2026-07-16
Sports Cars Roar Through Palanga as Traditional Sprint Opens Race Weekend
On Thursday, July 16, the first sounds of the “Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” race cars echoed through Vytauto Street in Palanga, where the official team presentation and the traditional Super Sprint competition took place. Twenty teams competed for the first victory of this year’s event, while a large crowd of local residents and visitors gathered to enjoy the beautiful weather, admire the race cars up close, and meet the teams.
The organizer of the event, Darius Jonušis, welcomed the participants, spectators, and guests to the 27th edition of the race. He thanked everyone who contributed to making the event possible, including the mayor, public services, and all those involved in organizing the festival, and wished all competitors an enjoyable race weekend.
Šarūnas Vaitkus, Mayor of Palanga, which this year has been named the European City of Sport, greeted residents and visitors alike, wished everyone an exciting race weekend, and officially declared the 27th edition of the race open.
A Hot Weekend Ahead
Although the main race will begin on Saturday, teams are already starting their practice sessions and preparations today. This year’s field of twenty teams includes an international lineup of drivers and team managers, with flags from Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, and even Brazil flying around the circuit.
Another encouraging trend is that four teams will be led by women this year. The role of team manager will be filled by Brazilian Tamires Lustosa and three well-known Lithuanian figures in motorsport: Indrė Senkutė, Jolita Gutaravičienė, and Inga Kačinskienė.
Inga Kačinskienė, team manager of Vodafone Skylink Racing Team, which has competed in the Aurum 1006 km race since 2014, was in high spirits when asked how she felt ahead of the start:
“I don’t know—it feels great. The team is in a good mood, but the easy days are over. Now the real work begins. We’ve raised the quality in every aspect and expect more from ourselves and from the car. Right now we’re watching the weather forecast and keeping our fingers crossed.”
Indrė Senkutė, team manager of Anjesė by Route67, who was previously better known as a racing driver, explained that leading a team is an entirely different challenge:
“When you’re a driver, you know exactly what your task is and you simply do it. As a team manager, you can’t possibly predict everything that might happen, and you have to make decisions instantly. The good thing is that everyone on the team is very responsible, and we all agree that we’re here not only to race but also to enjoy the experience.”
Jonas Karklys, returning to the Palanga circuit after several years away, was cautious when asked about his expectations for the weekend:
“It feels really good to be back in Palanga after a five-year break. Of course, it’s still too early to talk about results. It’s a long race and anything can happen. Right now, we need to stay focused, do our jobs, avoid mistakes, and aim for the best possible result. Then we’ll see how everything turns out. I first raced here in 2016, also with an Audi, so this year’s start is a symbolic anniversary for me.”
During the team presentation, motorsport fans surrounded the gleaming race cars, freshly prepared for the long battle ahead, while enjoying complimentary Aurum ice cream and Volfas-Engelman Non-Alcoholic beverages provided by the event sponsors. The crowd was also treated to a stunt riding performance by motorcycle stunt rider Paulius Labanauskas.
First Trophies Awarded
Following the ceremonial team presentation, Vytauto Street briefly transformed into a race track for the traditional Volfas-Engelman Non-Alcoholic Sprint competition. Drivers had to accelerate along a straight of less than 100 meters and bring their cars to a stop at the finish. For the first time in the history of the sprint event, two competitors recorded exactly the same finishing time.
The fastest driver this year was Vilius Reškevičius of Baltic Karting Academy, behind the wheel of a Porsche Cayman GT4 Club Sport. He completed the sprint in 5.11 seconds.
Second place went to Šarūnas Vaškelis of Energija by RD Signs Racing in a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 with a time of 5.25 seconds. Third place was claimed by Dovilas Čiutelė of Statomes by Kauno ASK, driving the Lada 2104 powered by Mustang, who recorded exactly the same time as the Lamborghini driver.
After the sprint competition, the teams headed to the main race circuit for their first practice sessions of the weekend. The track will also host driving sessions by Porsche Club Lithuania and practice for the Mitjet Baltics series, while the nearby strip will feature qualifying runs for the A.R.S.A Group Drag Race.