Sporting News Latvala-Maekawa fastest in shakedown!
Shakedown of the Historic Acropolis Rally was successfully completed late in the afternoon of Thursday, May 21, with the participants getting a first taste of the conditions they will face across the 13 Special Stages of the event. The procedure took place on a 3.39-kilometer route just outside Lamia, which this year serves as the center of the rally. The 14 crews that took part mostly completed all four passes, having the opportunity to carry out their final setup adjustments on their historic cars just hours before the official start of the second round of the FIA European Historic Rally Championship for gravel events. The Historic Acropolis Rally also counts as the third round of the Greek Historic Rally Championship and contributes points to the corresponding Gravel Cup.
Fourteen crews, most of them from abroad, participated in the session. The fastest time was set by Jari-Matti Latvala – Tomiya Maekawa, with last year’s winners immediately confirming their status as one of the favorites for victory. The Finnish driver, behind the wheel of the Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD ST185, completed four passes through the shakedown, constantly improving his time, and appears ready to fight for his third victory on Greek soil. The same applied to Ghislain de Mevius – Johan Jalet, who improved their performance on every run. The Belgians are competing in this year’s Historic Acropolis Rally with a new car, a Subaru Impreza 555. They achieved the second-fastest time in the shakedown and aim to finally reach the finish, something they failed to achieve in their previous two appearances at the event. Driving the same car, Kris Rosenberger – Nicola Januschke Bleicher completed three passes through the shakedown and declared themselves ready to battle against the clock. From the Greek side, Achilleas Christodoulou – Efthymios Soukoulis with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI began with reconnaissance-style passes before increasing their pace, and they are expected to be competitive against the Imprezas in Category 5 during the rally.
Memories from the past were revived by Gregoire de Mevius – Andre Leyh, as the veteran Belgian World Champion once again arrived in Greece with a Nissan Sunny GTi-R. Four passes were completed by the newcomers to Greek gravel, Nemo Mazza – Mauro Marchiori in a Ford Escort RS1800 MKII, unlike Australians Darryn and Steuart Snooks, who preferred to drive the shakedown route twice with their Ford Escort RS1800 MKII. A return to Greek gravel roads for Czech crew Oldrich Kovarik jnr – Marek Kapic with the small but mighty Skoda Favorit 136L. The crew adapted quickly to the Greek terrain and impressed during the shakedown, appearing ready to challenge more powerful combinations.
Always spectacular, Nikos Pavlidis – Dimitris Koumpotis with the Fiat 131 Racing measured themselves against the international competition during the shakedown, aiming not only for a strong result but also for championship points, as they are following the full European Historic Gravel Rally Championship this season. Gravel lovers and extremely entertaining to watch, Philip Thomas – Darren Davison (Ford Escort RS1800 MKII) tested the final setup changes on their car, while Themis Chalkias – Marios Tsaousoglou took part in the session with an impressive Nissan 240RS. Once the driver managed to tame the car, the times improved significantly, as the crew suffered two spins during their first two passes with the demanding machine. Dimitris Trikardos – Konstantinos Verykakis (Ford Escort RS2000 MKI) completed their runs early, before the road had properly cleaned up, and are expected to be far more competitive during the rally itself. The Austrians Georg Reitsperger – Herbert Knodl (Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4) approached the shakedown cautiously, fully aware of the traps hidden in the Greek gravel roads, while the “rookies” on gravel, Kleon Tsetis – Nikos Papadimas, had their first real taste of the surface with a Lada VAZ 2107, completing four passes through the shakedown.
The continuation of the Historic Acropolis Rally includes Administrative and Technical Scrutineering, which will take place at the Panhellenic Exhibition Center of Lamia on Friday, May 22, from 09:00 to 15:30. Later that same evening, at 19:30, the Ceremonial Start of the rally will take place in the heart of Lamia. Eleftherias Square will serve as the starting point of this year’s Historic Acropolis Rally, after which the crews will compete on the first stage of the event, which will be held at night. With their auxiliary lights switched on, the crews will face the clock on the “Stirfaka” Special Stage, measuring 12.07 km, before returning to the Service Park for the overnight halt. The Service Park will be hosted at the Panhellenic Exhibition Center of Lamia, which has long served as the operational center for the Acropolis Rally and other rounds of the Greek Rally Championship, offering the necessary infrastructure for teams and organizers alike. The exhibition facilities will host both the Service Park and the rally headquarters.
On Saturday, May 23, the schedule includes a total of 7 Special Stages across the regional units of Fthiotida and Karditsa. On Sunday, May 24, the crews will depart from Lamia and compete in 5 Special Stages. After a total of 13 Special Stages and 162.52 competitive kilometers, the crews will finish in Athens, with the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis providing the backdrop.
The Region of Central Greece is one of the key 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 strongly backs the rally. Through the event, the Karditsa area gains additional exposure by hosting crews and visitors from across Europe, giving them the opportunity to discover the beauty of the region and its hospitality.
The Municipality of Lamia plays a central role in the organization, as Lamia serves as one of the key reference points of the rally, hosting both the Service Park and the rally headquarters. The Historic Acropolis Rally contributes significantly to promoting the city as a hub for major sporting events. At the same time, the Municipality of Sofades actively supports the rally’s presence in the area, strengthening the connection between the local community and motorsport while promoting the region through a historic event of international prestige.
Valuable assistance to the organizers of the Historic Acropolis Rally is also provided by the Region of Attica and the Regional Unit of Boeotia. In addition to the Municipality of Lamia and the Municipality of Sofades, the 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.
Communication sponsor is Cosmote TV, which in recent years has maintained a strong presence in all motorsport events held in Greece.
On the official website of the event ([www.historicacropolis.gr](http://www.historicacropolis.gr)) and on the Digital Notice Board ([https://webapp.sportity.com/event/SPO26HACROPOLIS/4d688753-3a47-4c32-a1be-c8ae3678e4d2](https://webapp.sportity.com/event/SPO26HACROPOLIS/4d688753-3a47-4c32-a1be-c8ae3678e4d2)), you can stay updated with all the latest news regarding the Historic Acropolis Rally.
Official Website: [www.historicacropolis.gr](http://www.historicacropolis.gr)
Facebook page: [https://www.facebook.com/historicacropolisrallygr](https://www.facebook.com/historicacropolisrallygr)
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