News & Articles Historic Acropolis Rally 2024 – Leg 1: De Mevius-Jalet take the lead
Ghislain de Mevius and Johan Jalet are in the lead of the Historic Acropolis Rally after the first leg of the event. This final round of the European Championship, which also serves as the fourth round of the Greek National Historic Championship, is taking place in Itea. Competitors tackled six Special Stages in the first leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally.
The Belgian crew in their Mazda 323 GTX took the lead from the first stage and held it through to the end of the leg. They maintained a blistering pace throughout the day despite facing turbo issues with their four-wheel-drive car in the second stage. With a lead of over 90 seconds, the pair plans to drive conservatively on Sunday, aiming for victory. Tibor Erdi Jr. and Istvan Kerek, in a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4, hold second place. They are driving steadily, focusing on finishing to secure the European Championship title, making them the highest-placed team eligible for European Championship points. A welcome surprise in the race has been the Category 3 leaders, Richard Jordan and Sam Collis, who climbed to third place after the night stage on Saturday in their rear-wheel-drive Ford Escort MKII. Competing in Greece for the first time, the British team is enjoying the race and hopes to improve their position given their close gap with the Hungarian crew.
Fourth place belongs to Greek team Marios Stafylopatis and Giorgos Chatzirigas, who suffered hydraulic steering issues with their Lancia Delta Integrale. Competing with the Italian car on gravel for the first time, they won two stages on Saturday, but a mechanical issue in the night stage at Karoutes cost them valuable time, causing them to lose their grip on second place.
The Belgian duo Christophe Jacob and Isabelle Regnier put on a spectacular show in their Ford Escort MKII, currently in fifth place overall, with Ernie Graham and his daughter Anna following close behind in another Ford Escort MKII. The British crew, experienced in the Acropolis Rally, enjoyed an issue-free first leg and remain comfortably positioned.
In seventh place and leading Category 2 are Greeks Giorgos Paradeisis and Ploutarchos Stergiou in a Ford Escort RS1600 MKI. Despite not attending the reconnaissance due to time constraints, James Potter and co-driver Karen Graham, third-place finisher in last year’s race, hold eighth place in their Ford Escort RS1800 MKII. Alexandros Christodoulou and Athanasios Samaras are in ninth overall and third in the Greek Championship in their Lancia 037 Rally. The top ten are rounded out by Konstantinos Mylonas and Nikos Paraperas, leading the 1600cc class in a Toyota Celica TA22.
Numerous retirements marked the first leg of the Historic Acropolis Rally. Greek team Panagiotis Paradeisis and Michalis Frankou exited the race when their Ford Escort RS1800 MKII caught fire after an incident at Mavroneri, prompting the stage’s cancellation. Gearbox issues forced Giorgos Delaportas and Vangelis Panaritis to retire their Volkswagen Golf II after setting the fastest time among the front-wheel drives in the first stage. Maciej Lubiak and Grzegorz Dachowski temporarily retired their Porsche 911 due to a broken axle but plan to continue on Sunday. Electrical issues forced the retirement of Sotiris Skaltsas and Nikos Tsadaris in their Volkswagen Golf II GTi, while axle problems sidelined Thanasis Athanasoulas and Vasilis Basioukas in their competitive Toyota Starlet 1600cc. A gasket issue led to the early exit of Paschalis Hatzimarkos and Marios Tsaousoglou in their Ford Escort MKII.
The second and final leg will consist of five Special Stages. Starting Sunday morning, November 10, competitors will tackle the “Karoutes” stage, followed by “Parnassos” (15.27 km) and “Prosilio” (12.22 km). An intermediate service break in the coastal town of Itea will precede the repeat of the “Parnassos” and “Prosilio” stages, with the finish in Itea scheduled for 16:45. Spectators should note that roads will close two hours before the passage of the first rally car.
The rally is sponsored by SEAJETS, Avis Car Rental, Clevermedia.gr, Nissan Halkias, SP tableware, and Superfast Ferries. The organizers benefit from the support of the Region of Attica, the Regional Units of Boeotia and Phocis, and the municipalities of Athens, Thebes, Livadeia, Delphi, Orchomenos, Aliartos, Nafpaktos, and Ancient Olympia. Cosmote TV, the event’s media sponsor, has been a steadfast supporter of motorsport in Greece.
Visit the official race website (www.historicacropolis.gr) and the Digital Notice Board (https://webapp.sportity.com/channel/ACRHIST24SP) for schedules, entry lists, and maps of the Historic Acropolis Rally. Follow the event’s social media channels for live updates.
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