„Rally Žemaitija 2026“: excitement before the start
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That is, both the most modest vehicles, manufactured four decades ago and transformed into combat-ready machines by rally enthusiasts themselves, and brand new factory monsters costing a quarter of a million euros, prepared for the competition absolutely flawlessly.
“To be honest, we never tried to calculate how much one “fast” kilometer costs us, but usually a race weekend with all entry fees, fuel and accommodation expenses “fits” into 1000 euros. We come with one set of tires and without mechanic assistance. This is probably the least amount of money you need to pay for the opportunity to experience the fun of racing,” smiles the pilot of the family crew of Alfonsas and Marius Žiukai.
The cheerful athletes joke that they belong to that part of the rally guild who come to races not to overtake or outsmart someone, but to produce adrenaline. As incredible as it may sound, a 1981-made “Volkswagen Golf” is quite suitable for that.
True, the car is somewhat different from the standard – it has not only safety equipment but also a slightly more powerful engine. The total amount spent on all improvements made over almost two decades reaches nearly 20 thousand euros. The “BMW 316” driven by the young racing talent from Šakiai – Majus Braškys – costs about 30 thousand, but the strategist of the team, which prepares very seriously for all starts, claims not to keep precise accounts of race expenses, and therefore cannot state the price of a “fast” kilometer.
Eugenijus Andrulis, the head of the Šiauliai team “Rally4Fun”, in turn, assures that the “math” in rally is very simple: if you want not only to start but also to successfully reach the finish line – you must invest in reliability. “Many athletes go through a ‘do-it-yourself’ stage, when they experiment and construct racing technology trying to get by with the smallest possible budget.
“NEO Rally Žemaitija 2026”. Rally drivers’ “professional” injuries and their causes
New race name – “NEO Rally Žemaitija 2026”
Unfortunately, this often means that various aggregates will not be compatible with each other and will not withstand all special stages. Having invested more in factory equipment, you are forced to change specified parts according to a strict list for a certain number of kilometers. For example, N5 half-shafts – even if they look new – every 1000 kilometers. If you follow these recommendations – you only fail to reach the finish line if you make a mistake yourself, but not because of a broken engine or gearbox,” explains E. Andrulis.
This axiom is also confirmed by E. Janavičius. According to him, athletes who acquire relatively expensive equipment gain not only reliability but also surprisingly good liquidity for cars that meet FIA homologations: even professionally repaired cars that have been in accidents depreciate symbolically. Meanwhile, national class equipment becomes a rather heavy financial burden over the years.
Vytautas Švedas, who switched to a “VW Polo R5” this racing season, commenting on the differences in costs related to sports car rental (including mechanic services), states that each kilometer driven in an R5 costs an average of about 100 euros, or almost twice as much as racing with a “Mitsubishi Lancer EVO”. Driving an N5 class car costs about 70-80 Eur/km.
