Acropolis Rally

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Harri Rovanperä with a Mitsubishi Lancer WRC at the 2005 event.

The Acropolis Rally of Greece (officially known as BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally of Greece) is a rally competition, part of the World Rally Championship schedule. The rally is held on very dusty, rough and rocky mountain roads around Athens during the Greek hot summer period. The rally is known for being extremely tough on the competing cars and drivers. The highlight of the rally is the super special stage (SSS). In 2005, it was announced the Rally of the Year.

The Acropolis Rally has been held for 51 years by the Greek motorsports organization Automobile and Touring Club of Greece (ELPA), making it one of the longest-standing in world rallying. Many famous rallying individuals have won this event including Walter Röhrl, Björn Waldegård, Ari Vatanen, Stig Blomqvist, Juha Kankkunen, Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae, among others. Due to the nature of the rally, with a mix of rough, twisty mountain stages and coupled with blistering heat and choking dust, the Acropolis Rally is one of the toughest on the world rally circuit. Cars that are used in this race have to be built with extra sturdiness in order to cope with the fast but rock-strewn stages. Drivers and co-drivers also have to contend with the pounding terrain and high summer temperatures which often reach 50°C within the cockpit.

In 2005 a new stage was introduced; a superspecial stage held within the Olympic Stadium of Athens. In 2006 there were 2 superspecials, again in the same stadium. The rally headquarters and the service park also moved from Lamia to the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. In the 2007 event, the superspecial (along with the rally headquarters and the service park) moved to the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre. In 2008 the super special stage was held twice at the Tatoi military airport.

[edit] Winners

Xavier Pons with a Citroën Xsara WRC at the 2006 event.

Nasser Al-Attiyah driving a Subaru Impreza WRX STI at the 2006 event.

2008 – Sébastien Loeb, Citroën
2007 – Marcus Grönholm, Ford
2006 – Marcus Grönholm, Ford
2005 – Sébastien Loeb, Citroën
2004 – Petter Solberg, Subaru
2003 – Markko Märtin, Ford
2002 – Colin McRae, Ford
2001 – Colin McRae, Ford
2000 – Colin McRae, Ford
1999 – Richard Burns, Subaru
1998 – Colin McRae, Subaru
1997 – Carlos Sainz, Ford
1996 – Colin McRae, Subaru
1995 – Aris Vovos, Lancia (Non WRC race)
1994 – Carlos Sainz, Subaru
1993 – Miki Biasion, Ford
1992 – Didier Auriol, Lancia
1991 – Juha Kankkunen, Lancia
1990 – Carlos Sainz, Toyota
1989 – Miki Biasion, Lancia
1988 – Miki Biasion, Lancia
1987 – Markku Alén, Lancia
1986 – Juha Kankkunen, Peugeot
1985 – Timo Salonen, Peugeot
1984 – Stig Blomqvist, Audi
1983 – Walter Röhrl, Lancia
1982 – Michèle Mouton, Audi
1981 – Ari Vatanen, Ford
1980 – Ari Vatanen, Ford
1979 – Björn Waldegård, Ford
1978 – Walter Röhrl, Fiat
1977 – Björn Waldegård, Ford
1976 – Harry Källström, Datsun
1975 – Walter Röhrl, Opel
1974 – Event cancelled due to the oil crisis.
1973 – Jean-Luc Thérier, Alpine-Renault (report)
1972 – H. Lindberg, Fiat
1971 – O. Anderson, Alpine-Renault
1970 – Jean-Luc Thérier, Alpine-Renault
1969 – P. Toivonen, Porsche
1968 – Roger Clark, Ford
1967 – P. Hopkirk, Mini
1966 – V. Sonderstorm, Lotus
1965 – S.M.Scouc, Volvo
1964 – Tom Trana, Volvo
1963 – E. Boriger, Mercedes-Benz
1962 – E. Boriger, Mercedes-Benz
1961 – E. Karlsson, Saab
1960 – V. Shock, Mercedes-Benz
1959 – V. Levy, Auto Union
1958 – J. Virorezi, Lancia
1957 – J. Estaze, Ferrari
1956 – V. Shock, Mercedes-Benz
1955 – Johnny Pesmatzoglou, Opel
1954 – P. Papadopoulos, Opel
1953 – Nikos Papamichail, Jaguar
1952 – Johnny Pesmatzoglou, Chevrolet (as ELPA Rally)
1951 – P. Peratikos, Fiat

[edit] Number of victories per driver

Since 1973, the first WRC season (excluding the 1995 event).

5 victories	3 victories	2 victories	1 victories
Colin McRae ( United Kingdom)	Miki Biasion ( Italy)	Ari Vatanen ( Finland)	Jean-Luc Thérier ( France)
	Carlos Sainz ( Spain)	Björn Waldegård ( Sweden)	Harry Källström ( Sweden)
	Walter Röhrl ( Germany)	Juha Kankkunen ( Finland)	Michèle Mouton ( France)
		Marcus Grönholm ( Finland)	Stig Blomqvist ( Sweden)
		Sébastien Loeb ( France)	Timo Salonen ( Finland)
			Markku Alén ( Finland)
			Didier Auriol ( France)
			Richard Burns ( United Kingdom)
			Markko Märtin ( Estonia)
			Petter Solberg ( Norway)