News & Articles FIA European Historic Rally Championship: The final show!

The 2024 FIA European Historic Rally Championship is near its end. Following eight events across Europe, title contenders will arrive in Greece from November 8 to 10 to compete in the season’s final round. The Historic Acropolis Rally, was initially part of the championship in 2004, took a one-year break and then rejoined the FIA European Historic Rally Championship calendar in 2023 after its successful 2022 revival by the Hellenic Motorsport Federation (OMAE). This year, the event has been upgraded, offering participants a starting bonus of 10 points.

The season began as usual in Spain with the asphalt Rally Costa Brava in mid-March, where Italians Angelo Lombardo and Giovanni Battista Campeis led in their Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0. French team Olivier Capanaccia and François Olivier Piazza, in a BMW M3 E30, took second place, followed by the previous year’s Historic Acropolis Rally winners, Marty McCormack and Barney Mitchell (BMW M3 E30), who finished third in the EHRC section of the event.

The second round was held in the Czech Republic with the Historic Vltava Rallye, which is part of the championship since 2008. Local duo Vojtěch Štajf and Veronika Havelková won in a Toyota Celica GT-4, with Italians “Zippo” and Nicola Arena taking second in their Audi Quattro, and Irish drivers Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy coming in third in a BMW M3 E30.

The third round of the European Historic Rally Championship took place again in Spain in mid-May. Last year’s well-known Historic Acropolis Rally winners, Marty McCormack and Barney Mitchell (BMW M3 E30), emerged victorious in the Rally de Asturias Historico after an exciting duel with Italians “Zippo” and Nicola Arena (Audi Quattro), who settled for second place, with the gap between them ultimately being less than 2 seconds. Vojtěch Štajf and Veronika Havelková in a Toyota Celica GT-4 finished third, followed by Spaniards Jesús Manuel Ferreiro and Javier Anido Vázquez (Ford Escort RS1800 MKII) and Tibor Erdi Jr. and Istvan Kerek (Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4).

The Mecsek Rallye – Historic, held in Pecs, Hungary, was the fourth round of the championship. Tibor Erdi Jr. and Istvan Kerek (Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4) dominated on home soil, securing an easy victory. Italians “Zippo” and Nicola Arena (Audi Quattro) finished second in the European section, with British duo Ernie Graham and Anna Graham (BMW M3 E30) taking third place on the podium.

In mid-July, the European championship circus moved to Austria for the fifth round, the Rallye Weiz Historic. Hungarians Tibor Erdi Jr. and Istvan Kerek achieved their second consecutive championship victory, with “Zippo” and Nicola Arena in their Audi Quattro taking second. Regular Historic Acropolis Rally participant Ernie Graham finished third, codriven by his daughter, Anna Graham, in a BMW M3 E30. Vojtěch Štajf and Veronika Havelková of the Czech Republic completed the rally in fourth place with their Toyota Celica GT-4.

Lahti Historic Rally, was held in August, with British crew, Ernie Graham and Anna Graham (Ford Escort RS1800 MKII) emerging victorious in Finland, winning the EHRC section of the event. Belgian pair Christophe Jacob and Isabelle Regnier (Ford Escort RS1800 MKII) followed closely, while local team Jukka Jalonen and Arto Tolvanen (Audi Quattro A2) claimed third-place points.

The seventh round took place on the island of Elba, Italy, hosting the 36th Rallye Elba Storico in late September. This time, Angelo Lombardo secured his second victory of the season, with Roberto Consiglio as co-driver in the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0. In the European section, Valter Pierangioli and Arianna Ravano, in their red Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4, finished second, narrowly ahead of “Zippo” and Nicola Arena in their Audi Quattro. Tibor Erdi Jr. and Istvan Kerek (Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4) and Vojtěch Štajf and Vladimir Zelinka (Toyota Celica GT-4) couldn’t keep pace with the leaders, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

The Sanremo Rally Storico was the eighth round of the championship, where Eamonn Kelly and Gordon Noble took the victory in the EHRC section, in a BMW M3 E30. Polish team Maciej Lubiak and Grzegorz Dachowski, also in a BMW M3 E30, finished second, ahead of Tibor Erdi Jr. and Istvan Kerek (Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4). “Zippo” and Nicola Arena (Audi Quattro) placed fourth, followed by Vojtěch Štajf and Veronika Havelková (Toyota Celica GT-4).

The season concludes in Greece with the Historic Acropolis Rally from November 8 to 10.

This year, for the first time, FIA introduced an Overall championship for historic cars. Three crews have strong chances of becoming champions and will try hard in Greece to claim the title! Leading the standings are “Zippo” and Nicola Arena, followed by Tibor Erdi Jr. and Istvan Kerek, and Ernie Graham with Anna Graham. The race remains open in Category 4 as well, where British duo Ernie Graham and Anna Graham lead, with Tibor Erdi Jr. and Istvan Kerek in second and vying strongly for the title.

In Category 3, “Zippo” and Nicola Arena have already mathematically secured the championship, while Christophe Jacob and Isabelle Regnier, who will compete in the Acropolis Rally, are contesting for second place. In Category 2, Hungarian driver Laszlo Mekler claimed the title, with Italian Giovanni Battista Campeis taking the co-driver’s title. Champions in Category 1 were British pair James Potter and Tim Sayer, with Antonio Parisi and Carlo Fiorito coming to the Historic Acropolis Rally to compete for second place.

Mekler and his co-driver also secured the newly established 1600 cc Trophy. Polish driver Piotr Gadomski, who will take part in the Historic Acropolis Rally in a Toyota Corolla AE82, won the title in the Front-Wheel Drive Trophy. In the Team’s Trophy, the British Flexifly Rally Team emerged as champions.

The Historic Acropolis Rally is around the corner!