 4, from 16:00 to 20:00. On Friday, September 5, at 13:00, the ceremonial start will take place beneath the Acropolis, with participants heading via Attiki Odos to Corinth. A restart will occur at the city’s central square, with a welcome celebration by the local community.
Next, a pioneering Calibration Test will be conducted, which will not count toward the overall classification. The rally will then proceed to Achaia, specifically the coastal town of Akrata, passing locations like Kleitoria, Kontovazaina, and the Erymanthos Bridge, ending in Ancient Olympia—a city with roots in global sports and culture. The evening will feature dinner and a local celebration.
The second leg starts on Saturday, September 6, from Ancient Olympia. Competitors will traverse routes combining Greece’s natural beauty, history, and tradition. Returning to Achaia through villages such as Petsakoi, Fteri, and Selinountas, they will cross the Rio–Antirrio Bridge, offering breathtaking views of the Gulf of Patras and the Corinthian Gulf. The rally continues through Aetolia-Acarnania via Thermo, then to the mountainous villages of Evrytania, including Prousos. A marathon night stage of over 40 km around Mount Velouchi provides a unique challenge. The day ends in Karpenisi, a stunning mountain destination offering authentic Greek hospitality.
On Sunday, September 7, at 09:00, participants depart from Karpenisi, driving through landscapes of exceptional beauty. Passing through Fokida villages like Krikelo, Domnista, and Arachova, the rally concludes in legendary Delphi, considered the “navel of the world” by the ancient Greeks. Amid a setting of immense historical and natural significance, the PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity ends.
The award ceremony will take place at the European Cultural Centre of Delphi, Frynichos Theater, at 18:30, closing the event with honor and celebration.
Overall, the rally covers over 1,000 km, including 423 km with 28 Regularity Precision Tests, offering an exciting challenge. The 2025 PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity is not just a competition but a journey through Greece’s history, culture, and landscapes.
For all news and updates, visit the official website www.historicacropolis.gr and the Digital Notice Board here.
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