2026-07-18
Rainy start for the 27th Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook endurance race
At exactly 12:00 noon on Saturday, the 27th edition of the Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook endurance race officially got underway in Palanga. Although the Baltic coast had enjoyed sunny weather throughout the event leading up to race day, the conditions changed dramatically just before the start, with rain arriving ahead of the weekend's main event.
Rain on race day is nothing unusual in Palanga, but this year's first showers arrived at the most critical moment. From the opening laps, competitors had to adapt to a wet circuit, reduced visibility and constantly changing levels of grip.
Before the engines roared into life, Lithuania's national anthem was performed for the third consecutive year by one of the country's most promising young vocalists, Auksė Gedvilaitė. Through her talent and dedication, she has earned widespread national recognition and is a multiple-time winner of Lithuania's prestigious children's and youth television competition Dainų dainelė, claiming the title for the third time in 2026.
Following the anthem, the traditional words, "Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!" officially signalled the beginning of the 27th Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook race. Moments earlier, spectators had been treated to a spectacular aerobatic display by legendary Lithuanian pilot Jurgis Kairys, who flew over the circuit as the field prepared to take the start.
The Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG team started from pole position after Karolis Jovaiša topped Friday's Super Pole shootout with a lap of 1:05.753 around the 2.682-kilometre circuit.
Starting alongside them on the front row was the RINVEST by Juta Racing team. Their qualifying representative, Simas Juodviršis, recorded a best lap of 1:06.215, while the Energija by RD Signs Racing team lined up third after Paulius Paškevičius posted a 1:06.869 lap in qualifying.
A total of 20 teams are competing in this year's race. The starting grid features seven BMWs, six Porsches, two Audis and a variety of other racing machinery. Alongside the latest GT cars, spectators can once again enjoy fan favourites such as the iconic red Lada 2104 and the distinctive Volkswagen Caddy, which has been attracting attention since last year's event.
The competitors face a total of 373 laps, covering the full 1,006-kilometre race distance. The winner will be the first team to complete the distance, or, if necessary, the leading crew after ten hours of racing. Last year's winners, Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG, completed the race in 8 hours, 14 minutes and 53.201 seconds.
Although Karolis Jovaiša came close to the circuit record during Friday's Super Pole session, the benchmark still belongs to Denmark's Anders Fjordbach, who set a lap of 1:05.299 in 2024.
Photos: Vytautas Pilkauskas and Andrius Laucius.