2025-07-17
Thursday Action in Palanga: First Runs on Track
After the official race opening celebration and the “Volfas-Engelman Ice Non-Alco Super Sprint” competition in the center of Palanga, all “Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” teams moved to the race paddock. Thursday marked the first practice sessions on the main race track. Members of the “Porsche Club Lithuania” also held their first driving sessions, and the qualifying rounds of the “A.R.S.A. Group Drag” competition began.
Racers in Palanga had two official practice sessions on Thursday. These sessions will be followed by Friday’s qualifying runs, which will determine the starting grid for the main 1006 km race, scheduled to begin at 12:00 on Saturday.
Drivers Ready for Any Weather
Despite an unusually rainy summer in Lithuania, the “Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook” drivers and long-time fans know that rain is a familiar guest at this track. Thursday’s practice began in dry conditions, but the forecast suggests tougher weather for Friday’s qualifying. Drivers say they’re fully prepared and ready to race no matter what the weather brings.
“I don’t look at the forecast—that’s the job of the team managers and strategists. I don’t want extra things messing with my nerves. Whatever happens, happens. In the end, the conditions are the same for everyone, and if we need to slow down, we will but continue to race,” said Mantas Matukaitis, multiple-time participant and podium finisher, now racing with the “Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG” team. “The first practice session went great—I haven’t held a racing steering wheel for nearly a year, but I matched my lap time from last year right away. Of course, we’ll keep improving—we started off cautiously.”
Drivers showed steadily improving lap times throughout the session, though no one challenged the lap record just yet. The fastest lap of the first session came from “RD Signs Šiauliai,” running a Lamborghini Huracan GT3. Driver Paulius Paškevičius clocked a time of 1:08.357. Just a fraction of a second behind was “Bio-Circle & HSG by SWAG,” with a best lap of 1:08.473. Third quickest were Adam Christodoulou from the Netherlands and Daan Arrow from the UK, racing a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT GT3 EVO, with a lap time of 1:09.070. Notably, “STATETA BRO & VEESLA by AIBE” are the only team this year composed of just two drivers.
Today’s schedule includes a second practice session for the main race competitors, while fans can enjoy both the qualifying and final runs of the “A.R.S.A. Group Drag” competition. Taking place on a special 1/8-mile (201 m) track set up beyond the famous Klaipėda corner, the drag racing area featured never-before-seen machines with up to 2,000 horsepower. Only the fastest from the qualifiers will advance to the finals, which will be held on a 1/8-mile track near the main race start line.
On Friday, even more adrenaline awaits, as drag racers will compete on a full quarter-mile track for the prestigious “A.R.S.A. Group” cup.