This weekend, the fastest Lithuanian rally crews will be back in Ukmergė after a break of more than 20 years. The “Jusema Rally Ukmergė” will not only bring together the country’s fastest crews with the most powerful cars, but also six talented youngsters who will be taking part in the “Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy” with almost technically identical cars in the “Rally4” category. For them, this will be the third event in the battle for a prize that has never been awarded before in the history of Lithuanian motorsport – a scholarship worth 80,000 euros and the opportunity to take part in the European Rally Championship next year. The championship participants are looking forward to the upcoming competition and expect an even closer battle on new, unfamiliar stages.
The current championship leader Markas Buteikis will be the first to take to the tracks of the “Jusema Rally Ukmergė”. The driver of a “Ford Fiesta Rally4” already has a lead of 15 points. This rally will be something special for the 19-year-old – it is his home rally. For a youngster from Ukmergė, taking part in this rally, which takes place in his home town, is the fulfillment of a long-held dream: “I have been waiting for the rally in my home town since I was a child. I am very happy that the rally in Ukmergė is returning to the Lithuanian rally calendar after many, many years and that I will finally have the opportunity to take part in my hometown. I have no doubt that we will have even more support in Ukmergė than usual,” said M. Buteikis. Nevertheless, the driver remains moderate ahead of the start on his home stages: “Before every rally, we feel responsible for achieving a good result, that’s a normal factor. I have no fixed goals – we will do our job as well as possible,” said the leader of the “Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy”.
Shortly after the local hero, Irmantas Buivydas from Kelmė, who surprised all rally fans last year with a powerful “N5” class car, will also take to the first special stages. The driver from Kelmė is hoping for revenge against the championship leader after losing the last duel on his home rally: “The goal in every rally is to win. In such a close competition, every point is very important and at the end of the season, the points on the special stages decide who becomes champion. Even if the return to single-axle vehicles is much more difficult than I imagined, we will do everything we can,” says the 21-year-old driver, who was one of the youngest drivers to win the title of national motorsport champion last year.
The youngest competitor in the championship, Aras Kvedaras, will be third on the starting line. The upcoming rally will be special for the soon-to-be adult driver, as he represents the “GSR Motorsport” team, which is organising this rally: “Knowing that our team is organising this rally, we are looking forward to it with even greater impatience. Considering the team’s experience in rallies, their wishes and their ability to organise everything perfectly, I am confident that we will have a great and smooth competition“,” said A. Kvedaras cheerfully.
In a minute, the family duo Erikas and Robertas Valkeris will start the competition in their “Opel Corsa “Rally4” with start number 27. The driver is pleased with his growing confidence and his new car: “We had tests last week on Friday, we are continuing to improve our connection to the car. Compared to the start of the season, I feel that I have improved the most in the areas of braking and maintaining a precise trajectory, but there is still room for improvement everywhere,” E. Valkeris shared his findings.
Klaudas Bučinskas probably spent most of his time preparing for the upcoming Ukmergė Rally. The 26-year-old driver not only took part in PET last weekend, but also competed in the rally sprint competition in Tauragė, where he improved his skills and gained valuable experience: “Before the competition, we had tests with a coach who has trained very fast drivers such as Lithuanian champion Vladas Jurkevičius, European champion and World Championship participant Martinš Sesks. It was very useful and pleasant to work with a coach of such caliber. I received various tips that we have already tried to implement at the Tauragė Rally. We are happy with the kilometers we have covered on the new stages. I always like new special stages – I think it will be very interesting in Ukmergė as well,” said the oldest participant in the “Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy” championship.
The line-up of young rally talents in Ukmergė is completed by Justas Urbonas. The driver from Kaunas will continue to gain experience in the car: “The points scored this season are not important. I can only afford to think about victories or results next year. I am improving exponentially at every competition – with every start, I feel more and more progress and confidence,” says the racing driver, who is contesting his first season in the rally discipline.
The debut of the Lithuanian rally calendar, the Jusema Rally Ukmergė, will take place this weekend, 10 to 12 July. The organisers of the new rally have prepared a 115-kilometer route for the Lithuanian rally scene, which includes 16 special stages. The participants of the Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy will not only compete for the title of rally winner but also for each victory on individual special stages. For the latter achievement, the participants receive additional points, which can have a decisive influence in the battle for the historic prize.
