Regularity News Historic Acropolis Rally 2026 – Regularity: 43 entries in the Regularity event!
From beautiful locations across our country, the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity will pass through, serving as the third round of the Greek Regularity Championship, which will take place from May 22 to May 24. A total of 43 crews will compete in 26 Precision Regularity Tests, on a demanding route that combines driving skill with absolute precision. The rally will start in Lamia, while the finish will take place at the country’s most iconic landmark, beneath the imposing rock of the Acropolis. The event carries a 2.5 coefficient, giving increased championship significance to the participants.
The entry list includes crews with significant distinctions to their name, while once again there will be participants from abroad. A car dating back to 1950 will be driven by Alexandros Bougiouris-Elena Kanellopoulou in the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity. After one year away, the crew returns with a rare MG TD, a car expected to attract considerable interest. With an equally rare car, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, Dimitris Bakos-Anastasios Tsangarakis will take part in the rally, a duo that also participated in last year’s edition, while Ioannis Balaskas-Ioannis Koukoufilippou will make their debut in the event, sharing a 1962 Volvo 122S. Competing with high ambitions in the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity will be the 2025 Greek Champions and winners of this year’s championship opener, Kyriakos Farmakis-Maria Athanasopoulou. Driving a 1963 Volvo 122S, the crew completed last year’s rally in fifth place. Also aiming for a leading role this year are Giorgos Georgakopoulos-Tasos Douros with a 1968 Morris Mini, a duo that climbed onto the third step of the podium in last year’s event.
Alexandros Tsekeris-Spyros Karagiannis may have missed last year’s rally, but this year they return with a 1969 BMW 1600, while the participation of Christos Lampropoulos-Konstantinos Kleitsakis. is also highly anticipated. The duo, who finished fifth in the Rally Monte Vostizza in February, will compete with a 1969 Opel Kadett B Coupe. Giorgos Alevizopoulos-Nikos Palyvos, with experience from rallies abroad including the Historic Monte Carlo Rally, return to the Regularity category of the Historic Acropolis Rally, where they will compete with a 1972 Porsche 911 T. Spectators attending the Ceremonial Start of the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity in Lamia will have the opportunity to admire up close a rare 1972 Morgan 4/4. Spiros Xanthopoulos-Dimitrios Kontaxis will participate in the rally with this car, with the driver returning three years after his last participation. Konstantinos Oikonomidis-Giorgos Oikonomidis have consistently participated in the rally in recent years and will start with a 1972 Autobianchi A112. Winners of the 2024 Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity, Vasos Theodosiou-Konstantinos Piperos, will compete this year aiming for another success with a 1974 Lancia Beta Coupe. Making their first appearance in the event will be Ilias and Konstantinos Makris, who will share a 1975 Lancia Beta Coupe. The crew will aim to adapt quickly to the demands of the rally and gain valuable experience for the future. Second overall in the 2025 event, Gerasimos Katochianos-Georgios Katochianos will be aiming for something even better this year with a 1975 Ford Escort MKI, hoping to achieve their first victory in the event.
With a rich career on two wheels and a passion for cars, “Dobermann”, Dimitris Papandreou, faithful to his appointment with the Historic Acropolis Rally, will once again be at the start with a 1976 BMW E21 and Leonidas Nasopoulos beside him. After three consecutive participations in the Sporting category of the Historic Acropolis Rally, Savvas Tzilavis returns this year to the Regularity category. Navigation duties in the 1977 Ford Escort RS 2000 will be undertaken by Dimitris Liakos, with the crew aiming to be competitive in their return to this rally format. Aris Georgosopoulos-Nikos Kontopos will chase their second championship victory of the season behind the wheel of a 1980 Volkswagen Golf I, a crew that has maintained a continuous presence in the rally’s top ten in recent years. The same formula as last year for Giorgos Paraskevaidis-Nikolaos Darzentas who will enter the battle with a 1978 Ford Escort MKII, while Dimitrios Tryfos-Georgia Sakarellou. will compete in the third round of the Greek Regularity Championship with a 1981 Autobianchi A112. Vasilis Kefalas-Alekos Kotzias will compete with a 1980 Volkswagen Golf I, while Andreas Vlantis-Giorgos Vlantis will arrive at the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity with a 1982 Toyota Corolla KE70 in their second consecutive participation in the event. Ready to enjoy the incomparable natural beauty of the landscapes along the route are Dimitrios and Nikolaos Bakos with a 1984 Renault 5 Turbo. Christos Paschalidis will once again be present in the Regularity category. For the second consecutive year he will be guided by Petros Salpeas, who will sit in the right seat of a 1984 Toyota Starlet. From Bulgaria come Dimitar Nenov–Stanislava Ilieva, a crew that successfully finished last year in the Regularity category driving a 1984 Mercedes-Benz 190E.
