2025-07-16
Record-Breaking Speed Predicted for the Race
On the afternoon of Wednesday, July 16, a symbolic start was given in Palanga for the 26th consecutive Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook endurance race – the largest in the Baltic States.
The ceremonial start was announced by the administrative and technical commissions responsible for ensuring the drivers' readiness and the technical inspection of their high-performance vehicles.
Only with the approval of these commissions are teams allowed entry into the marathon race village, where tomorrow the training sessions will begin in preparation for the most important motorsport exam of the year. On Saturday evening, July 19, the winners and podium finishers of the 26th edition of the long-distance race will be announced.
The technical inspection was led by experienced chief technical commissioner Raul Koov from Estonia and his well-coordinated team, who granted permission for 16 teams to participate in this year’s Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook race.
A total of 58 drivers and team managers from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Switzerland will take part in the 1006 km race.
Darius Jonušis, the race’s founder and director of the public institution “1000 km lenktynės,” expressed gratitude to all the drivers, team leaders, and large support crews who returned to this traditional event, now running for over a quarter of a century. He emphasized that, in challenging times with war nearby and global instability, the very fact that the race is being held is an achievement in itself. He noted that currently not even the Baltic circuit racing championships or previously prestigious European endurance series are enjoying large participation numbers.
Although motorsport has been advancing rapidly and becoming more expensive in recent years, Jonušis remains optimistic and is already planning for next year’s Aurum 1006 km race with his team.
This year, seven Porsche cars of various modifications will line up at the start, increasingly becoming iconic in Palanga. It is worth noting that drivers in these marathon races have won the most victories behind the wheel of Porsche cars – 15 out of the 25 races held so far.
The race will also feature three Audi cars, two BMWs, and one each of Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen Caddy, and Lada 2104.
The title of the oldest driver this year goes to Swiss racer Tim Mueller, born December 7, 1966, who will once again represent the RD Signs Šiauliai team. Two and a half years younger is V. Gedutis from Antėja Racing Team.
The list of youngest drivers includes many promising talents considered the future of Lithuanian motorsport. The youngest among them is Domas Raudonis, born October 27, 2011, from team Stokex Circle K Miles Plus. Last year, he secured third-place finishes in the Creventic 24h Series Spa-Francorchamps and Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, and recently used a race in Italy to prepare for his start in Palanga.
A couple of years older are Tomas Rudokas from Porsche Lietuva 91 and Orestas Burgaila from Baltic Karting Academy, while three years older is Agnius Narbutas from Skaylink Racing Team.
The Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook track record – 1 minute 05.425 seconds – belongs to Danish driver Andres Fjordbach, set in 2023.
The shortest race duration – 8 hours, 3 minutes, 37.833 seconds – was also set last year by the winning team STATETA BRO-TOKS by IGNERA, consisting of A. Fjordbach, Julius Adomavičius, Nemunas Dagilis, and Tim Whale from the UK, driving a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 EVO. The same team with the same car will compete again this year.
A similar scenario is predicted by Eimantas Navikauskas, who together with Stokex Circle K Miles Plus teammates Domas Raudonis and Arūnas Gečiauskas will drive an Audi R8 GT3 EVO II marked with number 71. Navikauskas, a two-time winner of the Aurum 1006 km race, finished second last year and is now aiming for the top step of the podium with his team.
The RD Signs Šiauliai team has equally ambitious goals. Their Lamborghini Huracan GT3 (#69) will be driven by Audrius Butkevičius, Paulius Paškevičius, Paulius Ruškys, and Tim Mueller from Switzerland. Butkevičius considers the team’s stable lineup over the years to be one of their strengths.
Rimas Cesiulis, a regular participant in these races and driver for Antėja Racing Team, believes the competition will be intense, as many teams have similar potential and none come to Palanga just to participate. Together with teammates V. Gedutis, Karolis Blėdis, Egidijus Gutaravičius, and Robertas Saveikis, Cesiulis will drive a Porsche 992 Cup. He expects multiple records to be broken and anticipates the race may be the fastest in history, unless rain alters the scenario.
When asked whether he would prefer rain or a dry track, Cesiulis clearly favored rain. In his view, rainy conditions level the playing field even more and make it nearly impossible for spectators to predict the winner.
Tomorrow, July 17, the organizers of the Aurum 1006 km race will host a colorful participant parade on Vytauto Street in Palanga, featuring the official opening ceremony, where all participating teams will be introduced to the public.
The event will be broadcast live on TV3 Play and will conclude with the first short but very intense and entertaining Volfas-Engelman Ice Non-Alco Super Sprint race, which traditionally draws a large audience.
Spectators attending the event will also have the opportunity to feel like real racers by participating in the Technitis slalom challenge, which will run throughout the Aurum 1006 km race days. Winners and prize recipients will be announced on Saturday afternoon.
The rich program of the Aurum 1006 km race will also include traditional drag races, dbDrag sound competitions, a women’s challenge, historic and Porsche car demonstrations, and many other engaging events and attractions for motorsport fans.
Photos by Vytautas Pilkauskas and Andrius Laucius