2025-07-18
Race Weekend Already Full of Comebacks: Teams Crash and Return to the Track
On Friday in Palanga, at the “Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” race track, teams continue their second day of driving – before the big race, it’s crucial for drivers to practice, fine-tune their cars, and get into the racing rhythm. While the practice sessions don’t affect final results, teams haven’t been able to avoid technical issues and accidents. The good news? Every team that faced trouble yesterday is back on track today at full speed.
Crashes and mechanical failures
Although Thursday’s track conditions were dry, “Porsche Latvia Racing Team” driver Vadims Vakarjuks lost control at the end of the straight and hit the guardrails, damaging the chassis of his Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
“It’s always good to be here in Palanga. Yesterday everything was going well, but toward the evening Vadims had a crash. Mistakes happen – drivers make them sometimes. But we never stop fighting. The team did an amazing job, working until five in the morning. The car is now back on track, everything is working great, and the drivers are happy with the car’s balance. We’re definitely fast,” said team manager Valters Zviedris, who added that he’s hopeful for a strong qualifying result and eagerly awaits tomorrow’s race.
Another Porsche team, “Antėja Racing Team,” also missed part of Thursday’s sessions due to technical issues.
“During the first session yesterday, we had to stop due to a gearbox malfunction. The mechanics removed the gearbox and discovered a fault in the mechanism. The fix wasn’t too complicated – we put the gearbox back in, and today we’re continuing to drive on the track,” explained team manager and driver Rimas Cesiulis.
Today, Friday, on the “Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” track, teams are pushing to set the fastest lap time – the qualifying sessions will determine the starting positions for tomorrow’s race.
Photos by Andrius Laucius