Along with the champion title, he secured an 80 thousand euro scholarship, which he will be able to use for starts in the 2027 European Rally Championship, in the “Junior ERC” category. This incentive prize gives the Lithuanian the opportunity to compete on international tracks and test his skills against the most promising young rally talents of the Old Continent.
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I. Buivydas’s path to the dream of competing on foreign tracks was long and consistent. He became interested in motorsport as a child, watching the Žemaitija rally, and later tried slalom and cross disciplines, in which he became the Lithuanian champion.
Debuting in mini rally in 2020, Irmantas quickly drew attention with his speed and confident driving. Soon he triumphed in the rally sprint championship, and in 2023 he debuted in the country’s top league. After a year with a four-wheel-drive “Ford Fiesta N5” car, Irmantas won the Lithuanian champion title and became one of the youngest masters of motorsport in the country.
In 2025, the athlete returned to a front-wheel-drive car, aiming to win the first “Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy” champion title and an 80 thousand euro scholarship. After a dramatic battle, he had to acknowledge Marko Buteikis’s superiority. This year, Irmantas returned to the championship to finish unfinished business.
He won all four championship stages held so far in Zarasai, Žemaitija, Ukmergė, and Rokiškis. Such dominance allowed Irmantas to secure the champion title before the penultimate stage. In the Elektrėnai rally, it was enough for him to reach the first time control point – due to the points calculation system provided in the championship regulations, the athlete became the undisputed leader in the final standings. Thus, I. Buivydas became the second “Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy” champion and secured an 80 thousand euro scholarship.
“We achieved the main goal of the season, but it was a long road to get there. The biggest thanks go to my family, relatives, friends, and the “RD Signs Racing by Rally4Fun” team, who have always been by my side since the beginning of my rally career. After more than 40 starts in Lithuania together with my brother Edvinas, we will finally fulfill our crew’s dream – to compete among the best young talents and test ourselves on completely unfamiliar tracks. Stepping out of the comfort zone is the best way to grow. Deep in my heart, I am already eager to start, but I know the real work is just beginning. An intense off-season with a lot of homework awaits,” said the future participant of the Old Continent championships.
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The 80 thousand euro scholarship, established by motorsport enthusiast-run companies “Eldorado,” “Jusema,” “Humibility,” and “One Racing Shop,” will provide I. Buivydas with a solid foundation for the 2027 European Rally Championship season. It will cover the most important expenses – rental of the sports car, entry fees, fuel, tires, and other necessary costs. Next year, the 22-year-old athlete will become only the third Lithuanian to compete in the “Junior ERC” category, where all the most promising young rally talents compete with identical Rally4 class cars.
While I. Buivydas prepares for his debut on European tracks, the “Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy” team will soon start preparations for the third season. The organizers are pleased with the results achieved and do not hide their ambitions to bring new energy in the future:
“Young athletes increasingly see rally not only as a hobby but also as a real career opportunity. In two years, our project has grown into a platform that gives young talents the opportunity not only to compete in Lithuania but also to take their first steps on the international stage. The stories of M. Buteikis and I. Buivydas have shown where this project can lead, but we want to grow, seek new solutions, and provide opportunities to an even larger number of talents.
Rally is changing, the younger generation is changing, so we must change together. We enter the third season with the ambition to take another step forward – we want not only to see larger participant numbers but also to ensure that the knowledge and experience brought back from European tracks remain in Lithuania and are passed on to our future generations,” said Darius Šileikis, chairman of the Lithuanian Automobile Sport Federation Rally Committee.
