ACROPOLIS CHALLENGE AWAITS AS EHRC GRAVEL BATTLE HEADS TO GREECE
RECORD 63-CREW ENTRY SET TO TACKLE ICONIC GREEK GRAVEL ROADS AT HISTORIC ACROPOLIS RALLY
FIA EUROPEAN HISTORIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP GRAVEL CONTENDERS PREPARE FOR ROUND TWO, ONE OF THE SEASON’S TOUGHEST EVENTS
PORTUGAL WINNERS JACOB AND REGNIER ARRIVE IN GREECE AIMING TO DEFEND THEIR EARLY GRAVEL CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
The FIA European Historic Rally Gravel Championship continues this weekend with one of rallying’s most legendary events, as the Historic Acropolis Rally hosts round two of the 2026 season.
Following an action-packed opener at Historic Rally Fafe in Portugal, crews now face a completely different challenge on the rough and demanding gravel roads of Greece, where heat and endurance are expected to play a decisive role.
The 2026 edition of the Historic Acropolis Rally has attracted a record 63 entries, marking the strongest participation level in the modern history of the event and the growing momentum of the FIA EHRC Gravel Championship. The rally will feature 13 special stages and more than 160 competitive kilometres across two demanding days of competition.
A truly international field will line up for the weekend, with 21 international crews travelling to Greece for the second round of the championship. Competitors from across Europe will tackle the famous mountain stages that have defined the Acropolis Rally for decades, with the event once again combining historic prestige with some of the toughest gravel conditions in international rallying. Fresh from victory in Portugal, Christophe Jacob and Isabelle Regnier arrive in Greece leading the early championship standings after securing their maiden EHRC gravel win in Fafe. However, the unforgiving Acropolis terrain is expected to provide an entirely new challenge for the Belgian pairing and their Ford Escort RS 1800.
One of the major attractions for fans this weekend will be the presence of Jari-Matti Latvala, who joins the FIA EHRC gravel field following his victory at the Historic Acropolis Rally last season. The former WRC factory driver and 2013 Acropolis Rally winner returns to Greece alongside Tomiya Maekawa in a Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD ST185, bringing further top-level experience to an already highly competitive entry list.
Among the leading entries are also several crews with previous Acropolis experience, including Austrian driver George Reitsperger and co-driver Herbert Knödl, who return to the event aboard a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 for the first time in ten years. Lukas and Helmut Schindelegger are also set to continue their campaign in their Ford Escort RS 2000, while former Fafe podium finisher Nemo Mazza returns alongside Mauro Marchiori hoping to challenge once again for overall honours.
The diverse entry list once again highlights the unique character of the FIA EHRC, with iconic machinery from rallying’s golden eras represented throughout the field. Ford Escorts are expected to feature prominently once more, while Porsche 911s, iconic Lancias and Subaru machinery add further variety to the competition.
The Historic Acropolis Rally remains one of the most iconic names in international rallying, renowned for its rocky mountain roads, punishing conditions and relentless stages that have challenged generations of competitors.
For the event, rally headquarters will be based in Lamia for the first time since the revival of the historic event, while the ceremonial start will take place in Thermopylae, one of Greece’s most historic locations.
The Historic Acropolis Rally gets underway on 22 May, with competitors set to tackle two days of intense action before the ceremonial finish in Athens.
