Tue 10 Sep 2024

Rain or shine, fans embrace Acropolis WRC action

If there was one piece of equipment that was most definitely needed in Greece last week, it was an umbrella. And a double-use umbrella at that. Even in September, the sun still knows how to do its thing in and around Lamia.

And when it rains, it rains properly. And while this year’s event didn’t deliver the sort of pre-event deluge featured on the 2023 EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, there was still enough weather around to not consider stepping out into the service park without something above your head.

As ever, the service park in Lamia offered a great atmosphere – watching Greece’s youngest rally fans stop, stare and ask home hero Jourdan Serderidis and his fellow world championship regulars for a selfie was a treat. Loutraki on Saturday was the same. Not much diverts attention from the 80-metre bungee over the Corinth Canal, but the WRC did just that last weekend.

But for real, pure and absolutely sensational atmosphere, it was impossible to touch a service station just off the A1. Greece’s second longest motorway, formerly known as the National Road, is a 550-kilometre run from Athens to the North Macedonian border. On Saturday night, it was all about one EKO station just outside Malakasa.

The crowds were huge and totally captivated by the world’s fastest drivers sliding the world’s fastest rally cars around the place they usually stopped for a cup of coffee and a slice of Karythopita (spicy walnut cake – it’s awesome) on the way to and from Thessaloniki. Once again, the Greek organisers found an amazing way to bring the sport to the people.

Europe
Starts: Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 8:00:00 AM
Poland
Starts: Friday, October 11, 2024 at 9:30:00 AM
Turkey
Starts: Saturday, November 9, 2024 at 5:00:00 AM