ACROPOLIS DROPPED FROM EUROPEAN RALLY CALENDAR
The legendary Acropolis Rally has been replaced by Rally Hungary in next year’s European Rally Championship calendar.
The Greek classic – one of the founding rounds of the World Rally Championship in 1973 – last ran at the sport’s highest level in 2013 before settling as an ERC calendar staple. ERC co-ordinator Jean-baptiste Ley confirmed the Acropolis will step down next year, but he remains hopeful of a quick return.
He said: “Although the Acropolis Rally will take a break from the ERC calendar in 2019, we are already in discussions about a return in 2020. It’s a high-quality, legendary event, very well run. The door is always open to the Acropolis Rally.”
ERC promoter Eurosport Events’ calendar was presented to an FIA Rallies Commission meeting in Paris last week and is likely to be signed off at December’s World Motor Sport Council Meeting in St Petersburg.
Hungarian State Secretary for Sport Tunde Szabo said: “It is a huge step and also a great success that Rally Hungary has been included in the draft FIA ERC calendar. By gaining the right to host the ERC we can join in with international motorsport and get Nyiregyhaza on the European map.”
The eight-round series will run a 50-50 gravel-asphalt split with the Nyiregyhaza-based Rally Hungary closing the calendar out in November. The other seven rallies remain from this season, albeit with Latvia, Poland and Cyprus in different dates.