Sporting News Latvala–Maekawa comfortably in the lead
Difficult weather conditions were the defining feature of the second leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally. Crews and organizers were called upon to manage, until the very last moment, the challenges caused by the heavy rainfall of the past few hours. The organizers proceeded with the cancellation of two special stages, as the excessive mud did not allow the safe passage of the safety vehicles. Saturday’s special stages were held under particularly demanding conditions, with mud making things extremely difficult for the crews, who nevertheless provided spectacular action and plenty of slides for the spectators gathered on the mountains.
On the competitive side, Jari-Matti Latvala and Tomiya Maekawa were never threatened during the second leg, winning every special stage of the day. The Finnish driver stated that he was impressed by the rally’s new stages, drove the Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD (ST185) flawlessly, and is heading toward his second victory in the Historic Acropolis Rally and third overall on Greek soil. Remaining in second place overall were Kristopher Rosenberger and Nicola Januschke Bleicher with the Subaru Impreza 555. The Austrian driver, returning to Greek roads, aims to defend his position during the third and final leg of the rally, as the gap to the leaders leaves little chance of challenging for victory. In third place overall are Achilleas Christodoulou and Konstantinos Soukoulis, who appeared to adapt more and more to the muddy conditions stage after stage. With the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI in their hands, they will attempt on Sunday to close the gap to the Austrian duo and fight for second place.
The leg was not trouble-free for Mario Stafylopatis and Giorgos Chatzirigas, who finished fourth overall while maintaining the lead in the Greek Historic Rally Championship for Categories 1-4. The Lancia Delta Integrale crew started strongly, but a wrong tire choice in Tarzan cost them more than a minute. On Sunday they are expected to increase their pace in order to maintain their lead in the Greek championship. The Belgians Gregoire de Mevius and Andre Leyh occupy fifth place overall after a trouble-free second leg with the Nissan Sunny GTI-R and are expected to have an exciting battle with the Greek duo of Stafylopatis-Chatzirigas.
The Cypriots Petros Panteli and Antonis Chrysostomou overcame the suspension issue on their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI from the first leg and increased their pace on Saturday despite anti-lag problems. In their first appearance with this particular rally car, they are sixth overall and will try to gain positions on Sunday. Arriving in Greece with the goal of collecting valuable points and maintaining their lead in the European Historic Gravel Rally Championship standings were Christophe Jacob and Isabelle Regnier with the Ford Escort RS1800 MKII. The Belgians are seventh overall, fourth among the crews eligible for the European championship, and leaders in Category 3. Despite several mechanical issues during the second leg, Vojtech Stajf and Veronika Havelkova reached the Lamia National Exhibition Centre in eighth place with the Toyota Celica GT-4. One place behind them and second in Category 3 are the spectacular Nemo Mazza and Mauro Marchiori, making their first appearance on Greek soil with the Ford Escort RS1800 MKII. Tenth overall and second among the Greek Championship contenders are Alexandros Christodoulou and Athanasios Samaras with the Lancia 037 Rally, ahead of Oldrich Kovarik Jr. and Marek Kapic.
The Czech driver of the Skoda Favorit 136L appears to be enjoying the beautiful stages of this year’s event. Despite their limited experience, Spyros Moustakas and Apostolos Lakasas are impressively quick with the Mazda 323 GT-R, following the Czech duo in the overall standings. Fighting for a podium finish in Category 3 are Nikos Pavlidis and Dimitris Koumpotis, currently third with the Fiat 131 Racing, engaged in a close battle with Lukas Schindelegger and Helmut Schindelegger in a Ford Escort RS1800 MKII, just 15 seconds behind. They are followed by Kyriakos Vytogiannis and Nikolaos Vytogiannis with a Subaru Impreza. Efthymios Chalkias and Marios Tsousoglou appeared to become more comfortable with the Nissan 240RS, improving their performance during the second leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally.
Leading Category 2 and the 1600cc class of the Greek championship are Konstantinos Mylonas and Nikolaos Paraperas, despite clutch problems with their Toyota Celica TA22. Further down the order are Giorgos Delaportas and Ilias Panagiotounis with a Volkswagen Golf II, and Panagiotis Koutsikos and Alexandros Mataliotakis with a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4. Leading the 1300cc category are Konstantinos Ladias and Michalis Patrikousis with a Toyota Starlet, closely challenged by Konstantinos Argyriou and Stamatis Laskos (Toyota Starlet EP71), who are just four seconds behind. Victims of the constantly changing weather conditions were Ioannis Paravalos and Dionysis Kolotouros (Toyota Corolla AE92), who lost several positions on the second pass through Achladia, while Sotiris Skaltsas and Lambros Zografos suffered gearbox problems with their Volkswagen Golf II and dropped down the order.
The following crews retired and will return under Rally2 regulations for the third leg: Dimitris Amaxopoulos and Evangelos Moukas (Toyota Corolla) due to mechanical failure, Dimitris Trikardos and Kostas Verykakis because of gearbox issues on their Ford Escort MKI, and Giorgos Paradeisis and Ploutarchos Stergiou (Ford Escort MKI) due to a driveshaft failure. A fuel pump problem temporarily put Michalis Poseidias and Pambos Lao out of the rally with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV. Permanently out of the event are Chrysos Panteli and Thomas Theofanous following gearbox failure on their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III.
On Sunday, May 23, the crews will depart from Lamia heading to the day’s first Special Stage, Amfikleia, measuring 13.17 km. This will be followed by the Elateia Special Stage (11.65 km), which was also included in the 2025 itinerary, and then the demanding Mavroneri stage (13.35 km), before the crews head to Aliartos for the midday service. The day continues with the Thebes Special Stage, measuring 14.91 km, while the rally will conclude with the final stage of this year’s Historic Acropolis Rally, Neochoraki, covering 13.62 competitive kilometers.
The finish ceremony will take place at 15:34 at the Archaeological Museum of Thebes, while the prize-giving ceremony will be held in the museum courtyard at 18:30.
The Region of Central Greece is one of the main supporters of this year’s Historic Acropolis Rally, actively contributing to the organization and smooth running of the event. Through its support, the unique routes of the region are highlighted and Central Greece is promoted internationally. Significant support also comes from the Regional Unit of Karditsa, which actively backs the rally. Through the event, the Karditsa region gains additional exposure, hosting crews and visitors from across Europe who have the opportunity to experience the beauty and hospitality of the area.
The Municipality of Lamia plays a key role in the organization, as Lamia serves as one of the rally’s central hubs, hosting both the Service Park and the rally headquarters. The Historic Acropolis Rally contributes significantly to promoting the city as a center for major sporting events. At the same time, the Municipality of Sofades actively supports the rally’s presence in its region, strengthening the connection between the local community and motorsport while promoting the area through a historic event of international prestige.
Valuable assistance is also provided by the Region of Attica and the Regional Unit of Boeotia. Alongside the Municipality of Lamia and the Municipality of Sofades, the Historic Acropolis Rally is also supported by the Municipality of Athens, the Municipality of Thebes, the Municipality of Tanagra, the Municipality of Livadeia, the Municipality of Amfikleia-Elateia, and the Municipality of Aliartos.
Cosmote TV is the communication sponsor, having consistently supported motorsport events in Greece over recent years.
On the official rally website (www.historicacropolis.gr) and on the Electronic Notice Board (Sportity), you can stay informed about all the latest news regarding the REMA Historic Acropolis Rally.
Official Website: www.historicacropolis.gr
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