Based in the seaside town of Loutraki, the 2014 Acropolis Rally was held on March 28-30. On this year, the event was assigned to the European Rally Championship (ERC), being the 3rd round of the series. This ended an era that begun back in 1973, when the Acropolis Rally was a classic event of the World Rally Championship.
This was the first major rally for the Euphemus team. The crew, Petros Glantzis and Aris Tsivos, were eligible for points in the greek rally championship, on the gravel leg of the event.
Despite the shorter duration of the 2014 Acropolis Rally compared to the previous years, the gravel stages would still present a challenge to the rally cars. The team’s 1300cc Citroën AX was no exception to this. Early in the event, stones caused alternator belt failure, threatening to end the car’s progress as the battery was draining.
The crew nursed the car to the service park, where the team mechanics restored the little Citroën’s condition. Setting off for the last loop of stages, the crew was displaying an improved pace, until a tire puncture occurred on the last kilometers of the rally. This however did not stop them. The final result was the 22nd position among the greek competitors and the 1st position in the class standings.
The 2014 Acropolis turned out to be a memorable first rally for team Euphemus. Special thanks go to the members of the greek Peugeot Sport Club, for their help and support in this event.
