2025-06-12
„Bio Circle & HSG by Swag” Ready for Rematch
„Bio Circle & HSG by Swag” Ready for Rematch The „Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” race sees changes among participants every year: teams renew, update their cars, and crew members move between teams. However, „Bio Circle & HSG by Swag” will return to the biggest race in the Baltic states, taking place from July 16-19, with the same team as last year.
The victory slipped through their fingers
In last year's 25th „Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” race, the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, driven by Mantas Matukaitis, Karolis Jovaiša, and Egidijus Gražys, performed admirably. The strategy of team leader Mindaugas Valiūnas was precise, and the team led the race with a comfortable margin, allowing room for some improvisation. However, during lap 157, the Audi was forced to stop in the pit lane due to a gearbox failure. Sadly, Juta Racing mechanics were unable to fix the issue.
“To retire from the race due to a breakdown while in the lead position is something that happens to very few. This setback was particularly painful, but it showed us that we can compete for top positions, and that motivated the team to try again because we certainly have something to prove. Last year proved that we can fight for first place,” said Mantas Matukaitis, founder of Fifty Three Racing.
A well-organized team with a great atmosphere
The breakdown was a painful experience not only for Mantas but for the entire well-coordinated team and their partners. To prove that it was just an unfortunate consequence of circumstances, „Bio Circle & HSG by Swag” decided to keep the team unchanged. Even though Karolis Jovaiša, who shone in the race and was the fastest Lithuanian, remained the team's leader, he decided to stick with the Audi.
“This year, I received quite a few offers from other teams, some of which were even better than ever before, but I was captivated by the atmosphere in this team. Everything was so well-coordinated, from the smallest details like the uniforms to the race day schedule. You could feel everyone’s efforts directed toward a single goal, so the desire to finish the work we started remained,” commented K. Jovaiša.
Karolis has been entrusted with the leadership role again this year. He will be joined behind the wheel of the GT3 car by the very fast and stable Egidijus Gražys, and the long-time project founder, Mantas Matukaitis. The „Bio Circle & HSG by Swag” team will continue to be led by M. Valiūnas and his team of strategists. The car will also remain the same – the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II. And the goal remains unchanged: to reach the podium in the overall standings.
A significant emphasis on breakdown prevention
According to M. Matukaitis, this year the team has placed a greater focus on preventing breakdowns, especially transmission issues that caused problems last year. A new gearbox will be installed in the car, which the team will thoroughly test and analyze.
“After last year’s race, it was a difficult period. We analyzed the drives, sent the gearbox to the factory, but we never received any answers. Then we observed long-distance races in Europe, where similar gearbox issues affected both Audi and Lamborghini teams. We suspect that a faulty part might have been involved,” explained K. Jovaiša.
Many drivers admit that despite intensive simulator training before races, they still lack real racing miles.
The team leader of „Bio Circle & HSG by Swag” and its athletes hope that, with over a month remaining before the start of the „Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” race, they will manage to complete even more kilometers in training on the tracks this year.