That Hyundai has a special affinity, we know. So, it's not a huge surprise that the Korean brand chose to debut the all-new Hyundai i20 N Rally2 on Greek soil, driven by Greek hands and wearing the blue and white on it. In this way, Hyundai is supporting the return of the EKO Rally Acropolis to the WRC...
The brand new i20 N Rally2 will make the his world debut on dirt, on Greek territory at EKO Acropolis Rally, in the hands of an experienced and accomplished Greek crew. Η Hyundai Greece supports in this year's EKO Acropolis Rally the participation of Lambrou Athanasoulas - Nikos Zakhaiou in the all-new Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
To N Rally2
The i20 N Rally2, an all-new rally car racing car, which is intended for private groups and drivers - another example of the close cooperation between the Hyundai Motorsport and Hyundai N to improve the performance of their vehicles, recently presented by Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing.
The i20 N Rally2 shares the powerful body of the all-new Hyundai i20 N -the long-awaited commercial version that will be presented in Greece in September- and the dynamics appearance of the conventional car as it features the new Hyundai identity "Sensuous Sportiness" and includes several design elements inspired by the world of motorsport.
We recall that the Hyundai Motorsport (HMSG), established on 19 December 2012, is responsible for the global motor sport activities Hyundai, including WRC and Customer Racing. He has won the World Rally Championship of the FIA for the two consecutive last years (2019 and 2020) and will be in the EKO Acropolis Rally for the purpose of conquering the 1st place of the podium.
The Acropolis Rally
The Acropolis Rally turns again the lights of world motorsport in Greece. O 9th round of the WRC will be held on 9-12 September 2021 as part of the FIA World Rally Championship. The iconic "Rally of Gods" is back in the international spotlight after 8 years of absence from the event, while its place in the World Rally Championship calendar has been confirmed and for 2022.
H Launch of the EKO Rally Acropolis is scheduled for Thursday 9 September, with an impressive project, the "Cosmote 5G Athens Stage", a route in the centre of Athens with a length of about 1 km., that will bring the "heart" of the race to the main streets of Athens, with highlight the passage of the racing Car around Syntagma Square. This route will follow immediately after the starting ceremony, which will take place under the Acropolis.
Athanassoulas - Zacchaeus
Ο Lambros Athanasoulas is the active Greek rally driver with the more distinctions at international level, including the Acropolis Rally. Η his racing career launched the 2001, while in 2003 he won the championship of the class A5 of the Panhellenic Rally Championship with Kostas Soukoulis as co-driver.
In 2006 he participated in six races of the Fiesta Sporting Trophy WRC, with Nikos Mouzakis as the official Greek participation (Team Greece), conquering the first place the WRC race in Germany.
At Acropolis Rally fought the 2007 and 2008, however the great success came in 2009. That year, with Nikos Zacchaio, finished in the 8th place in the overall ranking and in 1st in the PWRC category - one of the most important performances of Greeks in the history of the Acropolis Rally. In the 2011 race, the now established crew participated with WRC class car, noting where appropriate and where no problems were encountered, times high in the general ranked among the professional driving legends of the era.
The 2015, always with the passenger Nikos Zacchaio, Lambros Athanasoulas participated in the Acropolis Rally as part of the European Rally Championship (ERC), finishing in 3rd place of the general ranking.
In 2016 they participated in the opening race of the WRC, the Monte Carlo Rally, winning 22nd place in the general classification, while the same year, with co-driver Ilias Panagiotounis, the Greek driver finished in the 2nd place of the general ranking in the Acropolis Rally, as part of the ERC.
Since then, the Greek Mechanical Engineer, who lives and works in Loutraki and among others teaches the art of racing driving to young athletes, has participated selectively in Greek races, mainly for his pleasure.
For his part, the Nikos Zachaios also took the driver's seat, participating in the National Asphalt Rally Championship and achieving excellent performances. The TopSpeed.gr wishes the Greek crew to conquer the first place of the podium!