Guided by the valuable experience of the 2024 Greek Co-Drivers’ Champion, Manolis Dimakareas, Christos Diamantopoulos will compete with a 1984 Volkswagen Golf GTi, while Giorgos Vlantis-Konstantinos Barmpounis will share a 1984 Toyota Starlet. Winners of the 2025 edition, Christian Crucifix–Agnieszka Bohosiewicz will compete aiming to repeat last year’s success. The experienced Belgian driver, with numerous distinctions to his name, will be behind the wheel of a 1985 Peugeot 205. In his first participation in the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity last year, Alexandros Vlontzos successfully reached the finish in Delphi. This year, with a new co-driver in the 1985 Volkswagen Golf GTI, Filippos Vlontzos, they will aim for distinction in Category J1. Five years after their last participation in the rally, Manos Palavidis-Maria Palavidi will return this year with a 1986 Renault 5 GT Turbo. Every year Michalis Lambris-Maria Skepastianou participate in the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity, always with a different car. This year they will compete in the third round of the Greek Regularity Championship with a 1986 Trabant P601. The mixed crew of Georgi Andonov-Yordanka Andonova. is capable of starring in the Regularity category of the PEMA Historic Acropolis Rally. With significant experience from rallies in Greece, the Bulgarian crew, who will drive a 1986 BMW 533i, finished third overall in the 2024 event. From Bulgaria comes Vladimir Dimitrov, who will have his son, Lachezar Dimitrov, beside him in the red 1987 Peugeot 205. This will be the crew’s second participation in the rally, having also competed last year. Second overall in the Attica Classic Rally last March, Ioannis Kyranas-Nikolaos Efstathiou will target another podium finish with a 1990 Volkswagen Golf GTi.
This year’s participation of Alexandros Drouliskos-Mathios Mansolas with a 1991 VW Golf GTi is one of the most interesting stories of the rally, as both are among the top co-drivers in the history of the discipline, with important achievements and participations in demanding Regularity rallies both in Greece and abroad. Alexandros Drouliskos made history by winning the Historic Acropolis Rally in 2003, while Mathios Mansolas achieved the same distinction in 2014 – both co-driving alongside multiple winner Giannis Katsaounis. The Cypriot duo of Giorgos Ioannou-Eftyhios Komiatis comes for the first time to the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity, driving a 1991 Toyota Corolla. Kyriakos Kofinas will aim to continue his streak of successful appearances in Historic Acropolis Rallies with a 1991 Lancia Delta HF Turbo. Nikolaos Kritsikis-Giorgos Kanellopoulos will be behind the wheel of a 1991 Suzuki Swift GTi, continuing their presence in the event, while Evangelos Christou-Ioanna Simeli from Northern Greece will participate once again with a 1992 Nissan Sunny 4×4. With a new co-driver, Arion Abastado, Akis Abastado will compete for the second consecutive year in the Historic Acropolis Rally Regularity. Their “weapon” will be a 1992 Toyota Celica STi.
Iosif Lagakis-Nikitas Tsalikis aim to repeat last year’s performance when they finished at the top of their category, participating with a white 1992 Subaru Legacy. Jerry Markantonatos-Alexandros Romanos will experience the rally for the first time with a 1993 Suzuki Swift GTi. Nikos Katsaitis, Kostis Katsaitis and Alkiviadis Trigas will share an impressive 1995 Land Rover Discovery Series 1 in Category K. Ilias Lalousis-Konstantinos Kotsiris started the season ideally by finishing third in the opening round of the Greek Regularity Championship in February and will tackle the rally’s 26 Precision Tests with a 1999 Peugeot 306 GTi. The newest car in the rally will be a 2000 Ford Fiesta Zetec S driven by Akis Mertinos-Gerasimos Kypraios. The crew returns to the event with positive memories from their last participation in 2023, when they managed to lead the overall standings after the completion of the first leg.
This year’s edition of the rally promises a unique competitive “Odyssey”, guiding crews and historic cars through authentic routes and regions far from the beaten path, in an experience that combines strategy, precision, and adventure. These are routes that during the 1960s and 1970s formed part of the legendary World Rally Acropolis Rally and have since remained almost forgotten in time. These routes differ from the classic, famous Acropolis Rally special stages located close to the start, such as Bralos, Tarzan, Moschokarya, Palaeokastro and Palaia Giannitsou. This year’s event ventures deep into authentic mountainous Greece through the routes of Agrafa, Argithea, Acheloos and Vraha. From Kleitso and Neraida to Sarantaporo and Katafygi, and from Agrafiotis and Megdovas to Raptopoulo, Hochlia and Diavatis.
These are routes with unique historical and natural character, which remained away from the competitive spotlight for decades and return this year, highlighting a different and authentic side of the Acropolis Rally. Essentially, participants will discover perhaps the most unexplored and authentic part of Greece through a route of unparalleled natural beauty, where the history of the Acropolis Rally meets the wild charm of Greek nature. After all, the Acropolis Rally has always been a legendary event where endurance and crew cooperation were the keys to success.
Administrative and Technical Scrutineering for crews based in Attica will take place on Wednesday, May 20, at IKTEO Komvos Amarousiou (2 Granikou Street, Marousi) from 17:00 to 20:00. The procedure for the remaining crews will take place at the Panhellenic Exhibition of Lamia on Friday, May 22, from 08:00 to 11:00.
The rally will start on Friday, May 22 at 13:00 from the Panhellenic Exhibition of Lamia, with the first leg covering a total of 248 kilometers. In the second leg, on Saturday, May 23, crews will start from the enchanting Lake Plastiras and cover a total of 350 kilometers, while the rally will conclude on Sunday, May 24, in a leg where crews will cover a total of 394 kilometers. The finish will take place beneath the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis. Overall, the rally includes 26 precision tests, which will determine the major winners of this year’s edition.
Valuable support to the organizers is provided by the Region of Attica, the Region of Central Greece, the Region of Thessaly, the Municipality of Lamia, the Municipality of Athens and the Municipality of Karditsa.
The media sponsor is Cosmote TV, which in recent years has supported all motorsport events in Greece.
On the official website of the rally ([www.historicacropolis.gr](http://www.historicacropolis.gr)) you can stay informed about all the latest news regarding the Historic Acropolis Rally.
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