During the technical inspection, both the athletes’ equipment and their vehicles were thoroughly checked. The commissioners assessed the condition and homologation of helmets, safety belts, drivers’ suits, protective systems, and other mandatory safety equipment.
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No less attention was paid to the buggies – their compliance with technical requirements, safety standards, and homologation documents was checked. Only after receiving a positive verdict from the technical commission can athletes prepare for Saturday’s training and qualifying runs.
This year, the technical inspection in Vilkyčiai was carried out by as many as eight technical commissioners, so each vehicle and its driver’s equipment were evaluated with extreme care. Although most of the participants arrived in Lithuania directly from the second round of the European Championship in Bauska, Latvia, this did not mean that all athletes would complete the formalities without additional comments.
Algirdas Budėjus, one of the members of the technical commission, stated that this year some participants had to return to the participants’ park and rectify the identified deficiencies.
“Usually, we would find few deficiencies, just minor things, but this time, after the Bauska stage, we found more significant non-compliances with technical requirements among some participants.
Several athletes had to return to the participants’ park and rectify the deficiencies. It doesn’t matter that the buggies had been inspected before, but it often happens that some commissioners find one set of deficiencies, while others discover different ones,” said Algirdas Budėjus.
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Several athletes had to return to the participants’ park and rectify the deficiencies
According to the technical commissioners, such inspections are one of the most important safety elements in autocross competitions. Extremely powerful equipment is used on the tracks, and battles take place at very close distances, so even minor discrepancies can have serious consequences for both athlete safety and fair competition.
After the technical inspection, the athletes could return to the participants’ park and continue preparing for the most important starts of the weekend. On Saturday, training and qualifying runs will begin at the Vilkyčiai motorsport complex, where starting positions for further battles will be determined. Meanwhile, on Sunday, spectators will await the semi-finals and finals, after which the winners of the third round of the European Autocross Championship will be announced.
This year, more than 80 European Championship participants from 15 countries gathered in Vilkyčiai. The jubilee, tenth European Autocross round held in Lithuania, is met not only by a large contingent of athletes but also by thousands of spectators, for whom this weekend promises some of the most spectacular motorsport battles in the Baltic States.
Tickets can be purchased online on the “Bilietai.lt” platform. Tickets will also be sold at the event venue, but organizers recommend purchasing tickets in advance.
More information about the upcoming event can be found on the organizers’ “Facebook” page.
