2026-07-17
Qualifying gets underway at the Aurum 1006 km race
From early morning, the roar of racing engines echoed around the unique circuit that comes to life only once a year. Every practice session led to one of the most important moments before Saturday's race – qualifying, where the starting grid for the Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook endurance race is decided.
Qualifying consists of two 40-minute sessions, with cars divided into their respective classes. Two drivers must complete laps in each car, and the final result is determined by combining the fastest lap set by each driver. Once the qualifying sessions are complete, the ten fastest crews will return to the circuit to compete in the Super Pole shootout.
Unlike last year, this year's qualifying took place under clear skies throughout, allowing competitors to take full advantage of a dry and extremely fast circuit.
The first session featured GT4, TC4 and SP3 class cars. The fastest driver in the GT4 category was Vilius Reškevičius of Baltic Karting Academy, who posted a lap time of 1:13.439. In the TC4 class, Markas Šilkunas of Contribee.com Racing was quickest, setting a time of 1:20.264 in a BMW G20 Turbo Cup. Max Tubben was the fastest competitor in the SP3 category, completing the lap in 1:08.477 in the ConnectPay-BMW Kestauto Powered by SONAX team's BMW M4 Silhouette.
The second qualifying session featured the fastest categories, with GTO and GT3 machinery taking to the circuit. Markus Kajak of the OVOKO Dream 2 Drive team topped the GTO class with a lap of 1:08.024 in a Porsche GT3 Cup. In GT3, last year's race winner Karolis Jovaiša was the quickest, setting the fastest time of 1:07.633 in the Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG team's Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II.
Later today, the programme continues with the Super Pole shootout and its award ceremony, the A.R.S.A. Group Drag Race prize presentation, Mitjet Baltics races, and the OlyBet Women's Challenge awards on the festival's main stage.
Photos: Vytautas Pilkauskas and Andrius Laucius.