2026-07-16
Pirmieji važiavimai trasoje – kai kuriems automobiliams prireikė variklio keitimo
Following the opening celebration and the "Volfas Engelman Non-Alcoholic" Sprint Race in the centre of Palanga, all teams competing in the Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook endurance race moved to the circuit, where the first official practice sessions took place today. The track also welcomed the opening practice sessions for the Porsche Club Lithuania and Mitjet Baltics series, while qualifying runs for the A.R.S.A. Group Drag Race competition also got underway.
On Thursday, competitors have two practice sessions scheduled before Friday's qualifying, which will determine the starting order for Saturday's main event. The Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook race will begin at 12:00 noon on Saturday.
Learning the Track and Fine-Tuning the Cars
After the opening practice, Porsche Lietuva Racing driver Robertas Kupčikas explained that the team's priority was setting up the car.
"The first practice went well. The track is dirty, but that's the same for everyone. We always use the first session to fine-tune the car, and we've already found a few areas to improve. Lap times are gradually getting quicker, and things should only get better from here."
Povilas Bonkevičius, representing LIK Racing by KTK, was also pleased with the opening session.
"The track is slippery because it's only the first practice and there's still a lot of dust on the racing line. We're driving a bit more cautiously for now. Everything went well, but it's still far too early to make any predictions. Right now we're focusing on strategy, learning, and making improvements. The mood in the team is excellent."
Things were less straightforward for OVOKO Dream 2 Drive. The team's original car suffered a major crash just a week before the event, forcing them to quickly secure another Porsche in order to compete in this year's race. Unfortunately, the replacement car developed technical issues during its very first outing.
"Markus drove the first couple of laps, then Dennis, and after that it was my turn," said Edvinas Žadeikis. "Already on my first lap I could feel the car was producing maybe 80 percent of its power. Then a throttle warning appeared on the dashboard, the gearbox got stuck in third gear, and I had to limp back to the pits using only the clutch. It looks like we'll probably have to install another engine because we still don't know what's wrong with this one."
Lap Times Continue to Improve
Drivers steadily improved their pace throughout the session, although nobody came close to challenging the circuit record during the opening practice.
The fastest lap belonged to Karolis Jovaiša from Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG, who clocked 1:07.859 in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II.
Second quickest was Paulius Paškevičius of Energija by RD Signs Racing, posting a lap of 1:07.930 in a Lamborghini Huracán GT3.
Third place went to Benjamin Barker of RIMO Adero & LKU.LT, whose Porsche GT3 Cup completed the circuit in 1:10.296.
Later today, competitors will return to the track for the second practice session. Meanwhile, spectators can enjoy both the qualifying and final rounds of the A.R.S.A. Group Drag Race competition. On the specially prepared 1/8-mile (201 m) drag strip located beyond the famous Klaipėda Corner, fans have the opportunity to watch some of the fastest machines in the region, producing thousands of horsepower. Only the quickest drivers from qualifying will advance to the finals, held on the 1/8-mile strip situated alongside the main start/finish straight.
Photos: Vytautas Pilkauskas and Andrius Laucius.