Acropolis Rally

Acropolis rally has not left me cold. Its impossible.
On my first participation 1977 I hit a tree before the real rally had even
started. I can still feel a violent shock! After many setbacks, I won my
first WCR- victory in Greece in 1980. What a relief... The victory was
sentimentally explosive because Rita came to Athens with our two-week old
Ria daughter. My feeling of happiness went literally down to my bones.
Hopefully Ill never forget how privileged Im and that I treat fellow human
beings according to each one's unique human value. Rally victories do not
mean victories over your neighbours.

Since my Argentinian accident I never won a WC rally. Closest to it I came
in Acropolis 1993 in an outdated Subaru Legacy. On the first day I was in a
class of my own and led the rally comfortably. In the morning of the
following day I had problems but I reestablished the order on the longest
stage (name???) and I felt reassured. Im in command, I thought. On the
following short stage I clipped a corner without any reason and the next
thing I knew was that we were upside down between trees.
The early taste of victory turned to bitter disappointment. I had let
everybody down: my team, my family and myself. At the end of the year I was
sacked. But after all, setbacks are best nutrition in the school of life.

My emotions from the Acropolis rally are very strong. Sometimes I was
totally exhausted having changed who knows how many punctures in hot
weather in Peloponnesus and feeling victory slipping away. What a stroke of
luck (unusual for me) in my other winning year 1981 when I broke a half
shift in the rear axel but the remaining couple of kilometers were only
downhill! Roads were sometimes so rough that the most suitable car would have been a tractor...

Ill never forget the sight of Kalambaka monastery. Like
cathedrals, it manifests the magnitude of efforts people were prepared to do
to enhance spiritual values. Nowadays we seem to have forgotten that a man
does not live from bread alone. I cant forget those small villages in the
middle of mountains where I always found an excuse to stop for a cup of
coffee. Surrounded only by men dressed in grey clothes.
Astir Beach was the annual family gathering of the rally circus. Wives
sunbathing and children playing on the grass. We had plenty of time to
enjoy. Those days are gone long ago. Gone are also those long recce periods
when we seemed to spend weeks in Itea at ( name??) brothers hotel. We were
treated as if we were their family members.
Yes- thats what the Acropolis rally and Greece mean to me.
Human warmth.

ARI VATANEN

http://www.arivatanen.com/index.php?mid=88

...ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΚΑΝΕΙΣ ΠΟΥ ΑΚΟΥΕΙ ???????

...ΜΗΝ ΣΠΡΩΧΝΕΣΤΕ !!!!!!!!!

ΛΕΣ ΝΑ ΞΕΡΕΙ ΤΙΠΟΤΕ ΑΠΟ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ ΑΥΤΟΣ.......??

Acropolis Rally

Acropolis rally has not left me cold. Its impossible.
On my first participation 1977 I hit a tree before the real rally had even
started. I can still feel a violent shock! After many setbacks, I won my
first WCR- victory in Greece in 1980. What a relief... The victory was
sentimentally explosive because Rita came to Athens with our two-week old
Ria daughter. My feeling of happiness went literally down to my bones.
Hopefully Ill never forget how privileged Im and that I treat fellow human
beings according to each one's unique human value. Rally victories do not
mean victories over your neighbours.

Since my Argentinian accident I never won a WC rally. Closest to it I came
in Acropolis 1993 in an outdated Subaru Legacy. On the first day I was in a
class of my own and led the rally comfortably. In the morning of the
following day I had problems but I reestablished the order on the longest
stage (name???) and I felt reassured. Im in command, I thought. On the
following short stage I clipped a corner without any reason and the next
thing I knew was that we were upside down between trees.
The early taste of victory turned to bitter disappointment. I had let
everybody down: my team, my family and myself. At the end of the year I was
sacked. But after all, setbacks are best nutrition in the school of life.

My emotions from the Acropolis rally are very strong. Sometimes I was
totally exhausted having changed who knows how many punctures in hot
weather in Peloponnesus and feeling victory slipping away. What a stroke of
luck (unusual for me) in my other winning year 1981 when I broke a half
shift in the rear axel but the remaining couple of kilometers were only
downhill! Roads were sometimes so rough that the most suitable car would have been a tractor...

