On Sunday, Vilkyčiai will become the center of Lithuanian rallycross for the last time this season. The penultimate stage of the Lithuanian–Latvian and Baltic countries rallycross championships will take place here, after which the athletes will have the final season races at the Biķernieki track in Riga. Therefore, the points earned in Vilkyčiai may have great significance in the final championship standings.
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This time, the athletes will face the second configuration of the Vilkyčiai track, where most of the lap consists of gravel surface. This means not only different trajectories but also more work in finding the most suitable car settings. The combination of gravel and asphalt, the mandatory “Joker Lap,” short and intense runs, and direct multi-car battles at the same time traditionally leave little room for mistakes.
Saturday was dedicated precisely to preparing for these battles. All 17 Lithuanian representatives went out for training, but not everyone managed to finish the day calmly. Rokas Jakubauskas lost the car’s trunk lid during one of the runs, and Lukas Sidabras broke a rim.
A much more serious failure happened to Alvydas Samoška. The engine of his “Škoda” broke down during training, so the athlete’s competition ended before it officially started.
For A. Samoška, this is already the second such blow this season. Engine problems stopped him during the first stage of the season as well. After the second engine failure in Vilkyčiai, the driver stated that this year’s season is over for him.
The remaining athletes face a full day of battles on Sunday. Official action will start at 8 a.m. with a timed training session. It will last until 9:30 a.m., and just ten minutes later, at 9:40 a.m., the first qualifying run will begin.
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The second stage of qualifying runs is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., and the third for 1:40 p.m. Each will be important in shaping the situation before the decisive part of the competition, so athletes will have to not only demonstrate speed but also avoid mistakes and technical problems.
The official opening ceremony of the competition is scheduled for 3:15 p.m., and from 3:45 p.m., the most important battles of the day will begin – the last chance (LCQ) and final runs. It is in these that the winners of the fifth championship stage will be determined. The awards ceremony for the best athletes is scheduled for 6:10 p.m.
Spectators will be able to watch the competition both from standing areas and from the stands. A standing ticket for an adult costs 21 euros, for a child under 12 years – 8 euros. For those who want to watch the races from a seated stand, a ticket for an adult costs 26 euros, and for a child under 12 years – 13 euros.
Sunday’s stage will also be the last chance this year to see rallycross races in Vilkyčiai. After it, the championship participants will face the season finale at the Biķernieki track, so the battle starting in Vilkyčiai will be important not only for victory in the fifth stage but also for the best possible positions before the decisive races of the year.
More information about the upcoming races in Vilkyčiai, ticket prices, and other information can be found on the organizers’ “Facebook” page.
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