2025-07-19
The Fastest Drivers of the “Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” Race Have Been Crowned in Palanga
The 26th edition of the Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook endurance race has officially concluded in Palanga. From the very first laps, the competition for podium positions was fierce and continued right up to the finish. In fact, changes in the top three occurred even after the checkered flag due to time penalties.
The winners of this year’s race were the Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG team, who had already demonstrated strong performance in the qualifying rounds. The team completed the 373 laps (a total of 1006 kilometers) in 8 hours, 14 minutes, and 53.201 seconds. Team manager Mindaugas Valiūnas led the effort, and the drivers who brought the car across the finish line were Mantas Matukaitis, Karolis Jovaiša, and Egidijus Gražys.
Driver Mantas Matukaitis, holding the winner’s trophy, joked that the number thirteen has now become his lucky number: “The feeling is incredible, but I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet. It’ll probably sink in later — tonight’s celebration will be long. I suspect that’s when we’ll also make some behind-the-scenes decisions about upcoming races.”
This was Matukaitis’ 13th start in the Aurum 1006 km race, and the team proved that hard work and perseverance eventually lead to success.
Race organizer Darius Jonušis shared his reflections after the awards ceremony: “The emotions after a race are never the same. Today I feel a lot of internal tension. We had to deal with a major storm that damaged a lot of our infrastructure. I wonder if this is some kind of signal — it’s the 26th race, the start of a new quarter-century. The first five races we organized were also plagued by rain and interruptions. This year we were again on the edge, but in the end, everything turned out well.”
Changes to Podium Standings After the Finish
Although the “STATETA BRO & VEESLA by AIBE” team, with drivers Adam Christodoulou and Daan Arrow, crossed the finish line in second place with their Mercedes-Benz AMG GT GT3 EVO, they received a time penalty for an improper pit stop during a “Code 60” period. This dropped them to third place. The team was managed by Sean Paul Breslin.
Second place ultimately went to “RIMO & LKU by EQUPAY.CH”, whose team principal Aurelijus Rusteika had expressed high ambitions before the race. Their car was driven by Benjamin Barker, Mantas Janavičius, and Marius Bartkus.
Special Awards • Fastest lap of the race: Karolis Jovaiša, dubbed “Lithuania’s Rain Man,” recorded a lap time of 1:06.246 on lap 105. He received a special award from the Lithuanian Automobile Sport Federation (LASF). • Fan Favorite Award: Ovidijus Latoža was voted the most popular driver online with 1,639 votes. He was also recognized for driving the standout Volkswagen Caddy of the Skaylink Racing Team, nicknamed “Caddylac.”
Class Winners GT3 Class
1st place: Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG 2nd place: STATETA BRO & VEESLA by AIBE 3rd place: RD Signs Šiauliai
GTO Class
1st place: RIMO & LKU by EQUPAY.CH 2nd place: OVOKO by D2D 3rd place: Porsche Lietuva 91
GT4 Class
1st place: Baltic Karting Academy 2nd place: Porsche Latvia Racing Team
TC4 Class
1st place: Statomenas by DMK racing 2nd place: LIK RACING BY DELPHI 3rd place: BMW KESTAUTO – TELŠIŲ STATYBA
The 2025 edition of Lithuania’s most prestigious endurance race concluded with excitement, emotional victories, and outstanding teamwork—proving once again why Palanga is the home of Baltic motorsport.
Photos by Vytautas Pilkauskas and Andrius Laucius