2025-07-18
Engines roaring from early Friday morning – practice sessions underway and spectator slalom begins
At 9:00 AM sharp on Friday, the “Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” racers hit the track for the first practice session of the day. Four practice sessions are scheduled today, ending with the highly anticipated qualifying rounds. From the very first laps, competitors were already clocking faster times than on Thursday, though a few minor incidents still occurred.
Not every team joined the opening session – the “Kauno ASK” team, driving a classic “Lada 2104,” only rolled out during the second session.
“We’re having breakfast, watching how the competition handles the track, doing their work. We figured strong teams don’t need practice, and practice won’t help the weak ones anyway,” joked long-time race participant Dovilas Čiutelė.
Due to rather unfortunate circumstances, the “Skaylink Racing Team” crew, driving a Volkswagen Caddy, was forced to cut their practice session short. One of the team’s drivers, Ovidijus Latoža, shared what happened: “We experienced a gearbox failure during the first practice session. We have a spare and are currently replacing it, hoping to make it to qualifying. The broken one was a stock gearbox, so it’s likely it just couldn’t handle the stress. For qualifying we’re installing another stock gearbox, but for the race, we might switch to a performance one.”
The fastest lap time in the first session was posted by “Stokex Circle K Miles Plus,” driving an “Audi R8 GT3 EVO II,” with a time of 1:06.677. Close behind were “RD Signs Šiauliai” in a “Lamborghini Huracan GT3” (1:06.742) and “Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG” in another “Audi” (1:06.911).
Less than ten minutes into the first session, “Porsche Lietuva” experienced a minor incident and slightly damaged their car. However, the cosmetic repairs were quickly made, and the team was soon back on track.
Spectator slalom kicks off
Near the main track, in the direction of Klaipėda, another beloved tradition returned – the “Technitis Spectator Slalom.” Open to all, this is the perfect chance to get a taste of what real racers experience, using your own car and without needing advanced driving skills. For those without a suitable vehicle, slalom partner “Tavo-Auto.lt” offers rentals on-site.
Participants are divided into classes based on drivetrain configuration, with a separate classification for female drivers. Registration takes place on-site near the Klaipėda turn, and drivers are welcome to make as many attempts as they’d like.
Later in the afternoon, the main track will host the annual 1000-meter “Volfas Engelman ICE Non-Alco” mechanics’ run. And before the qualifying rounds, fans will once again see “Porsche Club Lithuania” members taking to the track.