Although the sporting part of the third round of the Lithuanian Rally Championship will start only on Friday and run until Saturday evening, Thursday was already early and productive for the participants. Before the start of the competition, the racers had to prepare and check their documents, pick up GPS equipment, road books and gifts from partners, and head to the heavily soaked special stages, whose pace notes they will be writing up until late evening. In the meantime, team members handed the sports cars over to the scrtutineers for inspection.
From early Thursday morning, the crews were bustling under umbrellas near the Ukmergė Cultural Centre, where the Jusema Rally Ukmergė 2026 headquarters is located. They were met by the administrative commission staff, who checked the crews’ documents and issued all the items necessary for the rally: road books, GPS tracking systems, stickers for sports and service cars, and gifts from partners. Despite the early start and the soaking rain, the smiles on the participants’ faces did not fade – everyone was eager to see the special stages and start the rally. Some were worried about the difficult conditions, while others, on the contrary, were pleased about the challenges ahead. However, everyone highlighted one key aspect of the coming days – the importance of staying on the road despite the extremely slippery surface.
After sorting out the paperwork, the crews headed to the special stages around Ukmergė, some of which also run through the Molėtai district. They had to visit as many as ten different sections of road – some were used last year but are now driven in the opposite direction, and the organizers also discovered new gravel roads that were not used previously. There are also tarmac stretches, which become extremely slippery when wet, forest sections, where moisture remains much longer, and more open areas, where the surface may have time to improve by Friday afternoon and Saturday. Under road rules, participants can pass each stage only twice, so the accuracy of the pace notes and confidence in them will be decisive for the crews’ speed during the competition. Everything was made a little more difficult by the pouring rain, which filled the gravel roads with puddles and significantly softened the surface. The participants interviewed promised that there would be no shortage of challenges on the rally days. There was no shortage during recce either – several crews got stuck and were rescued by colleagues who arrived with more serious 4×4 equipment.
While the crews were driving hundreds of kilometres around Ukmergė, their technical staff presented the sports cars to the scrutineering, which this time is headed by LASF President Egidijus Janavičius. To ensure competition between racers is as fair as possible and that the crews’ talent is what stands out, each car must meet the requirements of a specific class. During scrutineering, these requirements are checked and particular attention is paid to the cars’ safety equipment. Only after the inspection, and with the permission of the chief scrutineer, is a crew allowed to start the rally. If discrepancies are found, the team must correct them and present the car to the scrutineering again.
On Friday, 10 July, Aleksandras Makejevas will perform in Ukmergė Castle Park from 8.30 p.m., and on Saturday, 11 July, after the solemn “Jusema Rally Ukmergė” awards ceremony, G&G Sindikatas will rock Ukmergė there from 10.00 p.m. On Saturday, a trampoline park will be open in Castle Park, event merchandise will be available for purchase, and food and beverage vendors will serve the audience. Tickets can be purchased at the Ukmergė Tourism and Entrepreneurship Centre, online and, as usual, on the days of the event at the special stages. Ticket price – 15 EUR. The event is free for children under 12 years of age.
