It’s a return to Tarmac and the Italian island of Elba for the FIA European Historic Rally Championship this week (September 26-28) with the race to win the first overall FIA EHRC title reaching a decisive phase..
With six of the scheduled nine rounds run, Italian pairing “Zippo” and Nicola Arena head British father and daughter crew Ernie and Anna Graham by 11 and a half points, while Tibor Érdi Jr and István Kérek remain in contention for the new-for-2024 award, 18.5 points behind the Grahams.
Although James Potter and co-driver Tim Sayer can’t be caught in the Category 1 standings, categories 2-4 are still open, as are the FIA EHRC Front Wheel Drive Trophy, FIA EHRC 1600cc Trophy and FIA EHRC Team Trophy.
Rallye Elba Storico is back on the FIA EHRC schedule after a one-year gap for round seven of this ultimate celebration of the sport’s glorious past. It forms the first part of an Italian double-header along with Sanremo Rally Storico (October 18-20) and marks the penultimate asphalt event of the season prior to the gravel-based Historic Acropolis Rally finale from November 8-10.
Who’s in it to win it?
The Rallye Elba Storico entry list is very much a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder with an impressive 27 FIA EHRC crews making the trip across the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Tibor Érdi Jr (Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4), the best-placed FIA EHRC finisher when the event was last part of the championship in 2022 competing this weekend, is the number one seed in his Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4. The Hungarian, who also tops the Category 4 order, has won the last two asphalt rounds of the FIA EHRC.
Number two seed Angelo Lombardo, who pilots a Category 2 Porsche 911 RS, was the leading FIA EHRC finisher on the season-opening Rally Costa Brava. He also won Rallye Elba Storico in 2022 , albeit not registered for FIA EHRC points. While he’s yet to win outright in 2024, “Zippo” has finished second four times aboard his Category 3 Audi Quattro and triumphed in Elba in 2019.
Vojtěch Štajf (Toyota Celica GT-4 ST165), the Historic Vltava Rallye winner in April, is reunited with former co-driver Vladimír Zelinka with Flexifly Rally Team pair Ernie and Anna Graham switching back to their familiar BMW M3 after claiming top FIA EHRC honours on last month’s Lahti Historic Rally in a Ford Escort RS 1800.
Karl Wagner, the 2023 FIA EHRC Category 3 champion and 2021 Elba winner, makes a welcome return to the championship having sat out much of the season for medical reasons. He’s the sixth seed ahead of Maciej Lubiak, who swaps Porsche for BMW power. Valter Pierangioli, Pascal Eouzan and Guy Trolliet complete the top 10 FIA EHRC contenders.
With 2024 provisional Category 1 champion James Potter moving to Category 2, Antonio Parisi, Jesus Diez Villarroel and Carlo Fiorito are the Category 1 contenders on Rallye Elba Storico.
Péter Magoss, who competed in a Subaru Legacy earlier this season, joins fellow Hungarian László Mekler (Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint) in Category 2 at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo 1750 GTAm.
Along with Mekler, Oldřich Kovařík (Škoda Favorit 136L), Petr Gadomski (Toyota Corolla AE82), Tim Jones (Chrysler Sunbeam) and János Dunavölgyi (Lada Samara) are eligible for the FIA EHRC 1600cc Trophy.
Kovařík, Gadomski, Dunavölgyi are also registered for the FIA EHRC Front Wheel Drive Trophy, as are Natale Mirable (Fiat Ritmo Abarth) and Siegfried Mayr, who makes his second FIA EHRC start in a Saab 99, to further highlight the eclectic mix of machinery in action.
Rallye Elba Storico route in short
Ten mainly tight, twisty and undulating Tarmac stages over a competitive distance of 133.58 kilometres provide the challenge for the FIA EHRC’s return to Elba. Starting from Porto Azzurro, Friday’s opening leg, covering the western part of the island, includes two runs through the 7.48-kilometre Monumento stage, plus single visits to Marcciana Marina - Marciana - Campo (18.52 kilometres), Due Mari, which at 19.01 kilometres in length is the longest stage of the leg, and the day-closing 10.43 kilometres of Capoliveri, which takes place at night. Marcciana Marina - Marciana - Campo has only been used on the modern Rallye Elba, while Monumento runs in an opposite direction compared to 2023.
Saturday’s second leg located in the eastern part of Elba, begins with the first of two passes through the 9.80-kilometre Innamorata stage named in memory of rally enthusiast Anna Puccini. Single visits to Volterraio (5.68 kilometres) and Bagnaia-Cavo (18.44 kilometres) are also scheduled along with the rally distance-topping final stage, Volterraio Cavo (26.94 kilometres). The finish is scheduled in the centre of Capoliveri from 16:00 local time.
How they stand?
The provisional FIA European Historic Rally Championship standings after round six are available here: https://www.fia.com/events/european-historic-rally-championship/season-2024/classifications
FIA EHRC 2024: how it works?
The FIA EHRC is for historic rally cars built prior to 1969 and homologated up to 1990. It’s divided into four categories (1-4) based on year of manufacturer with sub-divisions in Categories 2-4 to allow for different levels of car performance.
Competitors count their best six scores from nine rounds held on asphalt and gravel between March and November. Events typically run for one and a half days following reconnaissance with approximately 150 timed kilometres on offer.
The overall title is contested by all drivers and co-drivers regardless of their category with all rounds counting. The FIA Historic 1600cc Trophy is for cars up to 1600cc from Categories 1-4 with the six best scores counting. The rise in the number of front-wheel-drive cars competing has been recognised with the FIA European Historic Front Wheel Drive Trophy with crews also counting their best six scores.
In addition, the FIA EHRC Team Trophy, which has attracted more than 25 entries for the 2024 season, features a new bonus points system with 10 additional points on offer on the Historic Rally of Asturias and the Historic Acropolis Rally.
Three new titles are up for grabs in the FIA EHRC this season. An overall FIA European Historic Rally Championship crown is being awarded for the first time, while the FIA European Historic 1600cc Trophy and FIA European Historic Front Wheel Drive Trophy titles have also been introduced for 2024.
Although the creation of the all-new titles is partly in response to competitor feedback, their introduction is in line with the FIA’s desire to raise the profile – and spectacle – of the FIA EHRC, while also providing an accessible point of entry to international-level historic rallying.
FIA EUROPEAN HISTORIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCES EXCITING FLEXIFLY PARTNERSHIP
The FIA European Historic Rally Championship is delighted to welcome FlexiFly, a specialist aircraft hire company, as an official partner of the series.