Ill never forget the sight of Kalambaka monastery. Like
cathedrals, it manifests the magnitude of efforts people were prepared to do
to enhance spiritual values. Nowadays we seem to have forgotten that a man
does not live from bread alone. I cant forget those small villages in the
middle of mountains where I always found an excuse to stop for a cup of
coffee. Surrounded only by men dressed in grey clothes.
Astir Beach was the annual family gathering of the rally circus. Wives
sunbathing and children playing on the grass. We had plenty of time to
enjoy. Those days are gone long ago. Gone are also those long recce periods
when we seemed to spend weeks in Itea at ( name??) brothers hotel. We were
treated as if we were their family members.
Yes- thats what the Acropolis rally and Greece mean to me.
Human warmth.

ARI VATANEN

http://www.arivatanen.com/index.php?mid=88

...ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΚΑΝΕΙΣ ΠΟΥ ΑΚΟΥΕΙ ???????

...ΜΗΝ ΣΠΡΩΧΝΕΣΤΕ !!!!!!!!!

ΛΕΣ ΝΑ ΞΕΡΕΙ ΤΙΠΟΤΕ ΑΠΟ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ ΑΥΤΟΣ.......??

Acropolis Rally

Acropolis rally has not left me cold. Its impossible.
On my first participation 1977 I hit a tree before the real rally had even
started. I can still feel a violent shock! After many setbacks, I won my
first WCR- victory in Greece in 1980. What a relief... The victory was
sentimentally explosive because Rita came to Athens with our two-week old
Ria daughter. My feeling of happiness went literally down to my bones.
Hopefully Ill never forget how privileged Im and that I treat fellow human
beings according to each one's unique human value. Rally victories do not
mean victories over your neighbours.

Since my Argentinian accident I never won a WC rally. Closest to it I came
in Acropolis 1993 in an outdated Subaru Legacy. On the first day I was in a
class of my own and led the rally comfortably. In the morning of the
following day I had problems but I reestablished the order on the longest
stage (name???) and I felt reassured. Im in command, I thought. On the
following short stage I clipped a corner without any reason and the next
thing I knew was that we were upside down between trees.
The early taste of victory turned to bitter disappointment. I had let
everybody down: my team, my family and myself. At the end of the year I was
sacked. But after all, setbacks are best nutrition in the school of life.

My emotions from the Acropolis rally are very strong. Sometimes I was
totally exhausted having changed who knows how many punctures in hot
weather in Peloponnesus and feeling victory slipping away. What a stroke of
luck (unusual for me) in my other winning year 1981 when I broke a half
shift in the rear axel but the remaining couple of kilometers were only
downhill! Roads were sometimes so rough that the most suitable car would have been a tractor...

Ill never forget the sight of Kalambaka monastery. Like
cathedrals, it manifests the magnitude of efforts people were prepared to do
to enhance spiritual values. Nowadays we seem to have forgotten that a man
does not live from bread alone. I cant forget those small villages in the
middle of mountains where I always found an excuse to stop for a cup of
coffee. Surrounded only by men dressed in grey clothes.
Astir Beach was the annual family gathering of the rally circus. Wives
sunbathing and children playing on the grass. We had plenty of time to
enjoy. Those days are gone long ago. Gone are also those long recce periods
when we seemed to spend weeks in Itea at ( name??) brothers hotel. We were
treated as if we were their family members.
Yes- thats what the Acropolis rally and Greece mean to me.
Human warmth.

ARI VATANEN

http://www.arivatanen.com/index.php?mid=88

...ΥΠΑΡΧΕΙ ΚΑΝΕΙΣ ΠΟΥ ΑΚΟΥΕΙ ???????

...ΜΗΝ ΣΠΡΩΧΝΕΣΤΕ !!!!!!!!!

ΛΕΣ ΝΑ ΞΕΡΕΙ ΤΙΠΟΤΕ ΑΠΟ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ ΑΥΤΟΣ.......??